DISCLAIMER: Until Santa shows up with copyright I don't own it.

Chapter 9

Deals and Details

shishi odoshi- deer scare, type of fountain, think Kill Bill and the fight scene in the snowy Japanese garden.

"I had withdrawn in forest, and my songWas swallowed up in leaves that blew away;And to the forest edge you came one day"

-From A Dream Pang by Robert Frost

Waking was a jarring thing for Kagome. The punishing rhythm of her heart was amplified to her ears. Raising a less than steady hand she brushed a damp tendril of hair from her face. The nightmare had been a twisted splicing of memory and imagination. Truly the mind could be more cruel than reality.

Above her the naked support beams of the roof lay sunk in shadow. The muted illumination from beyond the shoji screen telling the addled miko that her rest had lasted but an hour. It was a time of day that could be considered ridiculously late or absurdly early. Taking a deep breath Kagome forced the flashing images of her nightmare to still, staring down each one with a now familiar ache in her chest. Almost three nights without those dreams, she'd thought she'd made progress. Apparently not.

Heaving a sigh and careful not to disturb Shippo she pulled back her blankets and stood. Bare feet met chilled wood and she grimaced. Central heating is definitely on the list of things I'll miss. Across the room Sango's breathing remained deep, and while Kirara opened rosy eyes in question the feline seemed content to leave Kagome to her own devises.

The once comfortable chamber now seemed overly stuffy, even though without a fire in the hearth the air was quite cold. For few moments Kagome sat on the futon chewing her lip in indecision until the itch to move finally overwhelmed her trepidation. She rubbed at the goose bumps on her arms and scrounged around her futon for the pair of socks she'd worn the day before. With a nearly silent cry of triumph her fingers contacted the balled up cotton. She slipped them on quickly, followed by her shoes and fumbled for the shoji screen.

A few soft thumps and her hand found purchase on the frame, stealthily sliding it back. Before her stretched the dark maw of hallway and the miko racked her memory for directions to the exit. With less trouble than she had anticipated Kagome stole down the corridor and into the courtyard.

A seam of unearthly white light interrupted the expanse of darkness and she moved towards it. The air there was cooler hinting at the night landscape that lay beyond. Kagome opened the door and stepped into the courtyard, noting the light sheen of frost. The sight she beheld caused her breath to leave her in an awed whoosh, spiraling vapor into the night.

A near full moon cast a glow down upon the grounds, making the estate seem like an eerie black and white photo. The wash of water over river rocks and the smooth rustling of drying leaves sounded in the shadows. Through the breaks in the landscaping the low stone wall glowed.

Kagome took a deep inhale of the air, feeling her blood sing at the crisp edge to it. Her memory conjured images of pumpkins and the taste of apple cider. Closing her eyes in bliss, she breathed deeply through her nose and tilted her head back to face the sky. Her family would have loved this.

A tug on her awareness interrupted the haze of joy induced by her surroundings and she physically leaned forward. Her eyelids snapping up in surprise. Was that...a shikon shard? With hesitant feet she took a step forward, stretching out the invisible tendrils of her aura. Another tug, this one more insistent, prompted her to move. "Yes," she murmured. Slowly her steps brought her to the shoulder high wall surrounding the manor. Reaching out her left hand Kagome turned, trailing her fingers along the cold stone toward the gate. Out there.

Numbness stole over her thoughts in increments too small to raise internal alarm bells. Blades of grass bent underfoot and a breeze wrapped around her neck to dive down the back of her tank top. She shivered. In a detached way Kagome felt foolish for going out in only her pajamas. The option of returning to her room for warmer clothing bubbled to the surface of her thoughts only to pop benignly and be dismissed. Absently, she wondered where the guards were. Surely she should have seen one by now. Shrugging to herself, she continued to follow the pull of the shikon, only stopping once she reached the gate.

Blue eyes traveled the wooden expanse, lingering along the ribs of metal and fat rivets that held it together. Surprisingly it was only shuttered with a single plank placed across the width in metal brackets. She had a momentary thought about the lackadaisical approach to security. Hooking her fingers under the offending obstruction Kagome began to lift upward when a clawed hand came down on her shoulder.

A stifled shriek left her and she jumped. Spinning around to face the one who touched her Kagome was met with silver hair and golden eyes. She blew a heavy breath through her nostrils in irritation. Here she was sneaking, well not really sneaking, around Sesshomaru's home and who was the one to catch her...Sesshomaru. How terribly unexpected, her mind griped. Kagome's lips thinned. If she wasn't mistaken the inu Lord looked amused.

"What are you doing?" He asked, giving her a stern if disinterested look. His gaze traveled languidly down her body, tracing the lines of her collar bones to the valley of her breasts and then following through to the curve of her hips and the smooth expanse of thigh.

Sputtering, and blushing profusely, Kagome crossed her arms protectively over her chest. This action only elicited a smirk from her unwanted companion. "I felt a..." she trailed off frowning. What had she felt? Her memories from the moment she stepped into the courtyard seemed muddled. Each attempt to grasp them increasingly fruitless as the slipped through her fingers like water.

Sesshomaru watched the miko abuse her bottom lip with tiny nips of her blunt little teeth. Combined with her wholly indecent attire and her slightly sleep mussed hair she made a very appetizing sight. Hooded eyes drifted to the soft cloth covered expanse of her lower abdomen. Unconsciously his breathing deepened, muscles tightening of their own accord.

A shiver from the miko and a bolt of pure embarrassment woke him from his trance. Had he so easily forgotten she could feel his emotions? He looked up to see her blush had spread all the way down her chest. It was...charming. She was such an interesting creature. Sesshomaru sniffed lightly, not at all uncomfortable with his open appreciation for a fine female figure, but banked the fire in his gaze. He had made her uncomfortable.

She shivered again, huddling further into herself for warmth. The night air was chill and she was human. She is human, he reiterated to himself sternly tramping down his more lustful urges. Taking her under his protection was one matter, but taking her, that was worlds different. Without further thought he stripped free of his haori and wrapped it around her shoulders, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment when she huddled further into the cloth.

Kagome had come out of her contemplation on the sudden blurriness of her memories to see Sesshomaru, demon Lord of the Western Land, notorious human hater, staring at her as if he would like nothing better than to devour her. Her jaw went slack when she felt an emotion coming from him that could only be titled lust. In a beat the moment had passed and she found the silk of his haori, still warm from his body, draped over her trembling frame. With a grateful glance toward the inu, she tucked her arms into the sleeves and wrapped it around her. "Thank you," she murmured shyly.

He was still staring at her, but the intensity had considerably lessoned. Shaking her head slightly, Kagome chalked the mini-episode up to modern era notions of decency and sexually-deprived demons. She swept her senses over the surrounding forest again, detecting no reason for her sleep walk-like trip through the grounds. Her brows furrowed slightly and she brushed the episode off as exhaustion.

Observing the miko's continued distraction he had the sudden thought that she had sensed an intruder. Sesshomaru expanded his youki, but could locate no demons lingering outside the barrier. His attention returned to the petite woman nearly drowning in yards of white silk. It had been her acute distress and then an odd sense of wrongness that had interrupted his musings in the garden, causing him to seek her out. He took a discrete sniff and analyzed what he felt through the bond. She seemed perfectly relaxed now, if not a little confused. "Come."

Her hair shifted when she lifted her chin to look at him quizzically. Without further explanation he turned and walked back across the courtyard. Kagome huffed, but couldn't find any reason beyond stubbornness not to follow.

The pair traveled passed the far end of the manor before finally settling beneath a set of twisted maples. Sesshomaru folded his legs under him, blinking slowly. His muscles relaxed to the rhythmic sound of the shishi odoshi and he waited until she had situated herself to speak. "You are undisciplined with your emotions."

Kagome's thoughts settled between her dawning realization that Sesshomaru wasn't anything like she expected and wondering what he wanted. The train of thought scattered when he spoke. And with one sentence he ruins the perfect atmosphere. Startled by her own thoughts Kagome couldn't help but wonder the perfect atmosphere for what? She watched a silver brow draw up and a knowing look cross the demon Lord's face at her first stirrings of annoyance. Her lips puckered petulantly. "I'm human, Sesshomaru."

"Indeed."

How did he manage to make that one neutral word sound like an insult to her parentage? Her hands found her hips though the effect was lessened by her seated posture. "Not all of us can naturally close off our emotions." Kagome was steadily becoming more exasperated under his impassive gaze. Then, she locked onto righteous indignation. "Besides, not even you are able to block your emotions. I know. I've felt them."

The woman had a point and for some reason that angered him.

"Like now," she grumbled.

Resisting the urge to rub his temples Sesshomaru tried again. "You wish to defeat the hanyou."

"Naraku?" At his curt nod Kagome answered. "Of course."

"In your currant state you will not succeed. You are weak."

Though the comment lacked the sneer she would have expected behind it, Kagome couldn't help but bristle.

Why must humans forever see insult in fact? The daiyoukai let out an uncharacteristic sigh before continuing. "The loss of my half-brother and your family has weakened you." It wasn't his normal way to explain his reasoning to others, but over the years he'd found that on those rare instances Rin had shown her stubborn streak it worked far better than repeating himself.

All of Kagome's irritation fell away. It was true. She hadn't thought about that before now. How many days had it been since she had a decent sleep? A week and a half? Kagome cradled her face tiredly in her hands.

Sesshomaru watched her carefully, feeling her acceptance of his words. An uncomfortable twinge formed in his chest. He could sense the fatigue rolling off of her in waves. If she were to remain in health he would have to monitor her personally.

Deciding things couldn't get much odder, considering she was a guest at the home of a demon who had previously tried to kill her, and wrapped in said youkai's clothes, Kagome took the bait. "What do you suggest?" Her words were muffled by her fingers.

His answer was swift and steady. "Meditation."

For a full minute the miko stared unwaveringly into the molten pools of the daiyoukai's eyes. Taking a deep breath she thought, why not? "Okay. What do I do? I take it this isn't like normal meditation."

Sesshomaru felt a tiny bit of relief. Not only did her emotions cause her to be distracted in battle, but the intensity and quality of some of her feelings had the ability to distract him. That could not be allowed. Especially since it appeared that when she was in distress he felt the instinctual pull to aide her. It was the last fact that drew into question his assertion that he wasn't her inu. Glowering to himself Sesshomaru brushed the thoughts aside and settled in to teach.

Over the following three hours the demon Lord took the miko through a series of meditation techniques he had not had to employ but a few spare times in centuries. He watched her chest rise in fall rhythmically with her breathing. Dark lashes fluttered against pale cheeks, her neck stretched as she elongated her spine in the pose. Yes, she is rather appealing for a human.

He couldn't help but feel a spark of pride at how quickly she was learning. Already there was a layer of calm building over the more tumultuous of her emotions. Deciding there had been enough practice for one night and knowing her human body needed rest before dawn, he stood. "You require sleep."

Stiffly Kagome rose from the meditative state and blinked, revealing midnight blue irises. She stood, wavering slightly, and popped her back. A satisfied grumble escaped her. Experiencing a level of calm she hadn't felt since before Sesshomaru joined their group Kagome followed the demon Lord back into his home.

Upon reaching the wooden porch before the entrance Kagome found her sight drawn down to his feet. She watched as he toed off first one boot and then the other leaving him in a pair of stockings she wouldn't quite label socks. There was just something about seeing the demon Lord without shoes that made him seem more real. True she'd seen lots of humanoid youkai running around unshod but with him it was simply odd. Would he have clawed toes?

Noticing both her burning stare and the unusual amount of curiosity surging across their bond Sesshomaru cast a glance over his shoulder, surprised to find her looking at his feet. A sleek brow slid up and the corner of his mouth quirked. What could possibly be so interesting? "Kagome" he called softly. Amusement further eroded his features when her attention snapped upward guilty and she blushed. "What intrigues you?"

Kagome averted her eyes and mumbled a soft question about claws and stripes. Something between a chuckle and a huff was her only answer before he reached down and tugged off his left stocking. Yup, he had claws, and she could just make out the ends of the double magenta stripes disappearing into his pant leg.

For his part Sesshomaru had surprised himself with his action. His responses to the miko were almost dangerously free and he could only blame his openness on their emotional bond. No one since his mother had seen his bare feet. An odd measure of intimacy true, but in a society where assassination was a legitimate means of succession to power it made a twisted sort of sense.

Sesshomaru was never short of properly dressed outside his bedchamber. He never let anyone in his bedchamber, thus no one had witnessed such a trivial thing as his bare foot. Not to say he'd never been with a female before, just that he refused to take a female who could set foot in his home. They could be vindictive and conniving. The resultant outdoor ruts had never provided a reason to take off his boots.

Thoroughly embarrassed Kagome issued a quiet thank you and went about making sure her shoes were perfectly aligned at the door. After a few moments of silence she looked upward to see him make a gesture to her own foot. Fighting the small smile on her lips Kagome reached down and relieved herself of one sock, wiggling her painted pink toes at him.

He glanced down and then, seemingly satisfied, continued his trek through the castle. Behind him Kagome closed the shoji screen, cutting off the illumination to the hallway and feeling in some strange way as if she and the demon Lord had shared something rare. He had acted almost playful.

With blind eyes Kagome ran her fingers along the wall guiding herself toward her room, though unsure of how she would tell which one it was in the dark. Steadying hands caught her shoulders before turning her slightly to face a door she still couldn't see. The sound of wood scraping was her only warning before a clawed hand gently landed on her lower back, urging her forward.

Kagome stepped over the threshold into her room to be greeted by the light sheen of cat eyes. "Oh" she breathed, tugging at the ties of Sesshomaru's haori when the door behind her again began to move. "Sesshomaru, your shirt." She divested herself of the garment, thrusting it toward where she could see the faint outline of the demon. "Thank you" she bowed awkwardly.

An oddly musical "Hn" drifted to her before the rice paper door slid home.

Sinking onto her futon Kagome briefly pondered the mysterious facets of the daiyoukai known as Sesshomaru. Her last thought before sleep finally claimed her was the amazing realization that they had become friends.

XXX

How long would it be, he wondered, until the dog made his mistake? Naraku sat on a large purple cushion in his bedchamber watching Kikyo's shikigami approach the front of his fortress courtesy of Bakukya's spying eye.

"I told you the witch would be trouble." Bakukya grumbled.

"Silence." The words came out in a sibilant hiss. "She will be dealt with." He observed the scene playing out near the entrance to his castle passively. This unannounced intrusion on the part of the undead miko was undoubtedly in retaliation for his use of the hanyou. Naraku sneered. Even hate-filled as she was Kikyo continued to defend the half-breed. Well, if she thought her familiar would be able to breach his grounds unscathed she was sorely mistaken.

The great black gate set into the wall surrounding his slightly dilapidated fortress swung wide, admitting the child-like shikigami. His crimson eyes narrowed in glee. So, Inuyasha had been the key all along. Not only had he effectively weakened the miko Kagome, but now his undead lover sought the disgrace's freedom.

Finally one of his plots was knitting together nicely, and in completely unexpected ways. To think, his diversion of the daiyoukai Sesshomaru had driven the demon Lord to join his half-brother's band of misfits, thus making it easy to capture a distracted and alone Inuyasha. And once that crucial piece was within his grasp it was child's play to bend the whelp to his will. The destruction of the miko's household was unanticipated, but welcomed. Unfortunately no sooner had her learned the miko's biggest secret then it was sealed against him. No matter.

The shikigami hesitated in the middle of his courtyard, no doubt receiving orders from her mistress. Naraku stood, unfolding his long legs before quitting the room. Bakukya's steps fell in line behind him.

"What will you do Lord Naraku?"

The spider hanyou's eyes momentarily bled red, his pace toward the outer doors never slackening. "Like anyone of manners I shall greet my guest."

A flick of his wrist sent a cloud of his miasma billowing forth, knocking open the double doors and revealing the moon soaked night. Slightly below and ahead of him stood the inconspicuously dressed peasant girl. Her brown eyes didn't reflect the normal sickles of light a human's would have, instead they seemed to absorb whatever they fell upon. To one observant enough it was the only clue needed to know the being was anything but what she portrayed herself to be.

"So nice of Kikyo to send a representative," Naraku purred. Behind him Bakukya's eye returned to its rightful socket.

Following her Lady's orders Mika stated her business. "Where is the hanyou Inuyasha?"

Naraku tsked, sweeping his arm lethargically through the air. "You expect for me to tilt my hand? How disappointing. No, I can not make things too simple for you my dear Kikyo." His pleasure mounted when the shikigami with a soul shuddered.

Undeterred by the creature's pompous attitude Mika continued, "and what if we have something to trade?"

"Oh?" A sleek black brow drew up in contemplation. Humor glinting in his eyes. "What would that be?"

Kikyo's direction rang loudly in Mika's mind and the shikigami paused. Her Lady recognized the look of interest that flitted across the dark hanyou's face. Pitching her voice somewhere between conspiratorial and amused Mika continued with her mission. "Do you not desire the Shikon...and perhaps the Shikon no miko?"

A chord had been struck and each participant within the scene knew it. Naraku resisted the urge to snarl. He detected the unspoken threat. Somehow the undead miko had gained control over the young Kagome. Naraku seethed, searching for a break in the logic, something about what the shikigami said rang thin. However Kikyo was nothing if not a strategist, if she alluded to power over Kagome then she had it or would have it soon. "Speak," he commanded.

The shikigami had the audacity to smile. "My Lady has it within her power to turn the reincarnation and the slivers she possesses of your coveted jewel over to your hands, or keep them from you indefinitely. Should you so choose to relinquish control of the inu hanyou to my Lady she will give you what you so desire."

His eyes blazed crimson once again and Naraku struggled to maintain his humanoid guise. The little bitch! Kikyo did have some way to keep him from his goals. Mind control? No, more likely a spell. Undoubtedly he could wait, hoping the oddly dressed miko would weaken and become careless under her burden of pain and regret, but the little wench had an annoying habit of not falling the way Naraku pushed her. There was the possibility she and her band of misfits would become energized by Inuyasha's plight instead of disheartened. Then there was the daiyoukai. Would he go blind with rage at his ward's death, or would he be galvanized into cooperation with the half-breed's pack?

Of course there was always the possibility the undead one was bluffing. Naraku cast the shikigami a calculating glance. No. His Kikyo, as she was in life, was a being of odds. She would not have sent this paper minion to him to speak so brazenly if the miko did not feel confident in her threat.

"Is this all you desire, the half-breed's release?"

A short nod was his answer. Within his mind the gears were turning. This situation could be used to his advantage. Without Naraku's control over the hanyou Inuyasha would have full recollection of what he had done. Oh to see the look of anguish in his eyes. It was a sight Naraku had quite enjoyed in Kohaku.

In return for a broken toy the evil hanyou would acquire the Shikon no miko to torture at his will. She would break, her friends would break, and with the death of the brat Rin the daiyoukai would break. All his opposition would lie in pieces at his feet, and when that was done he would turn his attention on the clay doll. How easy it would be to crush her, alone.

"Very well," he conceded. "Be here with the priestess Kagome on the night of the new moon and you shall have your hanyou. Alive," he added at Mika's dubious look.

With that the shikigami turned on her heel, her feet falling soundlessly on the weed choked flagstone as she exited the courtyard.

Bakukya watched the receding shadow until the gates closed and then turned to his master. "You will release the hanyou to her?"

Naraku took one last glance at the courtyard before turning to move back into his castle. His voice faded as he sunk back into the shadows. "Let the undead one have her hanyou, it is I who will have power."

XXX

It had taken a feat of fortitude to pull herself from her futon when Sango had nudged her awake stating it was time to continue her training. Training, it was all Kagome seemed to be doing these last few days. Though she noted with some satisfaction that Sesshomaru's meditation techniques had indeed calmed her. Without them Kagome was sure she would've been a jumbled mess of taught nerves and snappy responses. When the day was over she would have to get some sleep or risk falling unconscious propped against her own sword.

Her stomach rumbled angrily but her lack of rest left the miko feeling queasy and unable to do anything but nibble a few bites of rice. Even her responses to Rin's bright chatter had dropped into the monosyllabic realm of the demon Lord. With dragging feet Kagome followed Sango to a small orchard allowing her body to slide through stances learned and luxuriating in the glory of muscle memory. It was when new information was introduced that Kagome felt her brain short circuit.

After the third reprimanding slap of Sango's sheathe upon her wrists Kagome heard the slight whisper of silk behind her. Upon instinct she turned bringing her blade up in a defensive maneuver. It clanged harshly against steel, stopping the incoming sword mere inches from her head. Wide blue orbs followed the curve of the metal to the hilt and then up the powerful arm to the wisps of silver hair before finally alighting onto the demon Lord's face. Without thought Kagome growled. How dare he? She was tired damn it!

"It is apparent you are more aware then what you seem."

Kagome slid her sword along his own, recognizing the Tenseiga, before locking hilts and stepping forward. Approval trickled across their bond heavily veiled in humor. For the second time in as many weeks Kagome found herself contemplating attempted purification.

"Now, now miko" Sesshomaru's honeyed tones drifted across her senses, "You are fatigued."

The air around the little miko burst into flames and she increased her pressure on his blade. He was teasing her! Well she would show him not to mess with an overly tired miko!

Sesshomaru merely smirked. "It would be unwise to attempt that which you are unsure will succeed."

Kagome huffed angrily, her breath coming out in short bursts like a steam locomotive. She seriously calculated her chances of doing respectable damage to the demon Lord. Just as the little devil perched on Kagome's shoulder convinced her to go for it a shout rang through the mid-morning air.

"Kagome! Get away from her Sesshomaru!" The brown flurry known as Koga jumped between the two combatants. Though the wolf demon was far from healed he had apparently gained enough strength to seek her out. Unfortunately the situation was not what the ookami saw it to be. Kagome opened her mouth intent on informing her friend but she was roughly shunted behind his back. "Go back to Hakkaku and Ginta Kagome. They'll protect you while I take care of mutt-face's brother."

A soft thwack sounded when the miko lightly slapped her forehead. Really, how many egotistical canine demons would she have to deal with today? "Koga..." Any further words were cut off when the wolf prince reached a hand behind him, connecting roughly with her shoulder and causing her to stumble back, barely keeping from dropping to the near frozen ground.

Sango wrapped her free arm around her sister's back, opening her mouth to reprimand the careless ookami when a low growl stilled her words. The vibration ran through the very ground they tread upon.

"It would do you well Lord Koga" Sesshomaru spat the name, "to recall the miko is human."

Kagome's jaw slackened at the sight of a crimson eyed and obviously pissed off demon Lord. Perhaps she wasn't the only one going without rest consistently?

"What business is it of yours?" The muscles in Koga's legs tightened in preparation of the impending fight. "I'll take care of my woman."

Sesshomaru sneered. "Your woman. Has she not deigned you claim...repeatedly?"

During the verbal sparing the daiyoukai's off hand reached the hilt of Bakusaiga. With a groan Kagome scrubbed her face furiously, praying to the Kami she wasn't really dealing with this much testosterone this early in the morning. Her eyelids drooped and her body wavered. The hot sick feeling she'd been having seemed to increase ten fold at Koga's string of swear words. "I swear" she breathed, her voice gaining volume slowly. Enough was enough. Koga was still injured and she was so very, very tired. "You" she pointed at the ookami, "still need to be in bed. Sesshomaru was only helping in my training."

When the two males only turned slightly to catch sight of the now raving miko Kagome hissed. She locked eyes with Koga before turning the full weight of her glare onto Sesshomaru, ignoring the feeling of confusion and...worry...that raced across their bond.

"Kagome" Sango's voice drew the miko's attention. "Perhaps you should rest a bit. You barely ate at breakfast and you feel a little warm. I'll come with you to the spring and then we can both relax in our room," her tone was almost pleading.

At the mention of Kagome's health Koga was once again at her side sniffing lightly and ignoring the low vibrations from the inu behind him. "That's not a bad idea Kagome," he urged. "Wouldn't want my woman falling ill."

Trying desperately not to roll her eyes the miko nodded weakly but refused to leave before she extracted a promise from the ookami to do the same and leave Sesshomaru alone. She could tell Koga was reluctant but in the end he gave in. With a sigh Kagome looped her arm around Sango's shoulders for support, noting that the inu Lord had taken his leave sometime during her bickering with Koga. It was just as well, she really wasn't up to trying to keep him from killing the wolf.

Without another word the two women headed toward the bath house, barely catching the sight of Koga being drug back into the manor by his lackeys.

XXX

AN:

Indigo: I'm baaa-aack!

::Everyone groans::

Indigo: For an explanation to my prolonged absence see the beginning of chapter 12 of After Midnight.