Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

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
- 45
- 46
DISCLAIMER:: The
characters of InuYasha are the property of Rumiko Takahashi,
Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. The others are mine. I make
no money from this in any way, shape or

form.

AN:: Reviews are love!!
For review responses visit me at
http://metsukikaraten.livejournal.com

FINDING
KAGOME

Chapter 46

The exhausted miko
secure in his arms, InuYasha made his way up the stairs toward her
assigned quarters, his mind racing with confusion. He needed to have
that talk with Kagura sooner than later, he determined. The idea
that Sesshoumaru could even conceivably be ill was more than his mind
could wrap itself around.

InuYasha's brow
furrowed as he considered possibilities. Sesshoumaru had a good 700
years on him, but youkai didn't age in the human sense. The only
examples he even had of old youkai had been Totosai and Myoga, both
contemporaries of his late father. Neither of them ever seemed to
get sick. That is if you disregarded Totosai's selective memory,
which InuYasha was convinced had never been more than an act. Or
Myoga's tendency toward long winded, scholarly explanations, which
had always been quickly remedied with a good squishing. Certainly
Sesshoumaru had aged, but that should not have made him weak. He
recalled his denial when Sesshoumaru referred to himself as an “old
youkai” while trying to convince him to stay and allow the help
in the search for Kagome.

Now that he finally
had the woman in his arms it should be over. They should be able to
move forward with their lives. But no, there had to be
complications. As if the damn Shikon wasn't bad enough. Always more
complications. It seemed to be his fate. And apparently now, one of
those complications was directly related to his brother's health, of
all things. Why couldn't life ever be simple?

Thinking back to the
condition Sesshoumaru had been in after battle with Ayame, actually
injured and limping, the normally fastidiously groomed
former Lord of the Western Lands had been covered in gore. InuYasha
wondered if he had really been so wrapped up in his own misery that
he had been blinded to the now obvious signs that something was
terribly wrong. Sesshoumaru had, after all, taken the bitch out
relatively easily, or so it seemed. Though he had to admit, his
memory of the events was pretty spotty after dropping Tessaiga. Even
the fact that InuYasha had felt the need to offer to carry the
limping youkai back to the car hadn't sunk into his thick skull until
now. Perhaps witnessing Sesshoumaru's fucked up method of
disciplining his driver had shaken him up more than he realized.

Then days later, after
seeing Kagome's apartment he had been so furious with Kouga that he
didn't even think to questioned how it was possible that the stinking
wolf had managed to actually touch, let alone injure his
brother. Sesshoumaru could move faster than the eye could follow.
The only way InuYasha had ever been able to hit him during their
feuding period had been with the Wind Scar, even then missing his
target more often than not. Kouga was fast, but not faster than
Sesshoumaru. Especially without the aid of Sacred Jewel shards. Yet
he had managed to rip a bleeding gash into Sesshoumaru's side. Then
the fucking idiot wolf had gone so far as to promise to finish the
job some undetermined time in the future. That arrogant piece of
shit. Kouga really deserved to die. And soon.

“You know, I
can't understand half of what you're saying,” a murmur came
from against his shoulder, derailing his train of thought. “The
few words I do understand, I wouldn't want to repeat in nice
company.”

“Keh,”
InuYasha grunted, his ears warming with embarrassment. Until that
moment he hadn't realized that he had been muttering to himself in
Japanese. Now he knew for sure he was seriously losing it, talking
to himself out loud. And in front of Kagome no less. Great. Just
fucking great.

“Are you really
that mad at me?” Kagome asked tiredly.

“What? No!”
he replied a little too forcefully, but her question brought him back
to his initial reason for being so pissed off. Pausing at the top of
the stairs, he reconsidered his reply. “Fuck, yes, damn it!”
He looked down at her, noting the shadows of exhaustion around her
eyes. She'd been through enough for one day, and yet she had insisted
on trying to do even more. “I told you to get the hell away
from him and you ignored me,” he muttered. “So,
yeah. I'm a little fuckin' unhappy about that.”

Junior yipped from the
bottom of the stairs, and InuYasha chuffed low in response. He
glanced down to make certain that the sound from his stupid human
throat had been understood. The pup wanted attention, but now was
not the time. He needed to address this problem Kagome seemed to
have with listening to him. Then he would tend to the pup. Whining,
Junior about faced and scampered back down the hallway below.

Resuming his trek
along the wide hallway of the second floor, he spotted the door to
the 'Rose Room' where Kagome would be staying. There was another
reason to be pissed off. She'd been assigned her own room, on
the opposite side of the mansion from his quarters. He'd brought her
home just to be kept away from her, the reminder of which did nothing
to improve his mood.

“It's just like
the thing with the reporter,” Kagome murmured sadly, “only
this time there weren't any cameras recording it. You just don't
want me to help people.”

“The hell!”
he sputtered as he pushed open the door to her room. Roughly
depositing her on the floral comforter, she gasped with surprise. He
clutched her chin none too gently to force her to face him. “Look
at me,” he hissed, eyes flashing as she moved to pull away.
“He's dangerous, and if you had a lick of sense in that . . .”
his voice softened slightly as he noted a sheen in her eyes, “in
that beautiful head of yours, you'd know that.”

“But, he's your
brother . . .” she began to protest.

“Which until
very recently,” he interrupted harshly, releasing her chin,
“meant absolutely nothing to him.”

“But, what about
. . . to you?” she inquired quietly with a sniffle. Glaring at
her in silence for several heartbeats, he scowled at his inability to
readily respond to the simple question and looked away. He honestly
wasn't sure how he felt about Sesshoumaru right now, and the
hint of tears in her eyes was taking the wind out of his sails. He
wanted to make a point, not make her cry.

She pressed on a
little more boldly, “I know you call each other mean names,
terrible names. But I'm not blind, InuYasha. I see how much you
respect him, look up to him.”

“Bullshit,”
he negated as he slumped to sit beside her, considering her words.
The bastard was manipulative and pushy. Sure, he'd begun to trust
him more, and he had helped make the search for Kagome go
faster. It wasn't the asshole's fault that she had pushed herself too
far. After all, he had tried to push her away at first. In some
ways he was becoming the Aniki that InuYasha had always
secretly wished for. But look up to him? That would be admitting that
Sesshoumaru was better, and he would never do that. Even if he
secretly suspected it to be true, he would never give the asshole the
satisfaction. “I don't look up that far, he's not so much
taller than I am. That's not the point, Kagome... ”

“I'm not talking
about your height, silly.” Then she smiled, her darkened eyes
sparkled and he could swear the sun had begun to shine in the twilit
room. In the back of his mind he knew she was dodging his reprimand,
but the swelling in his heart nullified the need press the issue.
Reaching to touch his folded arms, Kagome grew serious again. “I
also see how important you are to him. He really wants you to be
happy. Even if it means taking me hostage to keep me close to you.”

“You aren't a
hostage, damn it! I wish you'd stop talking like that. You're under
our protection until this Ookami crap is over with.” Hopefully
by that time, she would want to stay by his side. Although,
close by her definition and his, appeared to be two different things.
This room was not close. Her eyes downcast, he watched her for a
silent moment. One thing was for sure, he needed to do something
about their current sleeping arrangements. Having her across the
mansion at night was not going to be acceptable.

For now though, he
supposed it was good that she could rest while he conferred with the
healer. He wished he had Kirara to watch over her while she slept.
But that was a bridge he'd burned centuries ago, right alongside
Shippou. He had been able to trust them completely. Kagura being so
near put his teeth on edge, and he still had reservations about
Sesshoumaru. That bastard was up to something.

He pondered how much
more pushy Sesshoumaru was going to be, now that Kagome seemed to
have helped him to feel better. Would he be able to trust him once
Kouga was no longer their mutual enemy?

“You really
don't remember anything about Sesshoumaru, do you?” At the
solemn shaking of her head, a very uncomfortable knot began to form
in his stomach. “You remembered me, Kagome. I could see it in
your eyes the first time we met. And they told me you had memory of
Kouga. That prick doesn't deserve for you to remember him.” He
watched her thoughtful expression. “There's a lot about
Sesshoumaru that you should remember . . .”

All she had was a
handful of watered down stories to go by. She really didn't
remember. Not enough to avoid danger. Kami, she had been close enough
to Kouga to have his scent all over her. He shuddered as he thought
of her secret plan to try to go through the well, to try to find 'the
hanyou'. Watching her expression change to one of concern, his knot
in his gut worked its way up into his throat nearly choking him. He
couldn't lose her again. He needed desperately for her to just wake
up.

“You know,
you're acting like I have amnesia, InuYasha,” she stroked his
arm, softening the sting of what she said. “I thought you were
the one that was supposed to have that problem,” she offered
with a grin at his eye-rolled response. “It was another life –
a lifetime half a world away – I don't know if people are even
supposed to remember their past lives. Most don't, you know.”
She studied his arm in thought, and then suddenly looked up. “Did
Kagome remember anything about Kikyo's life?” Her head tilted
to the side slightly as she mentioned the other two women, like one
would indicate another person of the same name or distinction. It was
becoming a habit when she mentioned the previous Shikon no Miko. Now
he was beginning to understand, that was precisely her intent. In
her mind they were different women.

Maybe Sesshoumaru had
been right. Maybe she really wasn't the same girl.

“No, she didn't
in the beginning,” he replied sullenly. “If she had she
would have never pulled that arrow out of my chest.”

“Wait... wasn't
Kikyo murdered?” Kagome's brow furrowed with alarmed confusion.
“But, are you saying Kikyo was the one who sealed you to
Goshinboku? Why would she...”

“She had her
reasons! When Kagome found out why, she stood up for me, defended
me,” he caught himself nodding to the side, a mirror of her own
habit when indicating her aunt, and hated himself for it. “She
saved me more than once. You say I am a hero. I'm no hero...”
for a brief moment he felt the tug of grief on his heart, “To
me Kagome was the real hero.” And she was still gone. Until the
day this woman in front of him could remember their lives together,
who she really is, Kagome would remain gone. He had to find a way to
wake her up from the sleep this new life had over her.

“InuYasha?”
The gentle warmth of her voice drew him back from the painful
feelings of loss. “What's wrong?” A chilled hand brushed
lightly at his cheek.

“Its nothing,”
he lied, his voice no more than a croak. Taking her hand in both of
his, he sniffed noisily and rubbed it to warm it up. “Just
tired. Still a lot to get done, too.” With a sigh he added,
“Remind me one of these days to tell you the real
story.” If she didn't remember their history, then he would
teach it to her. Whatever it took.

Lowering her hand back
to her lap, he moved to rise from the bed and do the right thing,
and leave her alone to rest. But he found himself immobilized by a
miko's grip on his errant forelocks. Locked in front of her face, he
couldn't disguise his shock. For being a different person, the act
was too hauntingly familiar.

“Wait!”
she gasped urgently. He couldn't help his surprise at her wide eyed
blush when she realized what she had done. “I... I'm sorry.”
She released his hair and wrung her hands together in embarrassment.
“I just ... I want you to stay.”

“Kagome”
he whispered, afraid to trust his voice. Stroking her cheek, he took
her still joined hands into his and brought them up to brush his
lips.

“Please?”
she implored. “Just for a little while.”

“Promise, no
more talking?” He murmured against her fingers. At her nod he
scooted up beside her and fluffed her pillow. “You'll get sick
if you don't get some sleep. I'll stay a bit . . . until you start
snoring.” The healer could wait. Kagura would have to wait.
Whatever devious torture Sesshoumaru had planned for him could
definitely wait. Kagome would always come first, and anyone who
didn't like it could go straight to hell.

“Snoring, huh?
Then you'll be here a long time,” she giggled lightly, scooting
down under the covers, “because I never snore . . .” She
pulled them back in invitation for him to climb under with her.
InuYasha froze, staring at the sheets. “InuYasha, I'm cold...
help me warm up, please?” The request sounded so innocent, and
even though he had shared her bed at Sally's, something about this
was different.

“So when was the
last time you stayed awake to see if you do snore?” he
asked, hesitantly slipping between the sheets and pulling her close.
She was cold. Even through the fabric of his hakama her toes
were like little pebbles of ice against his legs.

“I don't
remember,” she murmured before yawning into his shoulder. “But
I can irrefutably say that I do not snore... now, you
on the other hand...”

“Hey, didn't I
say no more talking?” he interrupted with a grin against her
neck, turning her and pulling her closer to spoon against him.

If this wasn't his
Kagome, then why did he crave her touch so much? If this girl wasn't
his mate, then why did his heart leap in his chest every time she
smiled? Why did she fit so perfectly against his body? Why did he
feel this overwhelming sense of having finally arrived... home.
The warmth that began to radiate between them only solidified those
feelings of home as he cradled her against his chest.

“Mmm, this is
nice . . .” she murmured sleepily, resting her head on his arm,
and he tightened his hold around her waist thinking, mine.
She wriggled her backside against him, settling in as he hugged her
closer and he barely suppressed a groan. Yes, this was definitely
different. His discomfort aside, she needed to sleep.

“You need to
stop that, wench.”

“M'kay, not
another word,” she murmured around a yawn, then dragged her
cheek against the fabric covering his upper arm, squirming against
him once more.

“I didn't mean
the talkin'” he ground out around another near moan. When he
pointedly pressed his awakening arousal against her rear, Kagome
gasped and stilled immediately. Smirking against her hair, he
elaborated, “Best not start something you aren't in any
condition to finish.” He could feel her heart hammering against
her ribcage, and knew he had made his point. He was also pretty
certain he had just scared the living crap out of her. At that he
frowned. He never wanted to scare her, or make her sad.

When she twisted to
face him, peer at him with half lidded eyes, he was certain he was
dreaming. “I'm sorry, InuYasha. I just...” then she
nipped at his chin.

“Your doin' this
shit on purpose,” he observed registering the longing in her
eyes. It was suddenly no longer a matter of choice, and he kissed
her, soundly and thoroughly. She tasted of innocent seduction with a
hint of mint tea, and it opened a floodgate from his heart to his
groin. Rolling to his back, he pulled her to rest on top of him,
losing all sense of reality with the feel of her in his arms. There
was nothing else in the world but this moment. She straddled a thigh
and framed his face with cool hands, beginning her own assault on his
mouth. He raised a knee, allowing himself to feel the heat radiating
from her through their unshed clothing. Gods, she was as hungry for
him as he was for her. Two once lost, starving souls, rediscovering
their home in each other.

The urgency as they
consumed one another's mouths fought with the building urgency as
they slowly rocked against each other. The tingling sensation as his
nether region began to tighten and triggered something in his mind
which brought him shockingly back to reality. No. Not now. Almost
as if someone had thrown a bucket of water on him, he wanted to
scream. Instead he moaned in protest of his own sensibilities, and
broke his claim of her swollen lips, declaring breathlessly as he
loosened his unconscious grip on her behind, “I'm gonna make
you pay for this, wench.”

“Is that a
threat or a promise, dog-boy?” She panted, wrinkling her nose
in frustration.

“Consider it a
promise,” he murmured, threading his fingers into her hair.
“First you need to sleep. Are you warm enough now?” She
nodded and he tucked her head under his chin, whispering hoarsely,
“Then to to sleep, koishii.”

“Mm'kay”
she murmured. “Koishii... beloved.” She traced
circles on his chest with her fingertips then whispered, “Aishiteru,
InuYasha.”

On hearing her say
the word, he kissed her hair then stroked her back gently between her
shoulder blades. She was his, but now was not the time to seal their
union. Regardless of how much he needed her, she was in no condition
to take that step. He needed her to remember what they had meant to
one another. He needed to be absolutely certain that she understood
what their mating would mean.

Because this time he
would settle for nothing less.

As he waited patiently
for her breathing to even, he succumbed to the weight of his own
eyelids, and the last thing he heard was a faintly whispered, “Its
okay, I know.”

~oo00O00oo~

The hospital had been
a zoo. Even the attending nurse, full of her own distractions, had
compared it to a full moon. The woman had been so out of sorts, she
simply smiled and nodded her wheat colored curls when Michael had
flirted shamelessly with her. Selene would have added another knot to
his head if she'd known of a spot on it that wasn't already lumpy.
His right arm had indeed been broken, and now he was sporting a fresh
cast and a very disgruntled expression.

She asked him to
explain to her exactly why he had refused to ask for Kagome's help,
and he had replied with a confusing monologue about moths, 'pink
junk' and 'prolonging the inevitable'. Completely confused, Selene
attributed his disjointed ramblings to exhaustion, pain and more than
likely too much tequila. The adrenaline rush of fending off their
attackers had apparently masked the effects of the alcohol, since he
had become rather rummy while they sat in the waiting room.

He'd napped in the
examination room while awaiting the lab and x-ray results, and though
she didn't envy his condition, she did envy that he at least had a
pillow. When the pretty nurse caught him sleeping, she had lectured
them both about the dangers of falling asleep with a head injury,
citing another patient who still hadn't awakened after several hours
of observation. This seemed to sober Michael bit, and he opted to
sit up for the rest of the wait.

They had begun to talk
in a code of sorts, after the nurse had walked into the middle of a
discussion on what Kouga's ultimate intentions were with Miranda.
The young woman didn't react well to an overheard comment regarding
the attack on Kagome, and even froze momentarily in the process of
taking Michael's vitals at Selene's mention of Caleb. Perhaps there
had been something on the news about him, and it dawned on her that
their new friend might be just a bit too high-profile to discuss in
public. Consequently, all open discussion of youkai or their
motivations had been curtailed until Michael's release.

Selene couldn't
pinpoint the reason for the acute sense of foreboding that had begun
plaguing her after they left the hospital. The events of the
previous night seemed to have draped a curtain of surrealism on
everything, which was only compounded by her lack of proper sleep.
Enough so that the darkened entrance to alleyways, alcoves in
buildings, even the rooftops high above appeared to be animate,
menacing. Even the odd stray wandering the streets drew suspicion.
The overall effect was a heightened sense of awareness of everything
as they made their way to what they both hoped would be the relative
safety of Michael's apartment.

Michael, his unbruised
eye dark with fatigue, was focused on the impending meeting with his
advisor. It was scheduled for 'first thing' this morning, which
would mean around 8 a.m. when faculty arrived at the University. Only
a couple of hours away. Selene had tried to talk him into
postponing, but he wouldn't hear of it. Apparently his advisor was
very intolerant of anything she deemed to be procrastination.

“Okay, so
would it be easier if I went with you?” Selene glanced into the
rear view mirror, and gently braked for a red light, not wanting to
jar Michael any more than absolutely necessary. As the car came to a
complete stop, she glanced to find him frowning.

“Now that would
be a fine impression to make,” he muttered, absently drumming
the fingers of his left hand against his fresh cast. “No,
this is my problem to fix. She'll either believe me, or she'll have
me locked up.” He chuckled mirthlessly.

“Maybe if I was
there to corroborate . . .” Selene ventured quietly, scanning
the early morning shadows. The sun had not quite finished its ascent
over the hills to the east, and though the sodium street lamps were
still active on the shadowed streets, they provided little to no
light. Moving deeper into the city towards Michael's apartment, the
buildings loomed oppressively. Danger was everywhere.

The number of stray
dogs seemed to be increasing, which struck her as odd. Registering a
similarity in their appearance drew her darting glances. There was a
leash ordinance within the city limits, and she wondered why they
hadn't been picked up by the overnight patrols. Probably more budget
cuts. No more 24 hour animal control patrols. She wondered if
perhaps there was a dog show in town and some had gotten loose. They
looked like a large breed of husky, and seemed to be traveling in
small groups. It would be worth a call into headquarters once they
arrived at Michael's. She didn't want to stop and waste time
cajoling dogs into her car. Not after the strange events of the last
two days.

As she approached an
intersection, a pair on a corner took notice of the car. The larger
of the two raised his head up attentively and for a moment her eyes
locked with those of the canine, and it brought a shiver up her
spine. Not only did the dog appear to be intelligently
examining the passing vehicle, but for a moment, there was a
harrowing familiarity to its eyes. The image branded itself in her
mind. She was accumulating a veritable catalog of 'snapshots' like
that. Not the least of which was the strange creature that had
accosted Kagome in her own home.

She cringed slightly
at the memory of her cavalier approach to the beast, still high on
their swiftly coordinated defeat of his accomplice, which couldn't
have been better if it had been choreographed. She and Michael had
each been arms on the same body, and in retrospect she realized it
had been mostly reflex. It was if they had been doing this sort of
thing regularly for years together. Gripping the steering wheel a
little tighter, she had to admit she didn't have that same level of
confidence now.

“Windham can't
lock you up, monk. Look at the company she keeps,” she
commented distractedly. Speaking of canine, Caleb was half
Inu-youkai. Dog demon. So his strange and reclusive brother would
have to be. . . “I mean, she was right there with Seth
when he called Caleb that first time . . .” Signaling to turn
left, she let her gaze rest on Michael briefly. He hadn't changed
position, still hugging his arm, but the drumming against the cast
had ceased. He hadn't seemed to notice the dogs, which she noted with
relief were far behind them now.

“You have a
point.” There was an ounce of hope in his expression as he
looked up at her. “Do you think she already knows what he is?
Oh, hell. Of course she doesn't . . .” he shook his head
before she could respond, and adopted the look of a man on his way to
the gallows. “She'll have me locked up for sure . . . DAMN!”

“Why don't you
do what I did when I called in,” Selene offered, pulling up to
the entrance of the parking garage, and rolling down her window to
scan her key card. Time waiting for him to get his arm cast had been
well spent, with a call to the precinct and a message left on Seth
Inudono's voice mail to tell Kagome to call her. The silly woman's
refusal to own a cell phone could be so frustrating. “Just
tell her that your friend is in trouble, and you and I are doing
everything we can to help her. She doesn't have to know the rest of
it.”

“Won't work, not
with her. Don't be so damned co-dependent, Mike,”
his mocking falsetto drew a raised brow from his beloved, as she
maneuvered up the ramps of the parking garage. “She'd lecture
me about getting myself too involved; tell me to call in the
authorities.” Michael laid his head back against the seat and
glared out at the shadows. “A good therapist only suggests
alternatives, we don't fix people. Without your own life in order,
you are worthless to help anyone...” He waived a delicately
poised hand through the air in mimicry of one of his advisor's odd
little mannerisms.

“Gah! Kagome's
the closest thing you've got to a sister!” Selene countered.
“She's not having a breakdown, she's being attacked!”
Pulling into a parking stall, she killed the engine. Her tone
softening, she continued, “Not wanting you to help a friend in
trouble would be like telling someone to leave their dieing mother to
the doctors, and get their ass back to work . . . surely she isn't
that much of a taskmaster.”

“You don't know
her, Sally. There's a reason that Caleb calls her a witch,” he
informed her as he awkwardly reached for the handle of the door.
“But Kagome's problems are just the tip of the iceberg. How do
I explain to this woman, a behavioral scientist, that I've
recently discovered that I am the reincarnation of a Buddhist monk,
and that I have certain spiritual powers that allow me to fight
demons? It sounds like a damn precursor to a messianic
complex!! Oh, yes and of course, my fiancé is a kick-ass
demon slayer, and my best friend's a priestess that can heal pretty
much anything that still has a heartbeat. There we go. That will be
very convincing,” he muttered sarcastically, glowering at the
cast. “I have to do this. Alone. I just wish it wasn't right
after a night like last night.”

“I don't want
you to go alone, monk. I can't tell you why, but I've got a bad
feeling.” Their eyes met briefly, and she knew that his
meeting was going to change everything. How or what she had no idea,
but it would effect every other person in their circle.

Selene shook herself
to clear her mind, jumping when her .phone rang. Cursing her
skittishness she answered it hoping that it was Kagome. Michael
climbed out of the car while she wordlessly listened to the call. I
was not Kagome, and she was unprepared for the onslaught her ears
received. After a few moments of non-committal noises uttered in
response, she pressed the end call and stared up at Michael with
disbelief.

“Miranda just
threw Kouga out. She sounds really bad. I've never heard her go on
like that.” She shook her head in awed disbelief. “I
guess you're on your own after all, monk. She needs me.”

~oo00O00oo~

Sesshoumaru stood
quietly by the doorway to the infirmary, as he watched his physician
and most trusted confident examine his younger brother. Large sausage
fingers pulled down under darkened eyes, tugged on rounded ears,
tapped against ribs, as Beorn poked, prodded and listened with a
variety of specialized instruments. Sesshoumaru did not envy his
sibling, having had much to do with such instruments himself in
recent years. Beorn had become his most reliable mentor when it came
to working around his gradually depleting condition. The Bear had
spared no effort in trying to diagnose the malady, utilizing every
known modern technique and state-of-the-art device, diligently
searching for a cure, all to no avail. But the simple touch of human
had reversed centuries of decline. Remarkably, it had been the same
woman that had purified InuYasha without real intention.

Unsurprisingly, he had
found InuYasha splayed out on the miko's bed, with the girl draped
over him like a blanket, both snoozing away contentedly, if not
rather noisily. Between the two of them, he was surprised the walls
weren't vibrating. It was obvious that they were both completely
wrung out; however it was imperative that he know the level of
permanency to InuYasha's condition prior to leaving for the
Inquisition. The Council would undoubtedly refuse his claim of
InuYasha as Heir should he remain permanently human.

He had watched with
interest, when upon waking his brother had slipped his pillow down to
the side and gently laid the miko specifically to nuzzle against it.
Sesshoumaru had never before realized the importance of scent
recognition in Human Beings, and found his brother's actions
fascinating. The two had been together such a short time, but the
bond between them appeared to be surprisingly strong. Perhaps there
was some validity to the seeming nonsense InuYasha had been spouting
about pair bonding beyond one lifetime.

If Sesshoumaru hadn't
known better, he would have thought that his brother suffered from a
hangover. Puffy face and darkened eyes squinted against the light as
they made their way toward the infirmary, intentional evasion of his
curious sidelong glances. Unsure if InuYasha was embarrassed at being
discovered with the miko or angry for some imagined violation against
him, Sesshoumaru decided it was best to not ask. Thus the trek to
the infirmary had for the most part been silent, barring the
occasional, explosive, and expressly muculent sneeze which seemed to
overtake the hanyou en route. Sesshoumaru did nothing to disguise his
disgust as he watched his brother run a wrist below his nose, and
then wipe it nervously on his shirt with a sheepish grin. Perhaps it
was something Beorn could medicate. One thing he knew beyond doubt,
there would be an element of hygiene introduced into InuYasha's
curriculum immediately.

“Oi!! You're
magin me feel like a fuggin horse up for sale!!” The nasal
exclamation drew Sesshoumaru back to the moment. InuYasha plucked at
the thumb pulling at his upper lip to examine his teeth. It seemed to
be the final straw for his brother. Running his sleeve across his
again running nose, the dark haired hanyou tried unsuccessfully to
pull in air through blocked nostrils, and then hacked oddly,
apparently in an effort to unblock the obstruction. Sesshoumaru
grimaced with open disgust at the display.

“Now, now,
InuYasha... be a good boy and I'll give you carrot,” cajoled
the healer, his grin not quite reaching his eyes as he observed the
man with a hint of concern. Sesshoumaru glanced around and spied a
box of tissue on a nearby table. Grabbing it, he casually tossed it
at his uncouth brother's head, to have it caught in midair before it
connected, thanks to the half-breed’s unfettered reflexes.
Maybe that would be enough of a hint for the philistine. InuYasha
only offered him a sneer in thanks, before blowing his nose loudly
into a handful of tissues.

Raising a small
flashlight Beorn commanded InuYasha's attention again. “At the
risk of sounding cliché, open up and say AH. It
appears that in your weakened state you've contracted a viral
infection.”

“Geh!”
InuYasha responded somewhat nasally. “My dose always feels
stuffed up when I'mb like dis.” He frowned, tilting his head
and looking around for the source of the stunted sound his voice was
making. “Whud da hell?”

“Excessive
mucous, elevated temp, adenoids are swollen, membrane's irritated
here, see?” The physician leaned back to allow Sesshoumaru a
look down InuYasha's throat. Instead the Demon waved his hand,
declining the offer with distaste. He really didn't need any more of
a visual than he was already getting. Beorn seemed to find that
amusing, chuckling as he rolled his ancient wheeled stool to a
cabinet. Pulling out a bottle he shook a capsule into a small paper
cup, getting up to pull some water from the tap.

“I take it
you've never had a cold before,” Beorn observed, returning to
his patient. Patting InuYasha on the shoulder reassuringly, he
presented him with the smaller cup. “Take this, it'll relieve
the symptoms.”

“You gan geep
dat shit,” InuYasha slurred, motioning to the cup of water,
before he took the pill and forced it down. “I hate dat nasty
stuff! It don't even taste like water. Comes out of a pipe from Kami
knows where... you gan just... geep it.”

“I never
realized you had such discerning tastes, little brother,”
Sesshoumaru commented with a hint of sarcasm.

“I never knew
dat's where it game from,” InuYasha replied, nodding toward the
small sink. “More like survival instinct, it smells off and
tastes worse; I'll stig to the bottled stuff.” He hacked gain,
trying to clear his throat. “How long till that pill starts
working?” he asked with annoyance.

“Give it about
half an hour or so. I'll need some blood for analysis, roll up your
sleeve,” the Bear replied. When InuYasha glared at him in
disbelief, he added, “That is if you want answers.”

“Oh hell!! I
fuggin' hate needles!!” InuYasha glared at the physician then
at Sesshoumaru. “You didn't say he was gonna stig me again!!”
Again he sniffed noisily, and as he raised his arm to use his sleeve
again, Sesshoumaru grabbed the box of tissue and smacked it into his
chest with a pointed glare.

“Okay, let's
talk about this,” Beorn sat again on his stool facing his
patient, the extractor settled on his lap. “Let me tell you
what I know so far without a specimen. I understand your girlfriend
did this to you, is that right?”

“Don't gall her
that. She's not just a girlfriend, damn it.” InuYasha muttered
hoarsely, eying the mechanism of torture on the healer's leg.

“Alright then,
whatever she is to you, this woman has in her possession an artifact
that made this possible. It stands to reason that repeated,
prolonged exposure to that relic, that Sacred Jewel, would
hinder your ability to return to your normal form.” Beorn had a
look of distaste as he mentioned the Shikon no Tama by its common
name.

“That gan't be
right,” InuYasha shook his head and glanced over at
Sesshoumaru. “I gan't make her give up the Shikon.”

“A full analysis
of your blood will help us to know one way or the other,” the
doctor rose, apparatus in hand. “It helps if you look away.”

InuYasha balked,
backing up mere inches on the examination table. Sesshoumaru found it
amazing that a man who had survived gaping wounds – some of
which he, Sesshoumaru had inflicted - yet had continued fighting,
was now cowering from a simple poke in his arm. Sesshoumaru pondered
the validity of using his brother's own tactic against him. Perhaps
angering him with an insult would divert his attention.

“Shall I state
it from my perspective, little brother? The value of
what will be learned far outweighs the momentary discomfort that you
face. Honestly, you are disappointing me, InuYasha.” The
daiyoukai grinned maliciously, “Either submit, puppy, or
your Aniki will have to hold you down.”

“You're such a
bastard...” InuYasha growled, glaring. Hesitantly he complied
and raised his sleeve, tensing with a cringe worthy of an impending
explosion. Beorn followed through swiftly with the device, not even
attempting to hide his amusement.

“I'm serious
about staying away from the girl, InuYasha,” the physician
sobered markedly. “She can't possibly be helping your recovery,
especially with that relic. I understand that you feel the need to
help her, just keep your distance while doing it. Got it?”

Sesshoumaru stared
blankly at his healer. Had he actually just prescribed that InuYasha
stay away from his mate? The flash of horror that registered on his
brother's face confirmed that the daiyoukai had indeed heard
correctly.

“Are you quite
finished?” InuYasha demanded while pulling his sleeve back down
into place, his jaw now in a grim set. At Beorn's nod, he slid off
the table, pure indignation in human form, “Good, 'cause you
can both go right to hell.”

As InuYasha stormed
out of the door, Beorn snorted and motioned for Sesshoumaru to
quickly close the portal for privacy. Once it was fully closed the
great bear burst out into a full bout of belly shaking laughter.

“I fail to see
the humor,” Sesshoumaru drawled raising an irritated brow at
his friend. “Nor do I see why that was necessary.”

“He's just
entirely too much fun to provoke,” the bear chortled, “I
couldn't resist. Oh hell, Sesshoumaru, you've said as much yourself,
with your tales of battles over that sword of his. And you!! You're
one to be pointing fingers!! Who assigned that girl a room clear
across the mansion from him? I'd be pretty annoyed about that,
myself!” With a wheezing gasp, the physician grabbed a tissue
and wiped at a laughter induced tear.

“That was the
Lady's call. Take it up with her,” the daiyoukai looked away
dismissively.

Kagura had determined
after speaking with the girl that she had been well raised and it was
only appropriate that they have separate sleeping arrangements. In
addition, he could not argue his mate's logic when she suggested that
the separation could well be instrumental in hastening InuYasha's
bonding with the girl. Sesshoumaru could not shake the feeling that a
bond would have interfered with, if not completely prevented the
hanyou's purification.

“Anyway, maybe
the girl will lose that blasted jewel if they think it's responsible.
I for one am not entirely convinced that it isn't. Just having the
damn thing in the house makes me uncomfortable.”

“You are not the
only one,” the daiyoukai replied absently. “However,
Kagura is of the mind that as long as Miss Higurashi is in possession
of it, all will be well. Surprisingly. It is definitely not something
to be simply lost.”

“After all that
you've told me Kagura's been through, I'm amazed she is even allowing
the girl in the house at all,” Beorn muttered, keying in the
analysis sequence in his portable unit. “I should have some
answers in a couple of hours. Now, are you going to explain to me
exactly what happened last night?”

“I have endured
your examination, is that not enough?” Sesshoumaru opened the
door again. “I have no more answers than I have given. I quite
honestly... do not know. Only that with her touch the malaise began
to dissipate.” He examined his hand for a moment, and then
announced, “I will be traveling to the session on my own
volition, for the first time in nearly two centuries.”

“Do you think
that wise?” Beorn looked up from the analysis unit. “You
yourself said that the girl met with resistance, that it wasn't
complete.” At the Youkai's cold stare, he simply shrugged. “Of
course, you'd be the best judge, since I can't seem to find anything.
All the deterioration has appeared to have receded...”

“But...”
Sesshoumaru prompted. He had trusted this demon with his life for
nearly a century. Though the improvement of his condition was
remarkable, he would consider what advice the physician offered.

Beorn's sigh was one
of frustration. “There's no way to tell how long it will last.
Unlike with InuYasha's condition, I have no way to determine the
permanence of this 'healing'.”

Poised at the door,
Sesshoumaru pondered momentarily on the possibility that he would
decline again. If that were to be the case, he determined that he
would enjoy his returned vigor for as long as it lasted. Until it
became certain one way or the other, he would continue with his
current course with the Council as well. Providing InuYasha's results
could prove that his current form was not to remain permanent. It was
his habit to examine all possible outcomes and prepare for each the
best way possible.

A muted scuffling from
down the hall accompanied by a round of loud yaps from the puppy
broke into his thoughts. It sounded as though someone were arguing,
or perhaps pleading was better word, and Sesshoumaru raised a brow.
He discerned the owners of the voices, and rolled his eyes. It was
Thomas and Laura attempting to calm InuYasha down.

“SESSHOUMARU,
YOU PRETENTIOUS PRICK!!” came a graveled bellow from the same
direction. “GET YOUR ASS IN HERE AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!”

“His vocabulary
seems to be coming along quite nicely,” the doctor commented
casually looking up from putting his instruments away. “Nice
work, old man.”

“He will have
the entire staff scattering for cover,” the daiyoukai replied
with irritation, glancing down the hallway. “He's apparently
discovered the summons. It specifically mentions my request
regarding Rights of Succession.” The daiyoukai hesitated
uncharacteristically at the door, before assuming his commanding air.
“I want those results as soon as you have them. And that
disgusting snot needs to stay dried up. I won't have him infecting
the rest of the household.” The order was terse, his transition
from patient and friend to that of The Taisho complete.

“Of course,
Sir,” Beorn acknowledged dutifully.

“I do believe
his voice is already improving...” Sesshoumaru offered
speculatively, softening the blow of his abrupt transition, then
strode down the hall to face his infuriated sibling.

~oo00O00oo~

To be
continued…
- 45
- 46
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Finding Kagome