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Finding Kagome	By : MetsukiKaraTen Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > InuYasha/Kagome Views: 8806 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 34
- 35
- 36
DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha and company, however I
DO own an overactive imagination...

Finding Kagome

Chapter Thirty Five

Kagome stretched, or
rather she tried to stretch. It was unusually warm in the small room
and her ability to move had been strangely restricted. Eyes barely
open, she took in the curtain filtered half light of early morning.
The stark bareness of the pale yellow walls bothered her as her
slitted eyes wandered the room in half wakefulness. She still hadn't
fully adjusted to this room as being hers. It was Selene's 'spare
bedroom' and it lacked any adornments and most definitely none that
indicated it was Kagome's. Well, except one. But as pretty as he
was she didn't think he counted as decoration. She focused on the
scarlet clad arm and leg that were draped lazily over her body,
holding her in her.

Tilting her chin down
and to the side gave the appearance of a frown as she examined with
one opened eye the slender hand that was attached to the arm draped
so fluidly over her middle. So, it wasn't a dream after all. That
really was the dangerously clawed hand of InuYasha, the
bold and brash hero from the legends. Just like she remembered it
from her dreams.

She twisted her neck
to examine the angelically relaxed visage of the sleeping hanyou that
had imprisoned her in her bed. Halfway on his side with his head
turned toward her, there was a soft click that emanated from his
slightly parted lips. Just the bare tip of a fang peeked from under
his lip, and the contradiction of that compared to the sense of
innocence that graced his features in slumber sent a shiver through
her. On the pillow beneath his cheek there was a small damp spot,
where he had drooled in his sleep. So . . . normal, so childlike, so
incredibly precious.

It was the most
beautiful sight she had ever seen.

She
cast a glance at the clock on the end table. She really needed to
call her mother. But it was too early, she would wake her if she
called at this hour. Kagome quirked a smile. Though she knew that
news about the hanyou's appearance was important enough to do it, she
didn't think he was going anywhere anytime soon. Not after what he
had said last night.

To
be sleeping so soundly, it was a certainty that he was exhausted.
Not wishing to wake him, she realized suddenly that she had no
practical experience when it came to escaping love's unconscious
embrace. But nature was calling. . . and rather loudly. The
entrapping leg was inconveniently placed across her lower abdomen and
enhancing her discomfort. Still, she didn't want to disturb him and
she let her mind wander for a while hoping that he would either move
or wake up on his own.

She
thought about coffee. Always her first thought in the morning, the
one thing that would remedy her grogginess. She thought about the
things she should be doing to prepare for her class which would be
resuming the next morning. She'd done nothing for a week toward
getting ready for the cultural fair, she hadn't even played her flute
since that last night in her apartment. This made her frown.

Then
she considered the reason why all of her normal activities had been
put on the back burner. So much had happened so fast, she barely had
time to think through it all. She thought of the kitsune-youkai that
had once been like a son to her, and all the questions she hadn't had
time to ask.

She
thought about not having done yet what Shippou had told her,
practicing her archery. Instead she had practically crawled into the
lap of the demon who had ordered her apartment destroyed.

Reflexively
she reached to hold the Jewel through her tee shirt. If only she
had known. The idea that Kouga had anything to do with what happened
in her apartment seemed to incredible to believe. But then again,
she had accepted so many other things that were equally incredible.
If only she had known . . . She wouldn't have gone anywhere near the
demon. But Shippou's insistence that she use a bow didn't set right.
No one carries a bow around. Technically, bows were considered a
firearm and possession of a firearm was illegal. Only collectors
with permits were even allowed to own them anymore. But there had to
be something else, something that she could use as a weapon.

Almost
immediately following this thought, InuYasha began muttering
something unintelligible. Turning fully to his side, his ears
twitched and he pulled her close to him with the arm that had been
draped over her, nestling her head onto his shoulder with the other.
She snuggled her back against him, grateful that the leg was no
longer resting on her bladder, and tried to decipher what it was he
was saying. It made no sense to her. She wasn't even certain it was
English.

“Are
you awake?” she asked a little timidly.

“Uhmmpfff.
. .” was followed by light snoring, and she felt the tension in
his arms relax as he drifted back off to his dream. The arm around
her shoulders flopped bonelessly against her pillow.

From
this position she thought she could make her escape. Slowly and with
no small attention to care, she pulled away from from him, lifting
the arm draped across her waist just enough to slip out, then quickly
depositing a pillow under it to maintain the illusion of her
presence.

Unsure
how long the “false Kagome” would work, she tiptoed as
quickly as she could out the door to attend to her morning routine.

~oOo~

InuYasha awoke from a
deep slumber in unfamiliar surroundings. It wasn't his normal
instantaneous waking, and he shook his head free of the cobwebs that
seemed to be lacing it.

Though she was not in
the room, the sweet aroma of his Kagome was everywhere in this
place, and that calmed him as he realized it was her rising that had
pulled him awake. Listening, he could hear her puttering in the
bathroom. He pulled a pillow he had been clutching to his face and
pulled deeply at her scent, as memory of how he had gotten there
returned.

Dinner had been
reasonably quiet, and he had eaten well for the first time in days.
Kagome was right, that Hawaiian pizza wasn't too bad once you got
past the way it looked. And the monk seemed to be very cautious
about what he said, periodically clamping his mouth shut mid word
after a glare from Sally.

A pillow and blanket
had appeared on the end of the couch, where Michael sat for the
duration of the meal. At first InuYasha had thought that the
bedding had been intended for him, until Sally made it clear that it
was for Michael, who was “in the doghouse” for being a
baka. The phrase was a strange one, and it was apparent that this
'doghouse' wasn't a good place to be.

It saddened him a bit
that the girls seemed to accept him, yet Michael only seemed to hold
contempt for him. He wondered what he might do to convince the man
of his sincerity.

Perhaps it was a just
matter of time before the monk would accept him. Then again, it might
take something a bit more drastic than just talking to shake him out
of his stubborn refusal to accept what was plainly in his face.

Meanwhile, InuYasha
knew it was going to be difficult to keep his temper in check. His
instinctive reaction to the barbs that had been thrown at him was to
lash back.

He didn't want to
permanently alienate the man.

After all, for many
years he had been like a brother, the closest thing he'd had to one
back then. Annoying as hell one minute, then full of wisdom and good
counsel the next. He had decided that it wasn't worth the fight with
him to take Kagome up to the compound, he could defend her here
should the need arise. He would protect her anywhere.

What he hadn't
expected was to fall into such a deep sleep. He sat up on the bed
rubbing at his eyes. His ears turning toward the closed door, he
could hear Kagome farther off in the kitchen and water running.

At Sally's insistence
he had moved his motorcycle to the garage, where it was locked away
safely for the night. While they were there she had detached the
object that was mounted to the roof of her car, muttering about the
jerk coming back to get it. She had explained it was a surfboard, a
piece of sports equipment that Hojo had left behind in his hasty
retreat. Hojo. . . that name rang a bell for some reason. . .

He had called
Sesshoumaru soon after that and made his report, which still wasn't
much if you didn't consider Kouga's new mate being a human. He had
thought that was pretty newsworthy, but his brother seemed to have no
reaction whatsoever.

He still didn't know
what the mangy wolf wanted with Kagome, and that irritated him.

He had gotten the
distinct impression from the jackass's tone that his call had
interrupted something important, probably business, so he made it
short and requested that a few things be sent to him. Kagome's
pictures, her date book, his sword and of course his hinezumi.

If he was going to
stay, he wanted to be comfortable.

He smiled as he
recalled the look on Kagome's face when she first saw him in his
traditional garb, which he had changed into for sleeping. The light
in her eyes had been like a gift. There was definitely memory there.
She had run her hands along his arms for what seemed like hours,
before finally drifting off to sleep.

There had been no
formal discussion about where he would sleep. She didn't seem to
have concerns about 'propriety', so he joined her in her bed, simply
holding her close for what he could remember of the night.

It had been perfect.

He was in no rush. It
had taken years for him to realize that she was the one . . . the
only one. And though he wanted her more than anything now, he
would wait until she was ready.

He had meant what he
said about doing things 'right' this time.

Not hearing anyone in
the bathroom, he made his way to pursue his own morning routine. The
stupid braids had become a frazzled mess with sleeping, so he
carefully drug his claws through them and the larger braid at the
back of his head, loosening all of his hair. He didn't like having
it all tied up, anyway.

Shaking his head
briskly, he raked his claws through the sectioned hair as he heard
the back door close. There were muffled voices outside, the tone
did not sound like the usual friendly banter.

He quickly grabbed
Tetsusaiga from the bedroom and went into the kitchen, where his nose
was assaulted with the aroma of some strongly brewed beverage
emanating from a glass container. Picking up the container, he
wrinkled his nose at what could have been extremely strong tea. It
smelled different, though, more earthy and bitter.

He could more clearly
hear the occasional clatter of metal hitting wood and a heated
discussion taking place between Kagome and Michael. A quick glance
around the kitchen revealed that the wooden block which held Sally's
sparse collection of kitchen knives, had been raided.

His glance out the
window confirmed his suspicions. Kagome had at one time been well
respected for her defensive abilities, and it pleased him to see her
obvious desire to regain those skills. Perhaps kitchen tools weren't
the best weapons, but they were serviceable in a pinch. Frowning at
the odd sizes of her weapons, he determined that would find her
something better. Something more suitable to this era.

InuYasha paused to listen to the ensuing discussion. Since it was
loud enough anyone outside could hear, he didn't think of it as
being a blatant case of eavesdropping.

“So
. . . does he have a
tail?” Michael leered at her.

“Does
he have a WHAT??”
Kagome gasped. “I can't believe
you!!

“Well
. . . he has ears, I just wondered if he has tail too . . . I mean
you would know, right? You DID sleep
with him last night, after all,” there was a hint of accusation
in the monk's tone.

“That's
exactly what happened, Mikey. . . we SLEPT!! It's none of your damn
business, anyway! ARRGH!” InuYasha raised a brow at Kagome
brandishing a rather large butcher knife at her friend, and said
friend simply folding his arms with a grim look.

“I
think it is my
business. I love you Kagome, I don't want to see you throw your
life away on. . . that. . . ”

“You just don't
like him because you didn't hand pick him for me!” Kagome threw
the butcher knife at the tree, to watch it bounce off.

“That's not
true, my only concern is your safety!! AND believe it or not, your
happiness, too,” Michael's tone was lecturing. “Frankly I
don't understand what it is you see in him . . . he's nothing like
you . . .”

“Nothing like
me?” She stopped mid toss of another knife. “You're
probably right, I could only dream of being half as LOYAL as
he is . . .” She fixed him with a pointed look, then turned and
swung her makeshift weapon backhanded, sticking it in the tree with a
thud. Michael gaped and swallowed. InuYasha snorted, a satisfied
smirk on his face. The man apparently had not seen her do this
before.

“Loyal, huh? Who
is he being loyal to . . . by trying to deceive you??”

InuYasha
sighed, his shoulders slumped.

“There IS NO
deception, Mikey,” she turned to him. “I know
who he is, he didn't tell me. I figured it out all by myself,”
she reached down to pick up a cleaver. “It's hurt him that you
don't remember. . . he won't admit it. . . he's almost as
stubborn as YOU are!!” She stopped for a moment and
concentrated on the cleaver, suffusing it with power. InuYasha's brow
disappeared beneath his bangs at the brightness of the glow. “You
had a vague recollection of Shippou when you saw him. Even more than
me, and I had adopted him! Why not InuYasha?”

Shippou. Could it be
that Shippou knew them? InuYasha froze as he remembered the last
time he had seen the young kitsune. How angry and hurt he had been
at the rejection by his perceived foster parent. He was grown, he
didn't need to be clinging anymore. Kagome was gone, and InuYasha
had never been one to coddle him. It was better for him to move on.

“Something about
the sad look in those big kitsune eyes. . . tugged at me. . . Oh,
hell. . . Shippou is hundreds of years old, Kagome!! You
can't tell me that . . . guy in there is hundreds of years
old. He looks a hell of a lot younger than Shippou does . . . and
yet he supposedly raised him?? Give me a break!! Don't tell me it's
his questionable lineage, either . . . he's not who you think he
is.”

InuYasha started for
the door. . . but a word she used in her response caught his
attention, and he abruptly stopped.

“You are
starting to sound like a bigot. . .” She turned and tossed the
brilliantly pink cleaver at the tree, and it bounced off into the
grass. Scowling she turned to him. “Tell me about your
lineage, Mikey. . . How many different nationalities are
concentrated in your blood?”

Bigotry
. . . That was a term that Kagome had used back in the Sengoku Jidai.
What she called his treatment by villagers and youkai alike. She had
said it was a sign of their ignorance, and that he should pity them.
Realizing she had just called the monk ignorant, InuYasha couldn't
suppress a smirk.

“I beg your
pardon??” The man lifted his nose into the air haughtily. “I
don't see. . .”

“There's a lot
more than just two,” she began counting on her fingers.
“British, Ukrainian, Native American, Portuguese, Italian . . .
wait there was one more . . .”

“What is your
point Kagome??” He demanded.

“Just that you
have one hell of a nerve using the term 'questionable lineage'
when referring to InuYasha. You are being racist, and you are too
stubborn to see it!!”

“Don't call him
that . . . His name is Caleb, damnit!” He shook his head.

“Caleb's
'questionable lineage' to use your term, is only two
cultures, where yours is . . . let's see . . . six.” She held
up six fingers.

Michael held up his
hands in a conciliatory fashion.

“It's hardly the
same thing, Kagome. . . None of my ancestors were demons,”
he matched her scowl. “You haven't told him yet, have you?
Please tell me you haven't. . .”

This comment intrigued
the eavesdropping hanyou. Ears poised, he waited for them to reveal
some clue as to what it was they were obviously hiding from him.

“I'm going to
today, after I call Momma,” she tossed a steak knife and
watched it bounce off the tree with a frown. “You were in such
a hurry for Hojo to know. . . Damn Mikey, from what InuYasha said
last night, it was Kouga's people that tore up my place!!
Probably the shrine too! That means that Kouga is after it!”
She slapped a palm against her head. “And I stupidly went right
to him! Gods, I hope Hojo didn't say anything to him. . .”

InuYasha frowned.
Something had happened at the shrine. Did Kouga even know about the
shrine? They had kept the well a very guarded secret, could it be
that the bastard had found out anyway? If Sesshoumaru knew, perhaps
Kouga did too. He would have to drill his jackass brother on how he
even knew where to find him in the first place.

“I'm not taking
any more risks unless I talk to Momma first.” Kagome gathered
the knives from around the tree. He watched her examine the cleaver
that she had charged with her power, then step back to throw another
round at the tree.

“That's probably
wise, I am sure she will be able to talk some sense into you,”
the monk sighed. “You are blinded by this guy. Ouna knows how
you feel, Kagome.”

“What do you
mean by that??” she demanded, hesitating only slightly as she
aimed and threw another knife.

“It's written
all over your face when ever you talk about . . . InuYasha” he
moved around so that he could see her face, and still be out of the
line of fire. His reward was a narrow eyed glare.

“It's nice to
know I am so damn transparent to everyone . . .” she snarled,
then proceeded to throw a perfect score with three knives in rapid
succession. “What time is it?”

Michael watched with a
renewed respect while she tugged to get the knives out of the wood.

“Um. . . it's
seven thirty. You been doing this on the sly for a while?” he
rubbed the back of his neck.

“Just got the
idea this morning to try this, a bow is too obvious. Momma said
using an edged projectile of some kind was best, so why not
something I can hide under my clothes?” She aimed again,
missing one out of five.

InuYasha smiled and
nodded. Good girl. He would find her a good set of balanced knives,
much better than kitchen cutlery. She could go with him, and pick
them out herself.

Facing the house,
Michael saw the movement beyond the window. InuYasha, realizing he
had been discovered, grabbed a glass from the drainer and drew
himself a drink of water from the tap. Grimacing at the taste of it,
he smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Reminding
himself not to do that again with a shake of his head, he went out
the back door and stood on the small porch, left hand relaxed on the
hilt of Tetsusaiga.

“You're awake!!”
Kagome turned smiling in appreciation of his traditional dress,
noting with interest the sword he had slipped through his obi. “Did
you rest OK?”

Michael was
transfixed, not having seen the hinezumi before that moment. The
light breeze tossed InuYasha's mane as he fixed his scowl on the man.

“I rested fine,
you should'a woke me up,” his eyes didn't leave Michael, there
was something about the look on the man's face.

“You just seemed
so tired, and you were dreaming. I hate it when my dreams are
interrupted,” Kagome trotted up the stairs and kissed him
lightly on the cheek. “Want some coffee?”

“Coffee?”
His brow furrowed slightly, remembering the beverage in the glass
container. “Kind of like tea, but stronger?”

Kagome giggled at
that. “Yeah, like tea but stronger. I'll make you some, sweet
and light and we'll see how you like it.” She brushed past him
into the kitchen.

“Do you have
something to say, Monk?” InuYasha asked, his expression masked
and the way he stood unmoved would have made Sesshoumaru proud.

“You . . . are
wearing a sword?” Michael inquired hesitantly.

“Yeah” He
nodded slowly. “Would you like to see?” InuYasha's broke
into a genuine grin as he jumped easily over the rail of the porch to
the ground five feet below.

Michael swallowed
noticeably and backed up a pace.

“The sword was
left to me by my father, would you like to see it?” InuYasha
pressed hopefully.

“O-ok, sure.”
Michael's eyes narrowed as InuYasha drew Tetsusaiga, taking care to
not transform it. “Looks like it could use some T.L.C.. You
don't get to use it much, I take it.”

“Often enough,”
the hanyou grinned. “Only when absolutely necessary. It's my
weapon of choice.”

“Your father was
a master?” Michael reached out to touch the blade lightly. He
looked confused.

“My father was
Inu no Taisho . . . A general. He died when I was just a brat.”
InuYasha lifted the rusted blade to his brow. “This is his
legacy to me. He left the jackass one too, his is really different,
though.”

“How is his
different?”

“Slightly
different design, very different properties.” InuYasha
was enjoying just talking without the barbs or accusations.

“Properties?”
Another confused look, as Michael backed up again examining the being
before him. “What do you mean by properties?”

“One of the
lessons I learned from Tetsusaiga is that looks can be deceiving,”
he watched the man for any hint of recognition as he held the sword
off to his right, away from his audience and transformed it with a
smirk.

“Oh shit, I'm
dead. . .” muttered Michael, dropping to his knees.

“INUYASHA!!”
Came a frantic shriek from the porch, accompanied by the resonant
crash of a shattering coffee mug. Kagome nearly tripped with her
rapid descent of the stairs to save Michael.

“Nani? I was
just showin' him Tetsusaiga. . .” he looked down at Michael.
“What the Hells is wrong with you?” He was completely
oblivious to the appearance of the scene, with the monk on his knees
and Tetsusaiga poised as though to strike.

All he had hoped for,
was to jog a memory for the man.

~ooO0Ooo~

Kouga
looked across the table at the angry young man that had so rudely
awakened he and his mate moments before. The news that he had brought
with him was a bit disturbing, and the youkai sat in the chair
rubbing at his chin.

“You did as I
said? You made the proclamation?” he raised a brow at the young
man.

“You heard
it! You were right there . . . right after you put her in my arms,”
Hojo so much as growled at the demon.

“Baka!
Whispering it into her ear with only one witness isn't enough.
You've got to make it KNOWN
what your intentions are!” He rose from the seat, and as
Miranda entered the room, he waved her away. Miranda in a display of
frustration, just raised her hands and waved them in the air as she
turned and headed back to their room.

“What did you
say to the intruder?” the demon demanded.

“What do you
think?? I challenged him for taking my girl . . . Kouga!! He grabbed
her right out of my arms! Then he insulted everyone, saying we all
smelled 'like those mangy Ookami bastards'. . .” Hojo got up
as well and also paced opposite his mentor in the small kitchen. “I
swear I could have killed him on the spot, if that damn Sally didn't
pull out her stupid badge and demand that I leave. I really don't
want a record . . . that would be like . . . so bad. But DAMNIT!
He can't have her! You told me she was mine, you gave your blessings
on it!! What do I do??”

“You said he
was sitting on a motorcycle, waiting for you? Do you know this
son-of-a-bitch?” Kouga watched the young man's expression morph
from angry to pleading, then enraged.

“I
don't know him, but I
know about him. . .”
he practically growled again. “He's the kid brother of Seth
Inudono. The one that was missing. His name is Caleb.”

“Kuso . . .”
the demon swore, rubbing at his temple against a ferocious headache
that had suddenly struck behind his eyes.

“You know
this guy? Tell me then . . . tell me how to get her back . . .”
Hojo dropped to his knees in front of his new savior, again pleading.
“Please, Kouga . . . tell me how to stop that bastard.”

Placing a hand on
the young man's head, peering at the pleading expression on his face,
Kouga silently blessed him. He was a good tool. He would serve him
well. Now it was time for a plan. . . the demise of InuYasha.

“You
said she acted like she knew him. But she called him Caleb?”
Kouga returned to the chair and turned it around to straddle it. His
hands on the back, he rested his chin on them as he watched his
first 'believer' still kneeling on the floor.

“Yes. . .
called him by name then she touched his face.” Hojo looked up
at his mentor. “She was barely lucid, then after he took her
she just. . . her whole face lit up and she slapped my hands away.”
He lowered his head, apparently in shame.

“All
is not lost, my son. . . Didn't I bring her to you?
Didn't I promise this reward for your trust in me?” Kouga
grinned wolfishly. At Hojo's nod, he motioned him to the chair
opposite him. “I know Caleb Inudono. He should already be dead
. . . but we will remedy that soon enough, ne? Come. . . let me
tell you what I know of him. As tough as the bastard talks, he has
. . . vulnerabilities. . .”

88*88*88*88*88*88

The
ancient office chair groaned as Selene sat back, scowling at the foot
high stack of reports in front of her. Each and every one of them
was an unsolved case, all occurring within the last two

weeks.

Some were missing
persons reports, there were four murders involving dismemberment,
twenty three cases of vandalism, some of which were quite bizarre.
Definitely not human caused, no human could knock through a three
foot thick concrete wall without the use of some kind of equipment.
She flashed on the savagery of strength it had to have taken to
destroyed Kagome's door. No, not human.

A far majority of
the reports came from the upper class neighborhoods, but there also
were a number from the mission district and the docks. It's like
the middle class were immune for some reason. This struck her as
strange.

Studying the graph
on her computer, the lines indicated the 'trends' of daily calls all
by category. . . Homicide, Burglary, Robbery, Vandalism, Traffic,
Domestic. Flipping through the screens she noticed a marked dip in
all areas in the last 3 days. Speculation within the department had
been varied, but the far most popular was the “Cult”
theory. Some emerging cult that required human sacrifice. The
thought brought a chill up her spine.

She allowed herself
the luxury of a brief hope that Michael was behaving himself in her
absence as she pulled a file off the top of the stack and began
making notes on a fresh legal pad, sifting through the report and
scene photo's with her 'new eye'.

Three hours passed
without her notice, however the diminishing paper in her tablet did
catch her attention. Picking it up and flipping the detailed pages
back to the front, a steaming mug of coffee appeared in front her.

“You look
like you could use a break, rookie,” the teasing half grin of
her Captain pulled one of her own as she took the coffee from him and
rubbed at her eyes. Taking a cautious sip, she raised a brow.

“Hey, this
isn't half bad. . .” she took another sip, “usually the
coffee around here tastes like rancid motor oil.”

“I've got my
own stash. You coming up with anything?” He perched himself on
the edge of her desk informally. Selene pulled up the graph on her
screen.

“You notice
the drop in the last three days?” She flipped between the
screens, “Here, and. . . here. . . It's sufficient enough to
get me thinking. Almost like someone put the word out to 'lay off',
you know?”

“So. . . you
think it's some kind of organized campaign too. . .” he watched
her reaction carefully as he tipped his own mug to his lips.

“Actually
Cap. . . I'm convinced of it.” She met his eyes. “It
turns out that friend of mine does have something that they would
have been looking for. But it was on her person, so of course they
didn't find it.”

“Ok . . .
I'm listening . . .” he set his mug down and folded his arms.

“It's a
family heirloom of sorts . . . It's unique and from what I
understand, priceless,” Selene hoped that her vague
description would be enough.

“Living
in that tiny place,
she has a priceless heirloom?” He shook his head. “What
is it, a diamond or something?”

She wondered if she
should have said anything at all. He was her superior, and he had a
right to know on a professional level, but she was reluctant to go
into personal details. She knew it would be too fantastic for him to
believe, anyway.

“No . . .
not a diamond.,” she proceeded cautiously. “It's a
necklace . . . a very old necklace that once belonged to an ancestor
of hers. It dates back to Feudal Japan.”

“Well, Hell .
. . It sounds like this thing belongs in a museum.” He picked
up his mug and took another drink. “What makes you think the
perps were looking for this thing in particular?”

“You're gonna
laugh, Cap,” she sat back in her chair and it creaked. “You'll
brand me a loon.”

“Try me,
Rodriguez . . . you might be surprised,” he grinned.

“Ok . . .”
she sat up straight watching his reaction. “It's rumored to be
'supernatural'.” She used two fingers of each hand to indicate
quotation marks

He stared at her
for a long moment.

“So you think
that this is some kind of cult . . . searching for their own version
of the 'Holy Grail'?” His eyes narrowed as he considered the
theory.

“Something
like that . . . told ya you'd think I was crazy.” She sat back
again in her seat.

“Actually. .
. it makes about as much sense as any other speculation I've heard
lately.” He rubbed at his chin. “Have you seen any
indication as to what kind of group this is?”

“Kind of . .
. they uh. . . emulate wolves.” She grimaced slightly at the
memory of that predatory look in Kouga's eyes. “One of 'em is
involved with a cousin of mine . . . I met him yesterday - quite
honestly . . . he gave me the creeps.”

“Sounds like
you are as close to an expert as we've got then . . . I'm going to
talk to the Chief and see if we can set up a special unit. This,”
he nodded at the still high stack of reports, “is entirely too
much for one person.”

“Actually,
Cap . . . I know someone who's more of an expert.” She sat
forward in her chair, fixing her Captain with an intense gaze. “He
knows how these guys think . . . a helluva lot better than I do.
Maybe we could bring him in as a consultant?” she asked
hopefully.

“What's his
name? He a psychic or something?”

“No, not a
psychic . . . just has some experience with these types. Caleb
Inudono, he's seeing my roommate.”

“Inudono,
huh?” He looked at her thoughtfully. “The same one that
kicked out the front window of The Noodle Factory on Friday night?”

This got her
attention and she gaped at him, then glanced nervously at the stack
of folders.

“That one
wouldn't be in your stack here . . . resolved on the scene, no
charges pressed. Seems his brother took care of the restitution
immediately. I don't know,” he shook his head. “He's a
loose canon by the looks of it . . . probably not a good pick, you
know anyone else?”

“Nope –
he's it.” Selene shook her head. “Cap, if we're going to
make this happen . . . I really need him.”

“Let me call
the Chief,” he rose off her desk. “If you want some more
of that,” he indicated her mug, “it's in my office.”
He winked at her, then headed down the line of desks to make his
call.

Selene
jerked her fist down in a silent little cheer, then pulled her hands
into her lap to cross her fingers. Wait. . . did he just
WINK at me??

~ooO0Ooo~
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Finding Kagome