You guys have absolutely no idea how much research and work went into this fic. I've had to clear my Google search history on multiple occasions because it just looked sketchy as fuck and my FBI agent was probably getting real sick of my shit.

I really wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who's read this story, and even those who are just reading it now. I can hardly begin to describe the gratitude I feel. The reviews and keyboard smashes and simple comments saying, "…fuck." were all so amazing and appreciated, and also very rewarding! Thank you all so much!

Also I want it noted, just for my own pride, that the fighting/martial arts mentioned in chapter 4 and coming up in this chapter are actually choreographed. Like, I got the fuck up out of my seat and physically choreographed the scenes. I'm trained in some martial arts so I did my best to apply that to my writing, and I'm really glad no one walked in on me throwing hands at the air.

Okay, I'm done rambling! I hope you enjoy the conclusion to In Between! Thank you so much for reading!

Inuyasha stirred as a shiver crawled over his skin, discomfort disturbing his sleep and waking him as he blinked his eyes open with a meager grunt. The apartment was still mostly dark, save for the light from the momentarily-blinding rays from the television, but he figured the sun was beginning its ascent into the sky from the way distant sounds were reaching his ears once more. He closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't fall back asleep but unwilling to allow the lethargy to leave just yet. He could already feel the ache in his neck from sleeping on the couch, but it still wasn't enough motivation to get him to move any more than wiggling his foot to check and see that Kagome was still nearby. When his toes brushed nothing but air, he reached a little further and grazed the rough texture of a throw pillow.

Perking his head up, he blinked a few times to focus his vision on the vacant side of the sofa. Inuyasha took in the scents of the room, her aroma still around but diminished. It wasn't fresh. Reality began to sink in as he curled up to a sitting, an unnerving sensation tingling within his stomach as he swiveled his head to look about the room. The bathroom door was open. The TV's volume was set low to a mumble. Her scent wasn't stronger no matter which way he faced. Kagome was gone.

He jumped from the couch, growling a curse as he snatched his phone from the counter to check for any notifications. Nothing. There were no abnormal odors around; no one had come inside. What the fuck could have possibly happened while he slept? This was why he hated letting his guard down on the night of the new moon. Too much got past him. Too much could occur that he had very limited power to prevent. Inuyasha dialed Kagome's number, putting the call on speaker as he stormed out of the apartment, following her feint scent down the stairs and toward the lobby. It went to voicemail.

"Kagome, where the fuck are you!? Answer your phone!" He demanded at the beep. He kept pace down the stairwell, immediately hitting redial and calling her cell again. Voicemail. He hung up that time, his bare feet slapping against the tile of the small lobby. Her scent led out the door and he damn near halted in his tracks from the way his entire body went violently rigid. She left the building completely. Hours ago, and it wasn't by force. How fucking stupid do you have to be not to understand how horrible of an idea that was? What could have compelled her? Jesus, why did she leave?

Inuyasha was fuming, his nose suddenly catching a horrendous stench as he stomped forward and threw the door open, bringing him to a stop right there in the doorway. It was familiar and recent, and he realized he'd been so hyper focused on Kagome's scent that he almost completely missed this one. A painful ache churned inside of him. The scents of the two didn't mix, and he was becoming more and more disturbed as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Inuyasha flinched as his deafening ringtone went off in his hand, forgetting he'd turned it all the way up just after turning human the night before. Kagome's name and contact picture had the screen coming to life, her bright smile only making him all the more furious.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now!?" He answered, stepping back inside and dropping the door.

"Woah," A deep voice on the opposite end drawled, smooth and low. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

An unbearable chill washed over Inuyasha's body, each muscle quaking as it passed through, keeping him glued in place as his stomach gradually turned to lead, weighing heavily within his own abdomen.

"It's been a long time, Inuyasha." He said his name slow, enunciating every syllable.

"What - how did you..."

"Oh, it was easy. She's much like you, you see. She has a hero complex. Texted her saying I was Kikyo and in trouble, and she waltzed on out the door to save her. Didn't even have to come up with a sob story to twist her leg a bit."

It dawned on him that he'd never told her. Of course, she didn't know any better, Kagome thought Inuyasha was still on the lookout for Kikyo. This was his fault.

"Let her go." Inuyasha ordered, the words clenched in his throat. His teeth ground tight causing his demand to come out as more of a deep, guttural growl than a clear bark, and the chuckle from the psychopath in the receiver had his blood boiling over and pumping searingly through each vein of his body.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that."

"LET HER GO!" He bellowed, the shout echoing in the lobby he stood in. "You want me, you've got me! She has nothing to do with this!"

"You'll just have to come and get her." Naraku laughed. There was a muffled scream in the background, and Inuyasha's ears inadvertently pinned to his head. It wasn't close, it sounded far off; like Naraku was standing a good distance away, but nonetheless, it came from Kagome and it caused something to stir excruciatingly within him.

"Awe, did you hear that?" Naraku taunted, his voice knocking up an octave. "I think she's saying, "Come save me. Come save me, Inuyasha." Oof, she's a feisty one."

Inuyasha couldn't tell what was happening. As he was talking, he'd heard Kagome's grunts getting louder, like Naraku had moved closer to her. Then he suddenly lurched away, the oof more of a reaction sound than anything.

"Where the fuck are you!?"

"In all the time we've spent together, have I ever given you an answer that easily?"

Inuyasha struck a nearby wall, his fist easily punching through the drywall material. "I'm not playing these games again!"

"If you want your precious Kagome back, you will. Don't worry, I'm not completely heartless. I left you a clue to give you a head start. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon, Inuyasha."

The line went dead, three dull beeps signifying so.

Immediately, Inuyasha stormed after the repugnant smell. He curved around the corner to the three adjacent walls of mailboxes labeled specifically pertaining to each unit, his ember eyes landing on the polaroid picture taped to his own. He ripped it off, his mouth parting as he took in the low-quality, scratchy sight of Kagome on her knees on the dingy, damp, brown floor. Her dark hair was wild, covering a good portion of her face as she looked into the camera, shadowed eyes hidden beneath deeply-furrowed brows. Her hands were tied in front of her, a rope cinched around her wrists in what looked like a double column. The ends were loose along the floor, secured around a nearby, metal support beam. Her mouth was covered with silver duct tape, which explained how muffled her cries sounded, and it took everything in Inuyasha's power not to look away from the picture. Instead, he pulled it closer to his face, he studied her surroundings, the rusted beams lined in a row, the weeds that had grown through the cracks in the ground, the graffiti littering the distant wall in the very corner of the photo. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, but it was hard to tell. The place was dark, making details even more difficult to make out, Kagome seemingly illuminated by the camera's flash.

He racked his brain for all the abandoned warehouses he knew of in the city, all the abandoned warehouses he may have had a run in at. If this was a clue, then he knew the place; there was hardly anything else that he could note in the picture that would give it away. He had to know where she was, so where the fuck was she? What warehouse could potentially play a significant role in tying he and Naraku together?

There was one east of town in an industrial area. There had been an accident there years ago and the place shut down. There was one near the lake off a winding road that was overgrown with shrubbery by now. He hadn't been there, personally, but he knew Sango and Hojo busted a sex operation at that location. There was a warehouse immediately south of him, but it was recently purchased by a construction company so it was inhabited and he couldn't imagine Naraku getting away with stocking a person along a support beam in plain sight. Inuyasha flipped on his cellphone flashlight, holding it to the picture to reach for any additional detail he could scrounge up that the dim lighting provided in the mailroom couldn't help reveal, desperate to find anything, his sharp eyes landing on the hint of yellow graffiti in the upper left corner on the distant wall.

It hit him like a flying brick. He knew where she was.

County Jail - One hour earlier -

"He's been screaming to get you guys down here for hours. He refused to calm down until we called you."

"Has he said what this is about?"

"Just that it was important and you'd want to hear this. He's in here." The guard opened the door, a disheveled Byakuya sitting in a seat at the table, cuffed hands shaking on top of the metal surface. His violet eyes shot up at her, perturbation written into the deep lines beneath his eyes. His lawyer stood mere inches from him, his chin raising indignantly as they entered the room and the guard shut the door behind them.

"Alright, you've got us here. What was it you wanted?" Kagura asked, setting her briefcase down on the table as she took a seat across from them. Sango sat in the neighboring chair, her eyes studying the angsty criminal.

"I'm ready to talk." He admitted as his attorney joined them, his expression stone cold and straight. "Naraku, he - he's about to make his move. Today. He's gonna do something today, he's been going on about it for months. It's going to be on the nine year anniversary of his arrest, that's what he said. That's today!"

"What is he going to do?" Sango firmly asked, inching inward as the suspense in the room intensified.

"I-I don't know." He shook his head, his heightened nerves evident in the chatter of his jaw. "I just know he's going to do something reckless! I mean, this is Naraku we're talking about! We don't need to add to his kill count, maybe we can stop him in time!"

"Where is he, Byakuya!?" She asked, more fervor to her tone, enunciating each word that left her lips.

"Now that's where I have to stop you. We've yet to strike a deal." Gatenmaru interjected, his hand held up to halt all conversation. "What do you got?" He directed the question to Kagura.

She held herself professionally, unfazed by the inquiry as she sat up tall and answered, "Seventeen years without parole."

"Let's be real, you and I both know that's not the best you can give. Try again." There was challenge glimmering in his slanted, black eyes.

"He's being charged with aggravated assault, aiding and harboring a fugitive, and accessory to murder. Seventeen years is what's on the table. Take it."

"Accessory to murder?" Gatenmaru guffawed. "He wasn't even aware the murder took place. That charge won't hold in court."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it will considering it never would have happened had your client not helped his brother escape from the institution."

"No." Byakuya cut in, his eyes staring widely at the table beneath his forearms. "No! No! No! You know damn well that's not what I care about!" He shouted, Gatenmaru staring back at him with an expression that said he knew better for his client.

"Give us a moment, we'll work it all out."

"No!" He darted his sharp and direct gaze across to Sango, and she almost flinched from the desperation behind it. "I don't care about my sentence, I'll do my time! I don't care if I never see the light of day again, just - don't - kill - him."

"What?"

"Don't kill him! No matter what, do not kill him! Please! He can get better with medication, can't he? Give him another chance! That's all I want!"

Her mouth parted, the skin of her lips slowly peeling open, stunned from his powerful plea. It wasn't practical, though. She knew it, and the riddling stiffness of the prosecuting attorney seated next to her told her Kagura knew it as well. "I promise we will do everything in our power to have Naraku safely apprehended."

"That's not what I asked for! I want complete assurance that your team wont exercise commonly-known police brutality against my mentally ill brother! Promise me that!"

"Byakuya, I can't." She stated carefully. "I hear you, I understand exactly what you're worried about. It's never in our mission to kill a perp, please recognize that. Our number one goal is and always will be the safety of everyone involved. Sometimes, though, things don't work out that way-"

"Well, make sure it does!"

"If Naraku is in a manic state and poses a threat, our team may be given orders to take him down any way that we can. That's just the reality of it. I swear, I will do everything I can to avoid violence."

"That's not good enough!"

"We're wasting time, Byakuya!"

"You think I'll personally help send in a sniper to shoot my brother down!?"

"The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can get to Naraku! Like you said, maybe we can stop him in time! But that window may close if you don't tell us what you know!"

"You don't have to tell them!" Gatenmaru intervened.

"And you can't aid in the obstruction of justice! Back off, Gatenmaru, or I'll personally make sure you're disbarred!" Kagura snapped, darting a warning glare at the defense attorney.

"Byakuya, give us a chance to give Naraku a chance! You've gotta work with me, this is the only way the odds can potentially be in our favor!"

He stared at her, lips pressed together in a restrained snarl. It wasn't good enough for him. Unless he had a written and signed agreement that his brother wouldn't be harmed in his arrest, he refused to comply. Sango seemed sincere, but he didn't trust her. She was a cop. She was a dirty, careless, tyrant of a cop that liked to wave her power in the air like a picket sign. She couldn't fool him, but he could definitely fool her.

He controlled his expression, softening the disbelief in his scowl to appear as convincing as possible. He even sagged his shoulders in defeat, observing as Sango leaned forward for the information he was about to give. "He's at the warehouse by the lake. Off of McArther Road."

—

Inuyasha shoved a small, loaded pistol into his boot, concealing it beneath his jeans as he hastily double checked that the Glock was still strapped to his hip. He grabbed his badge off the bedside table, clipping it to his side as he snagged the phone he'd dropped on his bed and dialed his partner.

Koga picked up on the second ring, opening his car door and stepping out as he pressed the cell to his ear.

"Bad timing." He answered.

"Meet me at the warehouse at the county line." Inuyasha gruffly said. He seemed breathless, like he'd had the wind knocked out of him. There was an edge of panic in his tone, aiding in the bite behind the order. Koga couldn't stifle the confusion that wrinkled his forehead. What was happening? Why was he coincidentally being pulled to one warehouse when he'd just shown up at another with an entire armed squad.

"What's going on?"

"He's got Kagome!"

"How!?"

"I don't have time to explain! I'm leaving now! I don't know how long it'll take me to get there since I don't have a fucking car, but-"

"How do you know where she is!?" Koga kept out of the swarm of specialists and cops, keeping his hot tone as hushed as possible as he stepped behind a swat truck for an inkling of privacy. His instincts had been telling him something was incredibly off since Sango called them all in before the butt crack of dawn, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly, dismissing it as the climactic ending to this overdrawn affair with Naraku. There was a heavy weight on his chest now, discomposing him even further.

"Because," Inuyasha growled. "I just got off the phone with Naraku not even five minutes ago! He left me a picture, and she's tied up in a warehouse and the only logical one is at the base of the woods!"

"No, Inuyasha, that doesn't make sense! Byakuya told us he's in the warehouse by the lake! We just pulled up, everyone's getting into position to swarm the mother fucker!"

"I don't have time to prove otherwise! Whether you come or not, I'm going to save Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, no! He wants you! You'll get yourself killed!"

"He has her, Koga." Inuyasha ground out a restrained sigh, answering steadily. "As long as she's safe, I don't care what happens to me."

The call ended and the wolf demon didn't hesitate in his course of action. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he ran over to where Sango and Totosai stood, going over their plan of execution at the hood of one of their black cars.

"Inuyasha called. Naraku has Kagome. He thinks they're at the warehouse on the opposite side of town; at the county line."

"What!? How!?" Sango reacted, her shocked expression trickling fear.

"I don't have those details, but there's a huge chance our little rat lied to us. Inuyasha's on his way there now. We've gotta back him up."

"We cant leave until we make sure the premises is clear." Totosai firmly stated. "Inuyasha may be wrong."

"Or Inuyasha may be taking on Naraku alone." Koga said.

"Go." The chief nodded after a very small moment. "I want you communicating the entire time. The moment we get out of this warehouse, we'll head your way."

Koga spun around, running back to his car to speed back out to the main street. The moment his tires connected with the concrete at the base of the long, winding road, he flipped on his lights and blaring sirens, racing to cross town as quickly as possible. It was still the early morning; the streets weren't too inhabited. Still, there were plenty of crossroads he needed to slow for, and each time he pressed on his brakes he felt more and more trepidation trickle over him.

Inuyasha's lungs were burning, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his forehead and over the bridge of his nose as he looked over the weathered warehouse on the opposite side of the chainlink fence. Windows lined the higher portion of the walls, some broken and blocked off with cardboard, some filthy and impossible to even catch a glare with. He studied the few clear ones, checking for visible signs of life that may have been watching him from the second story at the end of the dirt and weed-occupied yard.

He could smell the two of them, their scents clashing obnoxiously within his olfactory system. There were traces of sweat. Plenty of it. He tried ignoring the damp smell of water that had been sitting for too long; he figured that exact odor would taint his nostrils when he noted the small puddles near Kagome in the picture. Most importantly, he did not smell a smidge of blood, fresh or old. It should have been a relief, but it didn't mean a thing with this criminal. He didn't know how long she'd been alone with Naraku, but he heard her in the background while they spoke on the phone. She was alive forty-five minutes ago. At the same time, that was forty-five minutes where anything could have happened to her.

Just as he was about to push through the unlatched gate, one hand prepared on the pistol in the holster on his hip, he heard the tread of tires nearing, the gravel along the ground grinding beneath Koga's heavy halt. Thankfully, the sirens were already silenced, and as he ripped the keys from the ignition, he'd flipped off the lights as well.

Inuyasha jogged to meet him half way, the both of them kneeling behind some shrubbery to stay as out of view as possible. Naraku knew he was coming, but he didn't need to know he brought backup. If they could keep the element of surprise, the odds would be more favorable for them.

"So, what the fuck happened?" Koga asked, keeping his voice low as he pulled the gun from his side and flipped the safety off. He was fully equipped in his bulletproof vest and windbreaker, the collar of his white shirt poking from beneath.

"I don't know - I don't fucking know. It was the new moon last night, I fell asleep, and apparently Naraku somehow tricked her into thinking Kikyo was in trouble, so she snuck out to help by herself instead of waking me up."

"Kikyo-"

"Yeah, I didn't tell her." He venomously interjected, wanting to cut that part of the discussion off at the knees. "It doesn't matter right now. I don't know how long they've been alone, and I don't know what he's done to her. I don't smell blood, and when he called me, I heard her in the background. That was almost an hour ago, though."

"She's alive, don't worry." Koga tried reassuring, giving him as unwavering of a look as possible. Inuyasha only spared him a small glance, ember eyes vehement with anxiety and rage, tearing his sights away to study the warehouse from the edge of the bushes.

Kagome gave another tug to the skillfully-tied knot around the support beam, her fingers struggling from the trembling she couldn't suppress. Her nails caught onto the rough rope, catching and losing grip, catching and losing grip, snagging and almost breaking. Before trying again, she whipped her head around, observing her immediate surroundings to make sure her captor wasn't coming back yet, air pressing out of her nose like she'd just finished running a lap. Still clear. She fiddled with the knot again, trying to hurry, a flutter in her chest making her feel like Onigumo could appear any second.

No.

His name was Naraku. She needed to remember that. He was a manipulative liar, and Onigumo didn't exist.

Her nails flicked off of the tight rope painfully and she clenched her tongue to the roof of her mouth to stifle the gasp she almost gave. It wasn't budging. The rope cinched around her wrists was too secure to slip through, and the more she'd tried, the more she felt the material digging into her skin. Her hands were a furious red from the many attempts of using her weight to pull away from the beam she was restrained to, the slack in the rope attached to the middle column of the wrist tie only allotting her about three feet of distance. It was no use. Despite all of her struggling and fighting to make tying her down as difficult as possible, he still prevailed by knocking her head against the pole she was held captive to, debilitating her long enough to get the rope attached. She was partially successful, though, and any feat is better than nothing right now. He'd initially tried restraining her hands behind her back, but all the flailing she did didn't allow him to.

Approaching footsteps alerted her to stop, carefully watching the direction they were coming from. The abandoned building wasn't completely empty, stacks of freight slabs and wooden crates filling multiple areas of the large room, making it impossible to see around the corner he'd disappeared behind ten minutes ago. There were small puddles of old, murky water here and there from openings in the ceiling, bits of trash littering the floor, and broken, molding wood that had crumbled from the second story. As the echoing grew louder, a sloshing sound coming from a tiny pool he must have stomped through, she tried to hold herself as casually as possible, stepping in towards the beam to allow slack in the rope. She didn't want it to appear as if she had been trying to escape; she didn't know if it would be the thing to set him off.

Naraku rounded the bend, swiping his dirty hands through his short, choppy, black hair. He was wearing a long sleeve, black thermal that raised and exposed an inch of his midriff as he lifted his arm, his ripped jeans a faded blue that bunched and disappeared beneath tightly-strapped boots. The man gave her a sealed-lipped grin the pursed just a little, cocking his head as he sauntered towards the small, upside-down crate he'd taken residence on before.

"Sorry, had to piss." He shrugged, squatting down.

Kagome could do nothing more than stare at him. Watch as he watched her. Observe as he took the long kitchen knife from the side of his boot and dragged his rough-looking thumb over the dull edge of the blade.

"Y'know," He spoke, his voice deep and smooth. "Inuyasha should be here soon, I presume. He'll be so relieved to see you're not hurt."

He stood, slowly making his way over to her, the knife glistening with the early rays of sunlight that peeked through the opened, side door. She backed up as he neared, her shoulder blade brushing the metal beam, and his smile grew wider.

"Oh, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. You know you're just a casualty in all of this, Kagome." Naraku slid his calloused hands over the side of her face, the sweat plastered on her skin from the unwavering stress feeling sticky and moist as he caressed the apple of her cheek with his thumb. She couldn't help the shaky whines that escaped her throat as he touched her, as he gripped both cheeks between his fingers and squeezed to get her to stop turning away from him. The sturdy tape on her mouth crinkled with his aggression, pulling at her sensitive flesh.

"I never wanted to hurt you." He whispered. "Now I do. It would be a waste not to at this point. And if I do it just as your half breed boyfriend shows up, oh, he'd cry like a little baby, wouldn't he?"

Kagome whimpered, her brows crinkling as she tried to shake her head no, to plead with him, but he kept her restrained. Naraku shushed her, a smirk pursing his lips further, the gleam in his red eyes showing thorough enjoyment from her spiking panic.

"What do you think he'd do at the sight of your blood, huh? Think he'd freeze? Go into a blind fury? Think he'd scream your name like bloody murder? Oh, the thought of it all just gets me so hot." He raised the knife to her face, grazing the smooth side of the dangerous blade over her cheekbone and temple, taunting her skin. "I want Inuyasha to die in pain - and not just physical. I don't want him just writhing in agony from a stab wound or two. I want him bleeding from the inside out. I want him begging for mercy because his mind and heart are about to explode from helplessly watching his whore get murdered." Naraku pulled back an inch or two, taking the kitchen knife and leisurely licking up the sharp edge, wincing minutely as blood seeped from the slice in his tongue. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed the copper liquid, his lips quickly lining scarlet red.

Dropping the knife to the ground, Naraku pinned Kagome's jaw between both hands, holding her hostage as he kissed the duct tape over her mouth, swiveling his head passionately as she gasped. She could feel moisture dripping from his mouth and down her chin. There was a churning in her stomach, a lump forming in her throat, her body was shaking, aching to get this freak away from her. She was pinned to the beam with his body, her hands stuck between them, and without much thought to how much power she may even be able to back herself up with, Kagome bucked her hips forward, shoving her fisted, tied hands into his groin.

Naraku lurched away, grasping his pelvis with a slight bend, but not completely doubled over and groaning as she had hoped. She was only able to nudge, but thankfully the area was notoriously sensitive enough to effect him even this much. Utilizing the space between them, Kagome brought her knee up and shoved her foot into his torso, pushing him away with her kick. Naraku stumbled, a groan on his breath, and the moment her foot landed on the ground she reached for the knife, stomping the sole of her canvas shoe against the blade and dragging it along the dirty cement closer to the support beam so she could bend and grab it.

The man began laughing, the sound low like a chuckle and growing to a malevolent octave. "Uh, oh! Watch out! Kagome's got the knife! Oh no!" He gibed.

Kagome gripped the handle as tightly as she could, the rope on her wrists making the hold slightly awkward. She tried not to let that show though, breathing heavily as she held the blade out before her.

"That's fine. Keep it. I've got others." Naraku shrugged carelessly, sauntering toward her. "It's always fun watching women try to put up a fight, and I can tell you're as plucky as they come." Kagome tensed incredibly as he continued his path, backing up. Even though she was the one with the weapon, she knew how easy it would be for a demon to overpower her. He smiled, the cracks of his straight teeth stained with blood, the crimson liquid dribbling down his chin and to his neck. "You're gonna die here, Kagome. You can fight all you want, but you're still gonna die."

She whimpered, powerful shudders racking her body and she gripped the knife even tighter to make sure she wouldn't drop it, tears stinging her eyes as they quickly poured down her cheeks.

"In fact, the fun should be starting soon. Your puppy should be able to smell my blood from far off. I wonder if he smells it now. I wonder if he can differentiate whose blood is whose. Can he tell it's mine, or will he just smell the copper in the air and assume it's yours? Either way, I sense something's coming." Naraku sang, his face lighting up as he stopped just before the tip of Kagome's blade. She had to fight off the reaction to look around for whatever he spoke of, forcing herself to keep her burning eyes glued to the criminal.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? You could literally end it all right now." He dragged his feet forward two inches, pressing his sternum to the sharp point. Kagome winced for him, stepping back against the beam only to have him follow, intimidatingly standing with his arms spread out, his red-painted grin beaming sadistically. "You could leave here with Inuyasha the second he arrives. Inuyasha wouldn't have to endure any pain. All you've gotta do is stick me. Come on. Just push it in. You could end this, you have the power. Do it, Kagome. Come on! Come on! Do it! Stab me! You know you want to! If you don't, I'll kill Inuyasha and it'll be your fault because you had the fucking opportunity to stop me! How could you do that to him!? You won't even try to save his life! Stab me! Stab me, Kagome! Do it! Stab me!"

Kagome sobbed, choking slightly on the muffled sound, terrified of the manic man before her, his red eyes wide and bloodshot. Spittle was dribbling from the plush of his bottom lip. He was scowling like he was suddenly furious, but there was also a hint of humor flushing through, curving his mouth upward.

"See that's the thing." Naraku murmured menacingly. "You think the knife, itself, is going to protect you. No, baby girl. You need to have the volition to back it up."

He yanked at the rope that hung from her wrists, taking Kagome by surprise by pulling her hands down and to the side, the kitchen knife falling from her fingers and clattering against the floor.

Koga crouched low, each step mindful and as silent as possible as he rounded the corner away from Inuyasha who'd planned to enter through the front, the gravel grinding beneath his feet. He kept his gun aimed at the floor, rushing to the rusted door he could see toward the end of the long wall. As he approached, small, pained gasps met his ears, accompanied by a man's vehement shouting. The orders were twisted, growing louder and more devilish before completely dying off, a clank echoing throughout the warehouse. Koga kneeled just before the opening, leaning to side-glance through the opened door.

Kagome was held at an angle by the ties around her wrists, her eyes pinched nearly shut from the jarring look of fear crinkling her face, thick tape over her mouth, a dark red covering the silver that had dripped to the curve of her chin. A man slowly slid his fingers through her hair, curling and snagging the dark locks to pull her head back, curving his body to whisper in her ear. Koga couldn't hear it, but the drowned sob from Kagome told him everything he needed to know.

"Hey! Get your fucking hands off her! Let her go!" Inuyasha's voice bellowed through the warehouse, his gun pointed ahead of him. Naraku smiled, slowly turning his head to face him, his hand still wound in Kagome's raven hair. The whimper that left her throat at the sight of him was heartbreaking, her current state wringing his insides agonizingly. He desperately wanted to shush her, to tell her everything would be alright, but he could only spare her brief glances for the moment. Until Naraku was taken care of, he needed his undivided attention on him. He couldn't let his guard down.

"Well, it's about time you got here. I almost thought it would just be Kagome and I having all the fun."

"She's not a part of this." Inuyasha seethed.

"You know that's not true."

"Let her go. I'll stay. You've got me all to yourself."

"Her screams are much more rewarding than yours."

"No, Naraku! This isn't how it's gonna go down!"

"Oh, and you're gonna tell me how it is? I don't think you're the one with the power here. You may have a gun, but I've got the girl."

"Come on, Naraku, just give her to me. You set her free, I won't even fight back." Kagome made a gurgling sound of protest through the duct tape. "You can kill me! You can get your revenge! Just give her to me first!"

"You want her?" Naraku chuckled. Unfurling his fingers, he released the rope and her hair taking a large step to the side. "Go on, Kagome. Be free. Run to Inuyasha! Go on, girl!" He bated, taunting the both of them with her captivity.

Still, she struggled to wiggle her way free of her restraints, desperate to get away, to cross the large room and clutch onto Inuyasha for dear life. Naraku's laughter bounced off the walls boisterously, infuriating her, and if looks could kill she knew the scowl on her face would have burned him alive. A thunderous growl ripped the air, and she could practically hear Inuyasha's grip tighten dangerously over the trigger.

Naraku shrugged in an oh well manner, the blood on his jaw and neck a darker shade than before as it noticeably dried. Inuyasha could only hope Kagome had done that to him. As he held an unfaltering grip on his pistol, he realized he had a clear shot. He could take Naraku out where he stood, but his conscience riddled him. He didn't have the proper provocation to justify killing him, though he really, really fucking wanted to. He could wound him, but even that was a stretch. Lashing out, putting a bullet through him could cost his badge and a lot more trauma on Kagome's behalf. She didn't need to see that. Looking at her now, the stiffness of her muscles, the small quakes that inadvertently racked her body, the fading bruise on her cheek that was accentuated by her paled skin, the sweat that caused her bangs to wave and stick to her forehead, she'd been through enough. His one priority was to get her out as unscathed as possible. He'd handle whatever Naraku had to throw at him after he saw to her safety.

"We don't need to play these games, Naraku. You're upset about what happened all those years ago, so-"

"Nine years ago, to be exact! Happy anniversary, sweetie." Naraku winked.

Inuyasha paused, allowing his words to sink. He couldn't imagine what was so significant about the ninth year, but he could understand that Naraku had planned for everything to fall on this day. He gave a feeble nod of acknowledgment. "You're upset about what happened nine years ago."

"Upset would be a bit of an overstatement, don't you think?"

"An overstatement?" Inuyasha asked, muddled. "Well, how about you tell me what's going through your head. Let's start with that, okay?" He kept his tone as level as possible, his ember eyes glued to the seemingly amused man before him.

"Was that word too big for you, half breed? I'm not mad." Naraku claimed. "I don't care that I was found out, I don't care that I was arrested, I don't care that I was sentenced to life in an insane asylum, I - simply - don't - care. You want to know why I've been targeting you and your girlfriend? It's because of the arrogance you portrayed during my interrogation. You had this air about you that spoke volumes of how you felt you could never be beat. You were so young. Fresh to the field, right? It was pretty evident that you were the rookie in your department, and I thought you were merely overcompensating so it wouldn't bleed into our one-on-one time. Then, a few hours in I realized that was just a flaw in your personality. You're cocky, Inuyasha. You carried yourself like you could never be destroyed. And I wanted to be the one to destroy you.

The one thing I could never get out of my mind, though, was the moment you lot finally got the warrant to search mom and pop's cabin. I saw it. In your eyes. There was a brief glimpse of fear, and god, I've been dying to see it again ever since! What were you so afraid of? Was it because deep down you knew Hakudoshi was dead?"

"Don't say his name!"

"Was it because you knew a little boy had been killed and you failed to stop it?"

"Naraku!"

"You didn't want to admit it to yourself, but the moment they gave you the green light to go that's when you knew you had to face the music! You were about to see little Hakudoshi rotting in the ground!"

"Shut the fuck up, you disgusting piece of shit!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Inuyasha. You failed before you even tried." Naraku shrugged again, apathetic to the trembling of the half demon's rage. "I've never left a victim's side before they were dead, and you caught me on the edge of the woods on my way out. Much like this place."

Inuyasha felt a thick mass build in the center of his throat, seeing red, fighting his finger's muscles to squeeze the fucking trigger and end everything now. As the escaped criminal swiveled his head to face Kagome, Inuyasha damn near lost control, clenching the breath in his lungs as a dangerous rumble reverberated from his chest.

"I bet you're wondering how I could be so cruel, aren't you?"

"Don't fucking talk to her!"

Kagome flinched, worried, brown eyes flickering back and forth between Naraku and him.

"See, to me, it isn't about cruelty. I thought if I watched the life drain from a person's eyes, I'd eventually feel something. Over and over, I tried. And over and over, I failed to feel an ounce of pity. I will admit, though, there was a good amount of exhilaration." Naraku knelt down reaching for the knife by his feet and Inuyasha went hot, flexing his hands over the grip as his gun followed his every move.

"NARAKU, STOP!"

"Make me." He smiled, curling his fingers around the black handle.

A shot was fired, ringing loudly in the abandoned building and paining Inuyasha's ears, the sharp sound of a ricochet bullet almost drowning out the startled shriek from Kagome.

"Drop it!" Koga ordered, running in from the right-side door. "Right now, drop it!"

Naraku had covered himself in reaction to the gunshot, the knife in a white-knuckle grip over his head. He slowly unsheathed himself, his jaw tensed and eyes closed in agitation as he rose to a standing.

"I was wondering when you'd finally crawl out from your hiding spot." He drawled.

"Drop the fucking knife." Koga reiterated, blue eyes slanted in determination. Slowly, steadily, he was side-stepping his way to Kagome.

"Or what? The K9 unit will play good cop - bad cop with me?"

"Actually, we're more notorious for bad cop - bad cop." Koga cocked a brow, his gun firmly aimed at the bold man. "We don't really have the patience for mentally breaking scum when we're perfectly capable of physically doing it."

Kagome looked away from the scene before her, brown eyes colliding with vivacious ember. They were so close, he was a small sprint away, yet she felt like they could have been separated by several locked rooms in between. She watched his eyes flick back toward Naraku, making sure his attention was still focused on the wolf demon, then switch back to her. He parted his lips, silently mouthing two words, but she didn't comprehend, furrowing her brows and shaking her head in question. Once more, he made sure he was clear, then tried again, mouthing "Back up," a little slower than before.

This time, it was her that made sure Naraku wasn't paying attention. She watched as his terrifying eyes challenged Inuyasha's partner, watched as he loosely wobbled the kitchen blade in between his fingers. Carefully, she took one step away. When his red irises didn't land on her, she took another. One more had her at her rope's length.

"Naraku, if you think I won't pull this trigger right now you're fucking wrong." Koga's deep voice boomed. Naraku swiveled his head back and forth in mockery, trying to irate the wolf, but he held firm. It wasn't something he wasn't used to from perps. "Drop the knife. Don't give me a reason. Your brother doesn't want anything to happen to you. Byakuya didn't want a deal on his sentence for talking, the only deal he wanted was assurance that you would live. He wants another chance for you to get healthy, but that also means you've gotta work with us."

"No, it doesn't." Naraku continued to play with the blade. "None of that sounds like it's any of my business."

"He wants a better life for you."

"Then he should have paid for a hotel instead of hiding me in a warehouse."

"He's fighting for you, Naraku."

"I didn't ask him to. I'm not interested in his pitiful plea bargain, and I'm definitely not interested in anyone's mercy. Fuck you guys." He laughed.

"That's fine, that's your prerogative, but here's the thing: you've got two loaded guns aimed at your head. If you take a step in any direction with that weapon in your hand, we're provoked to shoot. If you throw the knife, we're provoked to shoot. If you even look like you're about to do something stupid, we are provoked to shoot."

There was consideration on Naraku's face as he pondered, his red eyes bouncing over to Kagome, his grin wicked and stained. Another growl from Inuyasha ripped though the air, a clear warning to look away from her, but the demonic sound went ignored. There was a flinch in her expression as he stared, the hollow of her throat emphasized as she sucked in and held her breath.

"Looks like plans have changed, sweetie. That's okay, though. I've already left my mark on you, haven't I? You're never gonna forget me."

"Stop talking to her!" Inuyasha shouted viciously.

The kitchen knife fell from Naraku's fingers, bouncing against the floor, and he took a single step toward her, both Koga and Inuyasha stiffening incredibly. Koga matched his step, only a few feet separating him from sheathing Kagome behind his back. Her glare didn't shift away from the criminal, though. She held her venom toward the man unwaveringly, her chin raising indignantly at his statement.

"Just remember, Kagome," He paused, licking his lips. "You could have saved him. Whatever happens to Inuyasha is entirely your fault."

Her nose crinkled angrily, but she couldn't hang onto it. There was no stopping her eyes from traveling over to the half demon in the background, his scowl deadly until he met her concerned gaze. Instantly, a remorseful look washed over him. Inuyasha shook his head, his silver ponytail hardly swaying with the subtle movement, and she could tell he just wanted to soothe her; his way of protecting her the best he could at a moment like this. This was her fault, though. She easily fell for Naraku's ploy. She broke Inuyasha's trust and basically trotted all over the dedicated security he'd provided. She snuck out in the middle of the night and got them all stuck in this dangerous scenario. If anything happened to Inuyasha, she was to blame.

Maybe nothing would happen, though. Maybe he was all talk. He was in a mental asylum, so he wasn't all there in the head, right? From her angle, it seemed like he was cornered. Koga was doing a really good job at talking him down, he'd even dropped his knife. Maybe Naraku didn't comprehend things as clearly. She couldn't remember if Inuyasha told her what degree of instability he harbored, so it was hard to decipher what could have potentially been going through Naraku's head as he spoke.

Her abductor launched and she hardly had time to react, his hand snagging and yanking the tail of her rope as he ran passed laughing. Kagome fell to the floor with a choking gasp, her rib cage slamming against the beam with his strength and direction, and before she could look up or gather herself, she felt a body hovering over hers. Koga had crouched low, his hands snaking around her waist to help her sit up, and as she opened her eyes, she saw a blurred Inuyasha sprint passed them. Koga shouted a boisterous demand for Inuyasha to stop, but by the heavy curse lingering on his breath, she knew it went neglected. Everything was happening so fast, and as she realized Inuyasha was chasing after Naraku alone, an obnoxious alarm started blaring in her head. She stammered to her feet, her dirty, white shirt slightly clinging to her side from the damp floor she'd collided with.

Koga shoved his gun into the holster on his hip and snatched the discarded kitchen knife from the floor as Kagome pulled back on her ties, and he worked to cut through the tail. As soon as the rope was cut free from the beam, she stumbled backward, catching herself and immediately charging after Inuyasha. Koga dropped the knife and hooked his arm around her lower abdomen, lifting her off the ground in her haste and carrying her over to the cover of the wall of nearby, stacked crates. She was grunting and shouting in protest, squirming in his hold, her words incomprehensible and muffled.

"What the - what the hell are you doing!?"

Kagome pushed him back, her fingernails flicking at the edge of the duct tape on her mouth, but they were too shaky to get an actual grip. Koga took over and grabbed the opposite end, yanking the thick, stained tape right off her face, a furiously red rectangle left in its wake.

"We have to go after Inuyasha! Naraku's gonna try to kill him!"

"Hang on, stop moving!" Koga barked, fiddling with the knot of her wrist cinch. "I have to get you outside and I need to call for backup first!"

"Call for backup NOW!" Kagome demanded, deep brown eyes piercing him threateningly. Koga dropped her still-restrained wrists, using his body to shield hers as he heard Naraku shouting incoherently from the second story on the other side of the large building. Kagome started struggling with him again, trying to free herself from his cover so she could run after them, practically growling with her vehemency.

"Look, I'll call for backup now but then I still have to get you outside! Stop fighting me! The sooner I get you safe, the sooner I can go help Inuyasha!"

That last statement struck her still, and the wolf demon didn't waste time in ripping his walkie from clip on the back of his pants, squeezing the button on the side as he called his team to their location for immediate assistance. As soon as the call was made, he gripped the center of the cinch, pulling her to run out of the building with him. His car was all the way out on the street, and he didn't feel comfortable running all the way off the premises to lock her in the back seat and racing all the way back. Anything could happen in that time, and the sooner he got back inside to help, the better. He made a sharp left to the very back of the building toward a large, broken shed sitting just before the fence separating the woodlands from the grounds. The shrubbery was overgrown and intruding on the territory, tucking the backside of the shed in growth and vines. Koga spun her in front of him from behind, forcefully bending her knees to sit in the dense protection. He kneeled in front of her doing a once over, something he hadn't been able to do just yet.

"You okay?" He asked huskily, brows arched in concern. There was a bruising scarlet peeking from beneath her bangs just over her left eyebrow, and he gently pushed her hair out of the way to check the thick bump on her forehead to make sure it was nothing worse. Kagome nodded with a breathy "yeah," and Koga asked if she was sure for reassurance purposes, making sure she wasn't bleeding anywhere. When she nodded again, he sighed out, gently grabbing her by the jaw to make sure he had her undivided attention. "Then for the love of god, Kagome, stay here!"

Koga ran off, his gun now gripped between both hands as his speedy steps along the gravel disappeared.

Kagome tucked herself further behind the shed, her heart pounding rapidly. Her thoughts kept shifting to the horrible and potential what if's of the situation as she desperately tried to listen to what was taking place inside the building, her ears filled with nothing but the rustle of the trees' branches just feet away. Opting to busy herself, Kagome wriggled her wrists in the confinements of their wraps, the flesh beneath raw and irritated from her consistent tugging, pulling, and twisting to break free for hours now. The knot looked tighter than ever, and Kagome huffed in aggravation, figuring she'd been the one to make matters worse with her struggling. Her wrists were stuck being bound for now, until someone could cut her free.

Sitting there in hiding was more torturous than being tied to the beam. As her breathing came together, she peeked from the corner, looking back for some semblance of awareness. There was a gelatinous sensation in the depths of her chest, dense, spreading, the clouds overhead providing an ominous darkness on the already-dingy warehouse while her brown eyes sought for any signs of the three men. The wait continued, increasing the boiling uneasiness Kagome stewed in, and she searched harder, poking her upper body out further. In her peripherals, the subtle gleam of silver caught her attention, a four-foot rod sticking out from the weeds along the edge of the shed. There was a moment of hesitation, her sights never leaving the metal in case it would suddenly vanish in thin air.

Crawling out on her knees from the sheathing Koga had placed her in, she picked up the rod, working on the adjustment of her awkward grip to hold it as solidly as possible, opting to curl her right fingers tight around the dirty metal and support that grasp with her left hand. With a deep, determined breath, Kagome rose to her feet and ran across the gravel space, heading for the door she and Koga had exited from.

Inuyasha had followed after the crazed man as swiftly as he could, but managed to lose sight of him in the makeshift maze of palettes, crates, and other large, abandoned, warehouse objects. Even on the second story it was hard to get around. This building wasn't left like this; he'd been here before during an undercover stunt. This was just evidence of the incredible amount of free time Naraku had had since August.

He held his gun at the ready, leading his way with it as he listened closely and curved around corners. The entire place was swarming in Naraku's putrid scent, making it impossible to pinpoint his location that way. The man was still, he had to be. Inuyasha couldn't pick up any clatter from shoes hitting the wood beneath their feet, whether walking or running. Nothing. No raspy breathing, no laughter, no noises whatsoever other than the distracting wind from outside and his own, careful footsteps along the path. As he nudged through a particularly narrow route, there was a close creak, but before he could prepare, he was smacked in the jaw with a damp slab of wood.

"So, that girlfriend of yours," Naraku began, standing taller than him as Inuyasha stumbled backward, clutching his chin. "Not the brightest crayon in the box."

"Don't fucking talk about her!" He growled.

"She leaves the safety of your nest for a girl you chose over her at one point - that was the closest I'd ever come to feeling sympathy for a person, because ouch. - gets herself kidnapped, and when she had the opportunity to do something to help the situation, she didn't. She froze. Even better, she cried."

Inuyasha said nothing, taking aim as Naraku sped at him. He swung the board and Inuyasha shot a split second later, the bullet missing as the gun was flung from his hand, slid along the wood, and slipped beneath the railing, falling to the first floor.

"Whoops." The criminal grinned.

The half demon swung his fist, his hook effectively dodged by Naraku's nimble feet. Naraku dropped the board and clutched the tee shirt at his chest, swinging him around, surprising Inuyasha with his strength as he was slammed against the wall.

"What's going on, big MMA fighter? I thought you could spar! Or are you just stalling so I'll give you every little detail of what I did to your precious Kagome?"

Inuyasha flung his forehead forward, colliding with Naraku's and forcing him to stumble backward. The man recovered quickly, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair to smooth out the short, messy locks.

"All you had to do was ask."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"We kissed. It was pretty magical." He shrugged, reaching behind and yanking a pocketknife clip from his belt. He flicked it open, twirling the small, sharp weapon skillfully in his fingers. "Oh, god, and that tape I put on her mouth was an absolute necessity. She wouldn't stop screaming for you! Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Save me, Inuyasha! Inuyashaaaaa!"

He knew that Naraku was just trying to get under his skin, but god fucking damn it, it was working. He clenched his fists tight, his claws pinching into his flesh, and ground his teeth together, trying not to give the nut case the reaction he was looking for.

"I'll admit, I'm a little upset I didn't get to go through with my original plan. I had this whole thing ready to go where you were going to watch me kill her. You wouldn't be so smug and arrogant then, would you, Inuyasha? That's okay, though. I did enough damage to her to last a lifetime, and her poor, little puppy won't be able to protect her from the scars and nightmares. That, I can assure you."

"What, you think you're gonna kill me?"

"It's everything I've been dreaming of." Naraku smiled, still twirling his pocketknife.

"Keep dreaming. It ain't happening."

The manic man lunged at Inuyasha, swinging his knife back and forth in an attempt to slash him, and the half demon sped backward. His back collided with a wall of stacked palettes and he knew he had one chance to get this right. Naraku went to stab him, and Inuyasha tried to clasp his wrist to nudge it in the opposite direction, his palm landing higher than intended and clutching onto part of Naraku's fingers along with the blade. At this point, with the amount of adrenalin coursing through his system, he hardly felt the skin slice at the heel of his hand, only understanding he was bleeding through the sharp tinge of copper wafting through his nostrils.

Sliding down and incorporating his freehand, Inuyasha struck the inside of Naraku's wrist outward with furious pressure while simultaneously smacking the side of the blade inward, the pocketknife flying from the criminal's grip and clinking to the floor. Immediately following, Inuyasha threw the back of his fist into Naraku's face, clipping his nose. Naraku's head flew back with the force, his footing following, and Inuyasha seized the opportunity, angled himself, and struck him hard with a sidekick to the ribcage.

He staggered backward, clutching his abdomen with heavy breaths, dangerous red eyes blaring at the half demon. With a snarl, he lunged again, swinging his fists, and each blow was deflected by Inuyasha's swift reflexes, palms effectively shoving Naraku's forearms aside while stepping for proper angling. As Naraku's relentless attacks were thwarted, Inuyasha punched him in the jaw, clutching onto Naraku's upper arm to keep him in place and hooking his forearm inward, smacking his elbow to his opponents cheekbone. He released Naraku's arm but kept a grip on his sleeve to allow motion, swinging his fist into Naraku's sternum to get him to double over, then slamming his elbow into his upper back. He fell to the floor, his laughter coming out wheezy and slow.

Inuyasha crouched, snagging the back of Naraku's shirt as the man began to pick himself up, lifting him to his feet and slamming him against the railing. He folded backward slightly, the top of the rail only reaching his mid back.

"What are you gonna do, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked breathlessly, blood trickling from his right nostril. The stained and crusted smile on his face was disgusting, taunting, and challenging. "You gonna kill me?"

"No." The half demon replied, a growl on his tongue. "As great as that sounds, I'd much rather watch you rot away in the asylum."

"Wrong answer." He laughed.

"Don't act cocky, Naraku. There's no fucking way you're getting away from me."

"Wrong again." Naraku rocked against the railing, bucking his hips harder each time until the rotting wood the rails were screwed into cracked and began to crumble. The guard fell back, taking huge chunks of the flooring with it, causing Inuyasha to instinctually stumble backwards, a hissed "shit" heavy on his breath. As he looked up from the wood beneath his feet, Naraku was gone. Rushing forward to the edge, Inuyasha expected to see his opponent's body laying on the ground level, broken and seeping away life, but all he saw was the crumbled wood and broken, rusted rail.

"Mother fucker!" Inuyasha shouted, flailing his arms at his side in exasperation. He gave an exaggerated huff, quickly wiping the leaking blood from his palm on his jeans and leaning down to retrieve the pistol in his boot before jumping from the second story to land on the top of a low wall of nearly-unstable crates, bringing him to wobble slightly to keep upright. From there, supporting his leap by bracing his hand on the edge of the box, Inuyasha's feet met with the cement flooring, pistol immediately at the ready.

There was an incoming shuffling of feet from a large pathway behind him, and he swung around, gun aimed at a fully prepared wolf demon.

"Fuck!" He growled. "Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha quickly asked, lowering his weapon.

"She's safe, don't worry about it. Where's Naraku?" Koga aimed his pistol to the floor, blue eyes studying the line of blood that had escaped the corner of Inuyasha's mouth.

"No fucking clue. He slipped away from me."

"I heard a gunshot-"

"I missed."

He gave a curt nod, looking around at the spacious areas between man-made walls of objects. Inuyasha trudged forward toward the far opening and Koga took up the rear, his head swerving left and right for full awareness. As they came through to an empty corner, they paused in the center, Inuyasha's aggravation notably spiking.

"Come on, Naraku!" He boomed, his voice bouncing off the walls. "No more games! You started this, now lets fucking end it! Right now!"

Silence.

A moment later, Inuyasha and Koga were moving again, Koga once more trailing behind. As they approached a very wide area that he would have guessed was dead center of the warehouse, a dangerous feeling puddled in the pit of Koga's stomach. They were being watched. He couldn't pinpoint which direction the sensation was flooding from, lingering in place as he glanced around the dingy area, the space sparsely illuminated thanks to the boards covering the windows above them and the dark clouds hanging overhead. He heard the scuffle of Inuyasha's boots proceeded further. The curse in his growl. And then he heard fast-paced running coming right at him.

Inuyasha spun around as a loud commotion ensued behind him, Koga grunting as Naraku worked to overpower him. The half demon's gun was poorly aimed, shifting back and forth for a good shot as Naraku pinned Koga face down, his knee in the wolf demon's back, crouching low and squeezing the grip of the gun right from Koga's struggling hand.

"As you wish, puppy dog." He chuckled, pressing the muzzle to Koga's temple. The snarl on his partner's face was ferocious, and as he bared his fangs, Naraku smacked him in the same spot with the butt of the Glock. "Let's end this. Go ahead and shoot. You've got one chance."

Inuyasha scowled, his hands giving a feeble tremble from the insurmountable pressure that thickened the air. His gun twitched left and right, up and down, following Naraku's movements but never spot on as he kept attached to Koga's body. Inuyasha wasn't close enough to have a clear position on him. They were at an angle at the other side of their large space, and when Inuyasha tried to take a subtle step forward to up his advantage, Naraku cocked a sneer and pulled on the tight knot of Koga's ponytail to lead him to stand on his knees, shielding himself behind the broad torso of the wolf demon, the gun only leaving the side of his head to reposition just behind the lobe of his ear.

"Let him go, Naraku!"

"The only way I'll do that is if I'm dead." He said. "Or he's dead. Whichever comes first."

"Take the shot, Inuyasha!" Koga ordered, blue eyes piercing him as sharp as any bullet.

"Yeah! Take the shot, Inuyasha!"

"You can shoot him, you can shoot me, but there's no way you're getting out of here alive!"

"Don't fucking talk! Just shoot him!"

"Why, because the backup your buddy called for five minutes ago is here?" He remarked sarcastically.

"Any minute now."

"Inuyasha!"

"I could kill Koga now, kill you a split second later, and then I can go grab Kagome who's conveniently been hidden behind the shed out back and slash her throat all before the SWAT team shows up. And you probably thought you were being so slick, huh Moon Moon?" Naraku clutched the front of Koga's jaw with the hand that once held his long, brown hair, bringing his partner to shake his head in resistance against his hold. "Man the power of sight is incredible! You know there are a few windows here, right?"

Inuyasha's brow twitched as he seethed anger, a demonic need to rip this fucker to shreds just for threatening Koga and Kagome shaking him to the core. His fingers curled tighter around the grip of his gun, focusing with all that he had to get a clear shot.

"Don't think about it, just shoot him! Shoot him!"

"Shoot me."

"Inuyasha!"

"Shoot me."

"I swear to fucking god, Naraku, let him go!"

"What's the matter, Inuyasha? Can't pull the trigger? Wont save your partner? You're not even gonna try?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"How many times has he saved you? Come on, Inuyasha! Be the hero you've worked so hard to become! Where's your pride!?"

"Inuyasha, it's okay." Koga's expression had calmed considerably, his voice lowering to just above a whisper. He was trying to level with him, trying to tell him it was alright to miss. Though his face lacked any signs of nervousness, his wavering tone failed him.

"Shut up, you stupid wolf."

"Inuyasha." He tried again, steadier.

His finger flexed against the trigger, still not confident in his aim. His heart pounded painfully hard, a dense weight sinking in his abdomen. If he misses, Koga dies. If he misses, Naraku pulls his own trigger. A thick mass in his throat made it difficult to swallow, and Inuyasha could feel himself losing grip on the situation. What the fuck was he supposed to do? He could try to stall until their backup actually showed. If he could succeed in that, if he could manipulate Naraku just as well as he's manipulated them all, there was a chance he wouldn't have to risk Koga's life at all. As he parted his lips to speak, to ask a question, Naraku beat him to the punch, his deep voice causing Inuyasha's to hitch in the back of his mouth.

"Out of time. If you wont take your shot, I will." Naraku re-aimed his pistol and pulled the trigger, the loud bang echoing throughout the building.

Inuyasha staggered backward, collapsing to the ground.

Kagome instantly felt something snap inside of her, running out from her concealed spot with rage and terror etched into the lines on her face, whacking Naraku in the shoulders and neck with her metal rod. Both he and Koga fell forward, and Kagome swung again as hard as she could, hitting Naraku in the center of his back. He wheezed, and without thinking, she threw aside the rod, jumping for the gun in his hand. She heard her name being shouted multiple times, but it was muffled by the grunts and curses both she and her opponent omitted. With a jerk in the opposite direction, she got the gun from his grasp, her tied hands useless in supporting her body as she tried to scramble away belly down, but Naraku was now on top of her, his large, rough hands fighting for her to release the weapon. Unintentionally, Kagome squeezed, the gunshot and kickback from the pistol startling a yelp from her, but working in halting Naraku's attack for the smallest moment.

He clutched her hair and shoulder and spun her over, pinning her with bruising force and straddling her hips, his hands wrestling to grab the Glock from her, struggling against her never-ceasing wriggle to keep her hands above her head and away from him. Purposefully this time, she squeezed the trigger again, using the moment he flinched to aim the gun at his mouth.

"Get off of me!" Kagome slowly commanded, her tone lethal. Her brown eyes were slanted deadly, but her trembling limbs betrayed her. The room was silent, or maybe her ears were working against her as well, a thumping sound riddling the sense. It wasn't until he gave his infamously taunting and overdone chuckle that she knew it was all in her head.

He crawled backward, and she tensed her core considerably to follow him, having to incorporate her elbow along the floor as she sat up tall. As soon as her legs were beneath her, Kagome rose to a stand, shakily ordering him to stay on his knees as her aim stayed glued to his mouth.

Naraku looked at the barrel, then to her, the curve finally leaving his thin lips to lay flat.

"How valiant of you, Kagome."

"Don't talk!" She demanded breathlessly, shaking her head, wild strands of dark hair falling in front of her shoulders and over her cheeks.

"Or else what? You'll shoot? You couldn't even hold the knife straight before, what makes you think you can kill me now?"

"Shut up!"

"You don't have the guts. You're nothing but a damsel in distress."

"Am I?" Kagome asked, taking a small step in and raising the Glock to the bridge of his bloody nose, the muzzle just inches from his sweaty skin.

Naraku closed his mouth, all traces of amusement completely vanished.

Inuyasha could see it, the glazing of her eyes, the paleness settling into the cheeks he'd just witnessed were red, the hollow of her throat as she struggled to take in actual breaths. Tears brimmed at her bottom lids but all other expression was disappearing from view. Her sights were set on Naraku, hardly blinking. She was moving past the point of rational thought. She was zoning.

Glancing to the side, Inuyasha noticed Koga watched the scene play as well, his lips parted and curved into a frown of concern. Holding that weapon, feeling the crushing weight of fear, her mind racing through horrible scenarios and which one was more likely to take place, rob her heart, break her spirit, he'd seen it before. Her fight or flight had completely taken over. It was telling her she wasn't safe, telling her she had no other choice. A wall was forming around her, one that would become thicker and thicker, almost impenetrable, the more seconds ticked by.

And Inuyasha could only hope he could get through that defense.

"Kagome." He started gently, leaning on his good arm to sit himself up completely.

Koga slowly rose to his feet, moving with absolute control, blue eyes set on the girl just feet away. Any fast movements could startle her, could cause her to do something she didn't want to do. He made sure to stay as silent as possible, allowing Inuyasha to be the voice of reason she needed.

"Kagome, it's okay now."

Their gazes never broke, and Inuyasha could tell Naraku's red irises were holding her captive with their silent and menacing threats.

"I need you to put the gun down, baby." He aimed his own pistol at Naraku in a way to take over, keeping his voice as soothing as his gruff tone allowed.

She shook her head as her face contorted, tears streaming down her cheeks while a feeble whimper escaped her lips. She wanted Inuyasha to keep talking, she wanted the constant reminder that Naraku hadn't succeeded in killing him, thinking if he stopped coaxing her she'd turn and find he was actually dead on the floor and it was nothing more than her mind playing evil tricks on her. At the same time, she was too afraid to comply.

"Come on, put it down. You don't need it."

A minor twitch. Still no response.

"Hey, I need you to listen, Kagome. Everything's fine now, trust me. Put the gun down."

"I can't." She cried, her shoulders heaving with her deep gasps for air.

He tried not to let out his sigh of relief, clenching it in his throat. It was obviously too soon to celebrate, but he was reaching her. Thank god, he was reaching her.

"Yes, you can. Kagome. Look at me, baby."

"No, I can't!" She cried harder, voice breaking. "He's gonna do something!"

"I promise you, he won't. I've got a clear shot - if he moves, he's dead. Now look at me."

Kagome hesitated, scared he was wrong.

"Look at me."

Finally, she shifted her gaze, her head unsteadily following her eyes as she fought against her instincts. As soon as she saw him, she nearly doubled over from the crushing sobs that left her lungs. His charcoal tee clung to his chest and shoulder, the large area soaked and deep in shade, blood beginning to drip down his left arm. He was sitting upright, his gun aimed at Naraku, ember eyes flickering back and forth from the criminal to her. He was alive. He was hurt, but he was alive.

Inuyasha smiled, finally letting out that alleviating huff. "That's my girl."

"You're okay?" She whimpered, still holding her aim.

"I'm fine." He said reassuringly. "Go ahead and put the gun down now, okay?"

"But-"

"Do you trust me?"

Kagome nodded, a faint mhm on her breath.

"Good. Then you know for a fact that I won't let anything happen."

Kagome tried to gather herself, forcing her lungs to take deeper, more level inhales. Turning her head, she gazed back down at Naraku, her hands trembling along the grip. The man on his knees had deadpanned, his eyes locked on her from just above the barrel. She gave a small nod in acknowledgment to her half demon's statement, exhaling from her mouth and loosening her fingers. From her right, a large hand smoothed over the back of her own, slowly, gently reaching for the gun, a voice whispering as she flinched, "It's just me, it's just me." Kagome allowed Inuyasha's partner to take the pistol with no resistance, his arm snaking around her back to tuck her into his chest as he took his own aim on Naraku. His thumb grazed her shoulder where he clutched her firmly, doing his best to soothe her anxiety down. The vest he wore was thick and scratchy, but not uncomfortable, his inhales bringing the material to rub against her curled-in forearms and cheek and causing a physical sensation that helped bring Kagome back to the present.

She relaxed in his arms, shifting to look over her shoulder at Inuyasha. He held his pistol steady, ember eyes alight as his heavy breaths brought his body to sag in what seemed like relief.

Shuffling feet reached their ears, a woman calling Koga's name, and he bellowed, "We're here!" in response. "We have an officer down! Call a medic!"

More commotion broke through as it sounded like multiple people were on the way to them, Sango leading the pack as she curved through the opening in the makeshift wall with her Glock aimed at the floor. She took in the scene, her brown eyes wide from shock, scouring the area with a shake of her head as she immediately ran to Inuyasha's side. Hojo, who was right behind her, pulled a pair of handcuffs from his backside, kneeling down to secure Naraku's wrists behind his back, Koga never lowering his pistol until he heard the tight clicks of both cuffs locking into place.

It was finally over.

Sango pressed both palms to Inuyasha's wound, glaring at him as he huffed and tried to push her off so he could stand.

"Stop! You know better!" She barked, applying additional pressure to the wound until he winced and sat back; the only way she knew to get him to comply.

Inuyasha rolled his head to the side, glancing over at the girl in Koga's arms. She watched him, worry creasing her brow and creating the pout on her lips. The wolf demon went to guide her away, out of the warehouse she'd been held captive in for too long, but she resisted, recoiling to leave Koga's hold to join Inuyasha on the cold floor. His partner didn't lose his grip, and Inuyasha's sensitive ears caught his low tone trying to persuade her away, using the word "temporary" multiple times.

Though she didn't fight Koga, knowing she needed to listen to him right now and let everyone do their jobs, her deep, brown eyes never left her half demon. As each step took her further away from him, she felt scared, twisting her body to keep sight of him. Inuyasha cocked a small smile at her, and she knew he was covering his discomfort.

Then he spoke, and though she'd just heard it not even a minute ago, a warmth rushed through her veins as his husky voice said, "It's okay, baby. Go."

Outside, the cinch was cut from her wrists, a hiss sliding over her tongue as her face contorted, blood quickly making its way through once again. The skin was red and irritated, more so at the base of the heels of her palms where all the pressure was focused each time she tried to squirm her way out, indents decorating the entire area. There were broken blood vessels dotting the surface, and even a spot where her skin had inadvertently broken. The medics cleaned it up and bandaged the small cut while she sat on the tail of the ambulance.

"I don't need to go to the fucking hospital." Inuyasha groaned, the EMT pressing gauze to the wound on his shoulder. "Just tape it up so I can leave."

"Actually, the bullet didn't pass through."

"What?"

"It wasn't a clean shot." The first responder stated, examining it beneath the absorbing material to see that the bleeding was slowing. "It's still in there. We need to get it out, which means you're going to the hospital."

"Just stick your finger in there and pull it out." The half demon arched a brow.

The medic paused, concerned, looking up in question at his captain.

"Yes, he is always like this. I'm sorry." Totosai frowned. "You're going, Inuyasha. That's final."

He huffed, the sound rough and exaggerated as he caved, too tired to battle the order, and leaned back against the wall. His shirt had been cut off of him to make his bullet wound accessible without straining his shoulder by lifting it over his head, the remnants of the tee on the floor beside him. They'd cleaned the surrounding skin of the mess of blood, thankfully, imagining the gory sight holding the potential to traumatize Kagome even further.

"Fine. I'm not going out on a gurney, though." He tried not to flinch as the EMT taped fresh gauze to the hole in his deltoid, extending over his clavicle and part of his pectoral. "And, I want to see Kagome first." His voice had unintentionally dropped an octave, losing its harsh edge.

It was more of a necessity than a desire. He needed a moment with her, and everyone's nod told him they understood that just as well as anyone. Sango held her hand out for him to take, helping him to his feet with her stained palms. They were dried, but just in case, he wiped them on his jeans and headed out.

He hadn't expected the way his feet carried him faster and faster toward the door, almost at a run, ignoring the pinch in his shoulder that would most likely be completely healed in two days. The pain was nothing compared to the boiling uneasiness in his core due to the separation from her. His adrenaline was still high, ember eyes drifting over the surrounding area and hubbub of officers and detectives, two emergency busses parked off toward the fence he and Koga had entered through. He headed in their direction, jogging now, his heart leaping in his chest as he spotted her sitting next to Koga on the tail. There was a blanket wrapped around her and her eyes were at half mass, staring at the rocks on the ground, her legs bobbing uncontrollably from the angle she'd propped them in.

Glancing up, those hopeful eyes landed on him, widening as she immediately jolted from her seat, throwing the blanket from her shoulders and running over to him. It was easy not to pay any mind to the throb in his arm as he skidded to a stop, grasping the breathless woman and silencing her sobbing apologies by crushing his lips to hers.

"You're so stupid!" He kissed her again. "God, you're so stupid! Why would you do that? Why would you leave?"

"I'm sorry!" She cried, fingers twitching against his bare sides.

"Are you okay?" He pressed their foreheads solidly together, a hand threaded through her thick waves at the back of her head. The heat of her skin washed over him, and he found he, himself, was trembling almost as badly as she. "I was so fucking scared, Kagome, tell me he didn't do anything to you!"

"I'm sorry! I love you! I'm okay! Nothing happened!" She said quickly, panting.

"Fuck." Inuyasha kissed her again and again, parting just enough to look to her for further reassurance.

"I swear. He hardly touched me."

The half demon parted her bangs, inspecting the welt on the side of her head, his fingers traveling over the green and yellow mark on her cheek, and landing at the crook of her jaw, planting one last, sweet kiss on her lips before clutching her into his chest, breathing her in before he inevitably had to let go.

He could already see his own, personal medic waiting for him at the side of his ambulance. He was being patient, but Inuyasha knew the sooner he got this over with, the sooner he could get Kagome home to his place and tend to her. He hugged her a little tighter for a moment, kissing the top of her head before curving to whisper in her ear.

"I have to go to the hospital, okay? Should be quick, they've just gotta take care of this injury." He looked up to scout out his partner, unsurprised to see the wolf demon standing not too far off, watching them, waiting for his cue with his arms crossed. Inuyasha gestured for him to come over, loosening his grip on Kagome and wiping the one stray tear just below her eye that hadn't dried. "Go with Koga."

Ember irises met the gleam of his partner's baby blues - he'd always teased that his eyes were a little too girlish for his build - and they clasped hands, bringing the other in for a firm shoulder bump, a silent thank you for all he'd done for Kagome thus far.

"We'll be right behind you." The wolf mentioned, taking up Kagome's side. Inuyasha nodded, glancing back at her, running his thumb over the brown stain on her chin.

"See you soon."

"Yeah. Soon."

Just as Inuyasha went to step away, a police vehicle approached to leave the gates. As it slowly rolled past, the gravel cracking beneath its tires, Naraku peered through the backseat, arms still restrained behind him. His lips pulled tight into a menacing grin, bringing an icy chill to crawl down Kagome's spine. She and Inuyasha followed the black and white car with their eyes, watching it meet the pavement, driving off toward town and disappearing from sight.

Three months later

"In the matter of The People V. Byakuya Saisei, how do you find?"

"We find the defendant, Byakuya Saisei, guilty your honor."

There was a collective sigh throughout the courtroom. Kagome's mother, who had been squeezing the life out of her hand, deflating when she heard one of the assaulters would be spending up to twenty-five years in prison. Kagome glanced to her left towards the defendant's table where he sat, Byakuya receiving sympathetic pats on his back from his attorney. Behind him were his parents, his mother in shambles while his father sagged in utter disappointment. Their son didn't bother to look back at them in apology. According to his confessions, he resented them and even almost blamed them for his decision to aid his brother in everything.

The room ceased its stirring as the judge slammed her gavel down three times, the old woman's voice demanding everyone's attention as she gave her closing statements. Byakuya was sentenced without the chance of parole, and Naraku, whom Kagome had only had to encounter once since trials began and was not currently present, was reassigned and transferred to a high-risk penitentiary to live out the rest of his days under deliberate and watchful security and isolation when necessary. With a thankful dismissal of the jury, the judge slammed her gavel once more, stating court was adjourned.

"Are we done yet?" Inuyasha groaned, trudging along at Kagome's side, her feet working a little faster than his to keep pace with his longer strides on the sidewalk. She lifted the small, frilly-wrapped package in her hands, white spiral ribbons splaying over her fingers.

"Does it look like we're done?" She cocked her head to the side, arching a brow. "Come on, this is the last one!"

"I still don't think Koga should have received anything." He huffed.

"He helped just as much as anyone."

"Eh." Inuyasha grimaced, shrugging wanly. "He was moral support."

Kagome rolled her eyes, giggling lightly as she reached for the handle of one of the glass doors, only pulling it open an inch or two before Inuyasha reached over her head and took over, holding it for her as she passed through. She paid him a silent regard, smiling gratefully as she entered into the flower shop.

Her heart began to pound. She knew this whole thing would be good for her in the end. Her therapist had mentioned that she should get closure for everything that had happened, and one of the ways they discussed was giving thanks to the people who'd helped her get through it all. Still, the last time she was here, she'd been running for her life, and the mind had an awful way of making her trip down memory lane feel more dire than it currently was. Inuyasha's shoulder brushed hers, and she glanced up at him. His silver bangs hung off his forehead with the tilt he held it at, a shimmer of sun shining through the far off window catching a small section of the fringe, illuminating the soft tones of his natural color.

"Good morning - oh!" The raspy voice of an elderly woman spoke, catching both of their attention. Kagome noticed the thin woman behind the counter, her grey hair tied behind her neck in a very loose bun, eyes wide and lined with age. Kagome walked further in to greet the woman, stopping before the mid-sized table separating them. "You're that girl from the news! Jinenji's mentioned you, too. Says he knows you."

Their case had been all over the news stations, most of which following the tedious and meticulous trial from the arrest up until the verdict was made last week. Though their faces weren't in the papers as much as Naraku's and Byakuya's, they'd incidentally been given the spotlight on television - her a little more than Inuyasha considering the amount of her involvement - far more than they'd ever liked. Not many people reacted to seeing her anymore, especially since the marks had long faded and Inuyasha proved to be a lethal bodyguard toward lingering cameramen, but mostly because the popularity these sorts of trials build only last so long. There was the climax of the testimonials that brought a lot of attention, but even before last week, all of their focus was centered on the sentencing of the criminals. Nevertheless, being recognized still caused Kagome to stiffen uncomfortably, though she'd admit she much preferred "that girl" to everyone knowing her name again.

In reply, she swallowed her embarrassment, smiling politely with a slight nod. "Uh, yeah."

"And you," The old lady redirected her gaze to Inuyasha, angling her chin according to their height difference. "You're that half demon."

She was rather blunt as she spoke, showing what could be mistaken for bitterness. Kagome couldn't bite back the way her face twisted into a slight scowl, upset for the way he'd been greeted.

"Relax, I don't mean that as a slander. You've done us all a favor and shown other half breeds that you don't have to be full-blooded anything to be something." She said, the lines on her cheeks pulling upward with her smile. "My boy, the owner of this shop here, is a half demon himself."

Kagome softened at the information, happy for the praise Inuyasha deserved, glancing up as he nodded stiffly in acknowledgment, running his hands through the short, freshly-cut hair at the back of his head, his cheeks brushed lightly with pink. He brought his hand to rest at the small of Kagome's back, the straight, silver strands smoothly flowing back to their rightful place along his crown.

"Is Jinenji here?" She asked. His mother pointed to the doorway in the far left corner, sitting back in her chair with a pleasant expression.

Kagome lead the way, the scents of the radiantly-red roses they passed almost demanding her to stop and smell them. Jinenji had his back turned toward them, his large body curved and hunched as he tended to his work. She gave a light rasp to the frame she stood in, watching as the gentle giant turned to peek over his shoulder. He jumped, those large blue eyes alight with shock as he spun around, almost bumping his head on the ceiling.

"Hi." Kagome smiled happily.

"It's you." The big half demon grinned. "You're - you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She admitted, almost shying away. He'd seen her fresh from Byakuya's attack. The image of her locked in his memory must have been her battered and tearful face. She could understand that not even news reports could take the place of real life witnessing. Kagome held out the small gift in her hand. "This is for you."

"For me? What for?" Jinenji asked bashfully, taking the package in his fingers and making it look even tinier than it actually was.

"You helped me when you didn't have to. It's not much, but it's my way of saying thank you."

"I - I was happy to do whatever I could."

"And I appreciate it. More than you'll ever know. They're brownies, I made them myself." Kagome stood taller, her hands clasped in front of her. Jinenji thanked her, his voice soft, accepting her gift as he pulled at one of the white ribbons to untie the knot.

Kagome turned, reaching for Inuyasha to bring him beside her as opposed to standing behind. He took her hand, his fingers entwining through her own, a tender manner about himself as he looked at the man before them.

"This is my boyfriend, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Jinenji. He's the one that saved me that night."

Inuyasha held his free hand out to shake Jinenji's, the sizes of their palms incomparable, but the message spoke just as powerfully. "Thank you. For all that you did."

"I didn't do much."

"But it meant everything."