The Missing Link

By:

Summary: Kagome is an archaeologist who's teams digging around Japan. In her search, she comes across the only known existing demon, frozen and preserved in the mountains. Once he's thawed up, it is up to her to attend to him, teach him the ways of the new world, and comfort his aching heart.

Chapter 1

"Tanaka-sensei! Tanaka-sensei!" The intern stumbled over her feet as she made her way off of her cart, running as fast as her legs could take her. "Tanaka-sensei!"

The slightly older man arched a brow at the sound of his name. Pushing back the flap on his tent, he walked outside to meet the woman. "Is there something wrong, Kakai-san?"

"Tanaka-sensei! We uncovered something, not far from here! In a cave in the base of a mountain, a man. He's there, and he's frozen!"

"Calm down, Iyu. Are you certain?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

The young woman inhaled and exhaled a few times. "Yes. Higurashi-Sensei found him. She's analyzing him as we speak. She told me to hurry to get you, and tell you to bring your walkie-talkie."

Hojo Tanaka rubbed at his chin, pondering whether or not he should go. Kagome was often calling for him when things weren't too necessary. He often wondered if it was because of the divorce, if that was her way of annoying him. "And you're certain that she found a man?"

"It was huge, and I saw a foot. You should hurry. She said that if we don't thaw him properly, it could ruin our chances of finding out what time he's from, and other things."

"Fine." He entered the small tent, grabbed his walkie-talkie, and returned to Iyu. "Show the way, Kakai-san."

Urgently, she hopped back onto the cart with Hojo and drove to where she had left her trainer. Ever since she'd entered the field of Archeology, she'd seen a bit of action, but never an entire frozen person! Perhaps, when her sensei was mentioned in the hundreds of thousands of books, newspapers, magazines, and internet, she would be mentioned as well, as an accomplice to finding the preserved body. "There!" She pointed up ahead to the cave that was surrounded by orange cones, perfect for sighting in the late evening.

Hojo nodded his thanks, then hurried into the cave, pushing aside members of his ex-wife's and his team to reach the back where he knew she waited. "Kagome, this better be good."

"Thanks for believing in me, Hojo." Kagome sighed as she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Now, are you going to take a look at my find or what?"

"Hm. Your find. Probably a dead cat from last year."

"In the mountains?"

Hojo simply huffed, nudging her aside gently to look at her find. His eyes widened slightly as he gazed at the ice boulder, which had a large crack running down the side. Most of it was so thick and white that he couldn't see, but through the few transparent pieces, he spotted a leg, an arm, and some type of silvery looking material. 'It looks like silk.' "I think you've finally done it, Kagome."

She beamed up at him, blushing a bit. She'd known he'd be proud of her. Her eyes lowered for an instant. The moment was bittersweet. Had it been merely three months prior, she would be enveloped in his arms as they kissed. But they were divorced now, something she hadn't seen coming and she couldn't quite understand. 'Don't get yourself depressed girl. You just found a freakin' person in an ice cube. You'll be showered with praise. This is an awesome accomplishment.' "Let me have your walkie-talkie."

"I've got it." He replied softly, smiling. Lifting the walking talkie to his mouth, he pressed the button and spoke, "Tanaka to Daita, over."

Instantly, there was a reply, "Daita isn't in. This is Yama, over."

"Yama, I'm with Tana- Higurashi," For a moment, he'd forgotten the divorce, "She's come across something rather interesting. We need a helicopter about two ½ miles north of our last location, over."

"I will send one immediately, Tanaka-san. Wait patiently. In ten minutes, send up a flare so that we may know your exact location, over."

"Will do, over." Sliding his walkie-talkie back into his pocket, and then looked down at Kagome with an arched brow. "So, how'd you get down here anyway?"

Strawberry colored blush rose on her cheeks, and she averted her gaze to her ankle. "I was walking by when I thought I heard something crack, that was the ice, I guess. I tried to creep down here, but it felt like something pushed me. I tripped and sprained my ankle."

Hojo sighed. "Kagome, you've got to be more careful. You could have been down here by yourself, and ended up like this guy."

She snorted. "Didn't know you cared."

"Please, don't start that right now." Leaning over, he scooped her up bridle style and walked carefully out of the dark cave. "Iyu-san, use the red hand flare."

"Yes, sir, Tanaka-san." She grabbed a flare from the emergency pack on her cart and set it off, pointing it at the sky. A moment later, the wind began to whip around her, and, covering her eyes, she watched as a helicopter came into sight.

Hojo easily climbed up the rope ladder, Kagome situated carefully in his arms. Once inside, he sat her down and buckled her seat belt. "Try not to hurt yourself."

Kagome huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm not a child, Tanaka-san."

He smirked playfully. "You could have fooled me, Higurashi-san." With that remark, and a duck to avoid the shoe hurled at his head, he headed back down. "Lower the cradle!" He called out to the pilot as he jumped from the bottom of the ladder. "You three, follow me." He pointed out his three strongest men.

They followed immediately and, after twenty minutes of careful maneuvering, finally managed to position the frozen, fossilized man onto the cradle. Hojo tugged at the ropes that held it together, and watched as it was lifted up into the helicopter.

The helicopter lifted once it was fully inside and began to rise, though a little wobbly. Annoyed, Hojo cried, "Hey, be careful! We've got precious cargo on there!"

Kagome's heart fluttered in her chest. Was he talking about her, or the fossil? Looking out the window, she saw him smile at her, causing her to look away quickly. 'He's playing with me, I know he is. We were only just divorced. He can't possibly want me back.' Wrapping her arms around herself, she sighed. 'Stupid Hojo, stop making me think you might still care.'

"How's the ankle?" Hojo whispered as the pair walked through the large building, Kagome with a slight limp.

"It's alright, merely a sprain. No fractured bones, none broken. I'm fine." She took a left into the large, defrosting room, and Hojo followed after her. Looking down at a clipboard, she didn't notice Hojo freeze. She asked, "What kind of progress are we making, thawing him?"

"W-we managed to get the head, and an arm. That was why we called you before putting him back into the defroster."

Kagome looked up at her find, and dropped her clipboard, rushing over to it. This, this thing, with silver hair, pale skin, strange markings. "A demon." She breathed. "A demon! I found a demon. I knew Ji-san wasn't crazy!" She reached to touch it, but found Hojo's hand on her shoulder.

He glared at her. "Don't touch it. You might ruin something."

Snatching away, she huffed. "I'll touch it if I wish. There isn't much I can ruin about something at least 400 years old." Stepping closer to the demon, she touched his cheek, and her heart stopped in her chest when his eyes snapped open. She made to step back, but the demon grabbed her hand.

"Kagome, get away from that thing!" Hojo yelled, his eyes wide. The others in the room, merely interns, hurried out, screaming.

The demon lifted Kagome's hand to his nose, sniffing. He blinked a few times, then looked Kagome in the eyes with his own frozen orbs, though curiosity lay beneath. Kagome's hand trembled, her eyes opening even wider. The demon pulled her closer by the hand, and suddenly, a fist flew across his face. Snarling, he released her to cup his jaw.

Hojo held Kagome in his arms. "Watch yourself, demon. I will not stand for you harming her."

The demon snarled louder, his eyes blood red and his irises emerald slits. He flew his muscles, causing the ice to crack and crumble around his arms. He hissed when he realized that he couldn't free his legs and growled something at Kagome.

She stiffened. Something about him was so familiar. "Hojo, calm down. I think your aura is hurting. Not to mention the punch to the face."

"I won't calm down. He could have harmed you or something. I told you not to get so close, Kagome."

Kagome sighed. "Demon," she called softly, soothingly, "Demon, would you like to hear a song?"

The demon seemed to calm at the sound of her voice, as though he knew it, but he looked confused. He didn't understand a word she had said. Quietly, he turned to listen to her. "Grrrr." He growled softly in reply to what he assumed was a question by her tone.

"Umi wa hiroi na, okii na
Tsuki ga noboru shi, hi ga shizimu

Umi wa oonami, aoinami
Yurete doko made tsuzuku yara

Umi ni ofune o ukabasete
Itte mitaini yoso no kuni."

Lulled by the soft, gentle sound of her voice, he managed to calm completely, his muscles loosening, his eyes melting back into their liquid gold. He growled lowly in approval, though he hadn't understood what she was singing to him.

Smiling, Kagome gently pushed away from Hojo, who in turn, grabbed her hand tightly. "Hojo-"

"He's a demon, Kagome, a wild beast. You saw how ballistic he just went. You can't possibly trust that, that thing."

"He's a living person, Tanaka-san. Now, out. I want to try to communicate with him."

"I'm not leaving you here with that."

Nostrils flaring, Kagome snapped. "You don't have the option. I am of higher rank, here, Hojo, and we are no longer married, so you have nothing to say. Out!" She pointed at the door.

Hojo fumed. "Fine! Let him use you as a scratching post!" Scowling, he turned on his heels and left. Kagome locked the door behind him, and when she turned back to the demon, she noticed his eyes locked on her.

Standing before him, she allowed her eyes to roll over his face, and she knew that he was doing the same to her. When their eyes locked once again, she felt something strain inside her. Ignoring the uneasy feeling, she touched her chest, "I'm Kagome."

He frowned lightly, unable to comprehend.

Tapping her chest, she said again, "Kagome." Seeing that he was still confused, she sighed. The demon lifted his hand to his hair, and the light reflected off of the bracelet that he wore. Kagome eyed it, then smiled as she read the Kanji. "Sesshomaru. That's a beautiful name, despite the meaning."

Yes. Sesshomaru. That was his name. He growled softly, approvingly, "Sesshomaru."

She jumped at the sound of his voice, then smiled. "So that is your name. Sesshomaru." She touched her chest again, pointing. "I am Kagome."

"Kagome." He said after inhaling. He would program the scent, voice, and name to his mind.

"Yes." She nodded her head.

"Yes." He nodded back.

Blushing as he mocked her, she leaned a little closer to him. "Do you speak Japanese?"

"Japanese." He repeated the last of her question.

She sighed. "This is going to be difficult. Well, since you're alive, I might as well free you." She began looking around for a pick when a burning scent reached her nose. Whirling around to face Sesshomaru, she looked down, startled, as a green liquid flowed from his fingers and melted the ice away from him, burning his hakamas a bit. Once free, he stepped down and approached her, his hand reaching out for her.

Kagome stepped back. Now that he was free, he was a lot more intimidating. Sesshomaru halted, cocking his head to the side slightly. Her aura reeked of worry. Looking down at his hand, he wondered if she was afraid of his claws. One by one, he ripped off the ones on his right hand and dropped them to the floor before once again offering her his hand.

Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his, watching in wonder as he wrapped his own around it with startling gentleness. Once again, for a reason unknown to her, he sniffed her hand again, rubbing his nose against it. "Kagome." He purred. He knew her. He knew that he did. Otherwise, there was no way that he would allow a human so much.

"I-I suppose I'll have to teach you to speak, so we can understand one another." She said with a blush. "I wonder what you were doing out there." Kagome reached up to brush his bangs from his face and gasped softly at the large, round scar on his head. "Who hit you? Do you remember? What do you remember?"

Sesshomaru ran his hand over the scar that she had touched. He didn't know where the scar came from. He couldn't remember much before waking up to Kagome. As if responding to Kagome, he muttered her name, then his own, "Kagome, Sesshomaru," for that was all that he knew.

Kagome frowned. "That's all that you can remember, isn't it? Oh, you poor thing. I'll help you, Sesshomaru." Carefully, she embraced him. She'd help the poor demon if it was the last thing she did.

Hojo kicked the door in, and standing behind him were three security guards, armed with tranquilizer guns. "Release her, demon!"

"Hojo, calm down." Kagome hissed as Sesshomaru tightened his hold on her. "You're upsetting him!"

"Demon," Hojo snapped, ignoring her, "let her go." The security guards raised their guns.

Seeing them, a moment flashed in Sesshomaru's head.

There were thousands of them, armed with guns, pointing them at him, at his daughter, at his retainer, Jaken. Sesshomaru snarled as the guns cocked. "Leave, demon!"

"Watch your tone, human." Sesshomaru hissed angrily.

"We give you until the count of three. One."

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder. "Jaken, take Rin."

The imp shuddered. "B-but, milord??"

"Go."

"Yes, milord." The imp took the girl, hopped onto his two headed dragon, Ah-Un, and took off ito the air, avoiding the bullets that were shot at him.

"Daddy!" Rin cried, worried for her father.

Sesshomaru growled as one of her tears fell to the earth near him. Flexing his fingers, he lashed out at the soldiers that aimed their guns at him, attempting to harm him with weak bullets that hardly felt like an insect sting. These humans would pay for putting his daughter in danger. They would pay for making her shed tears. He would protect her.

Sesshomaru's eyes bled red. He wouldn't let them hurt Kagome. Pushing her behind him, he growled as he shielded her. "Grr."

"Now!" Hojo ordered.

"No!"

But the guns had been fired, and several darts were stabbed into Sesshomaru's torso. He hunched over slightly and growled. These guns were different. They were poisoned. But he couldn't let them hurt Kagome in anyway. Using his whip, he knocked the gun from one's hand.

"Sesshomaru, stop!" Kagome stepped in front of him to catch his attention, just as another shot was fired, a dart stabbing into her arm. Kagome winced as she pulled it out and fell limp.

Sesshomaru roared as he caught her. "Kagome."

Hojo's eyes widened. "How do you know her name? What are you doing?"

Hating that he didn't know what the human was saying, he laid Kagome down gently. "Kagome." He snarled.

"You come away from her!"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he continued to shield her.

Hojo glared at the security guards. "Fire, you idiots."

Nodding, the pair left with guns fire them repeatedly, hitting all over Sesshomaru's body until he came to his knees. Sesshomaru covered his face as his sight blurred. He had to stay awake, to protect her. He had to. Clenched his teeth together, his body gave on him, and he collapsed beside Kagome.

Hojo hurried to his ex-wife, scooping her up, and moving her from Sesshomaru. "Damn demon." Cradling her to him, he carried her out of the room. "Lock him up. Restrain him. If he comes after her again, you're fired."

"Yes, Mr. Tanaka."

Nodding, he continued on his way. "I won't let him near you again, Kagome. I won't allow him the chance to harm you. I may have asked for the divorce, but I still love you in many ways." Kagome simply adjusted in his arms, sighed, and smiled as though she had heard him.

Sesshomaru cringed as he opened his eyes to a dark room. He started to move his stiff body, only to find his wrists and ankles chained to the wall and floor. Looking around, he whispered, "Kagome." She was nowhere to be found. Starting to panic, he called, "Kagome! Kagome!" Snarling, he jerked at his restraints, "Ka-go-meeeee!"