Chapter 8

A/N: OH MY GOODNESS. It has been too long since I had updated this fic. Remember when I had said that I had a lot to do for school and whatnot? Well along the way I kind of got lost in it and completely forgot about this story… Hence, I neglected it. I'm sorry to all those who have decided to follow it. But I am happy to announce that I am going to pick it back up again. Honestly, years overdue~

Cleaning was such a tedious task… She didn't mind doing it when her mother or grandfather would tell her, but this is different. It was a stoic, arrogant demon lord telling her to do it.

Then again, she couldn't complain. He was doing so much for her already – protecting her and taking over the main responsibilities of paying for the shrine was more than she could ask for, really. The loud thrumming of the vacuum sounded out throughout the house, and as she moved the machine about the carpet floor she couldn't help but look in the direction of the master bedroom. Or, "Sesshoumaru-sama's office."

That day he barged into her hospital room she didn't have time to think about the fact that he was actually here in the flesh after 500 years, or the fact that he was doing such a suspicious, obscure job from behind closed doors. However, when she was busy playing the maid and cleaning about the house or preparing his tea, she had so much time to think about her plight that she forced herself to be distracted with ideas of just what he may be doing. Or perhaps what he may have been doing all the years between the warring states era and now.

She reached the master bedroom and didn't hesitate in knocking. "Room service!" She joked, her tone playful and light. It was quick how the door swung open, revealing a well-groomed Sesshoumaru, his hair loose that day and a casual tank top and denim jeans on. "Hn," was all he said in reply as he moved aside to let her in. Once she found her way in the room with the vacuum, he made his way back to the bed where his laptop lay and began typing away once more.

Kagome eyed it curiously, not bothering to replace the cord of the vacuum to a closer outlet in order to cover the whole room just yet. "Seriously, Sesshoumaru-sama… What do you do? Why can't you tell me?" She asked, her tone clear and honestly questioning. Without looking at her, he merely repeated what he had said the first time she asked. "As I said, what my job entails does not concern you. Proceed with your work." Kagome's brow twitched momentarily in her curiosity before she went for the vacuum cord that was hooked up outside the bedroom walls and plugged it in somewhere closer. From there she resumed her cleaning.

It took awhile, but when she was finished with the room, she stood and did a mental check-off list of all the areas of the house she had to clean before realizing she had finished it all. Knowing this, she decided she would bother the demon lord for a bit, since there were no areas in her job description that did not tell her she couldn't do so.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered to her for a split second as she sat down in front of him, his laptop still carrying his full attention.

"Sesshoumaru-sama… If you won't tell me what you are doing for your job, may you please tell me what you've been doing since the warring states era?"

"Working."

That response elicited an irritated sigh from Kagome, who was trying very hard to see through Sesshoumaru's mysterious persona. "More specifically… Hm…" She paused, thinking of a way to get him to tell stories and not just give a general answer. "Can you tell me what happened to Rin?" She finally mustered up, the image of the young ward bringing flowers to her lord suddenly coming into her mind.

Sesshoumaru paused in his typing; his brows furrowed together only for a minute's time before he schooled his features once more and returned a flat look towards Kagome. "She had passed. Long ago, as you would assume of a human." With that, he resumed. It wasn't in his interest that Kagome had more questions, but she did – and she intended on asking away despite his feelings on the matter. "How?" It was something she seemed compelled to ask without really knowing the reason as to why.

There was a small noise that he made at the back of his throat that Kagome couldn't really put a finger on, but he looked impatient. That didn't keep her from her desires to satiate her need to ask questions, though. "Must you pester me with questions, human?" He asked harshly, but Kagome didn't wince. She'd been around him long enough to at least get used to his icy tone.

"Well…" She said, looking away from him and to the wall, placing her hands beneath her legs. "It's been awhile… I wanted to know more. You know, about you. You are my protector, after all. It may be the Higurashi shrine but it's like I'm living under your roof." She looked back at his stern face, which she returned with one of her own as well. "And I'm going to keep asking, so you might as well just shoot and answer now."

A sigh escaped the demon lords lips as he stopped typing, pushing his laptop farther away from him. He looked into Kagome's brown orbs, not faltering in eye contact at all – he never did, so now wouldn't be any different.

"She was murdered."

She gasped. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry…" Sesshoumaru shook his head as he looked down briefly. "It is of no concern now." Looking up, he saw that the look on her face urged him to continue, and so he did. "She was murdered by her own kind: humans. They were in a gang, armed with heavy artillery and well-versed in the culture of demons. They knew well how to self-defend against them… as well as loathed them deeply. I had come across one of them and left on bad terms, so they decided on revenge."

She nodded, attentive. "It is unfortunate news that they held me back long enough to maim and kill her."

"You mean they escaped you?" Kagome said, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief. It earned a heated glare from the daiyoukai, who seemed heavily offended by the phrase. "No. I had rid of them all."

Kagome still couldn't really quite believe her ears. Rin was murdered? That sweet, innocent girl was murdered? "How old was she?" She asked.

"28." The story seemed a bit too out there for Kagome to comprehend, but she knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't lie. He had no reason to, had no ulterior motives. "I think… I think that story will do for now," She said, a bit hesitantly, and she retreated into her thoughts. The silver-haired daiyoukai felt as if her need to ask questions was met, and so he grabbed his laptop to resume his work when he heard her voice once more.

"You must have been very sad, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He didn't so much as pause at that as he continued sifting through files on his computer, but his eyes flickered to her and back to the screen once again. "I do not get sad." There was a silent pause. He could feel her sad smile on her face and the scent of her sympathy was laden in the air.

"I'm sure she meant a great deal to you."

Silence – he did not speak in reply. They shared that silence for awhile, Sesshoumaru seemingly distracted by his computer screen.

"I can sense those things you know," She said softly. He only arched one brow, "Is that so? You look foolish right now with your assumptions." The purpose of saying that was to make her feel unease, but he couldn't feel any of that whatsoever permeating from her. When he looked up to see her expression it had still been sympathetic.

"Yeah. I probably do," She replied. This time, signaling she was finished, she got up and straightened her skirt. "Well, I'm going to go upstairs and do some homework. If you need tea, just call." And with a smile, she dismissed herself.

Sesshoumaru looked on as she retreated, not sure of how to react to her abrupt leave. Yet there was a very odd feeling in him that he couldn't quite suppress or understand. All he knew was that the images of his young ward were flying back into his mind as soon as the door had clicked.

He'd lied.

He had felt sad before. And he remembered the feeling he had when he saw his ward torn, tattered on the ground – the remorse, then the anger that followed afterwards. It was a short story he had told in only a few words to the miko, but in reality there was much more emotion behind that. He wouldn't ever let her know that, however.

Later on that evening, despite the odd feeling, Sesshoumaru made a trip to the kitchen to get something to eat. He had made an agreement with Kagome that he would worry about his own dinner since it'd be too late in the day for her cook something or get something raw (as he sometimes liked it) from the grocery store, so he often was used to no food being there for him at that time. What he didn't expect was cooked beef wrapped in plastic next to raw beef waiting on the kitchen table. Picking it up, he saw that it was the expensive, lean kind, marinated in a sweet scented sauce and spiced with just the right spices, enough to make his stomach growl just a bit. He vaguely wondered how he was too busy to notice the smell from the kitchen earlier.

There on a torn piece of paper by the plate in Kagome's neat handwriting was a note, scribed specially for Sesshoumaru.

Thought you'd want some dinner as a pick-me-up. Not that you need one, of course. ENJOY!
Kagome

A breath left Sesshoumaru, oddly sounding like a light laugh. "Troublesome girl," He said, lifting the plastic and indulging in the juicy taste of the meat.

The next day…

The sun was bright, the sky clear and blue. Birds chirping can be heard in the distance, unaffected by the problem these teenagers had: power thirsty demons targeting the Shikon no Tama. Nature seemed untouched, each building intact, but Kagome wondered how long that would be.

She looked on at the huge school structure from where she was sitting on the grass, hoping no ill would come to it or the students inside. Her mind wandered to the people involved, and for a moment she thought positively of how skilled her companions were before her mind wandered to her missing family: her mother and grandfather.

Looking down at her half-eaten sandwich absent-mindedly, her mind began to focus entirely on the feeling of her stomach falling into a dark pit. The image of her mother and grandfather limp on the ground covered in their own blood plagued her, churning her stomach in unsettling ways.

"Kagome, you barely ate, are you okay?" She heard from above. When she looked up to find the source of the voice, she found that it was Kurama who had stood and made his way to her from his own comfortable seat on the grass next to Yusuke and Keiko. He sat beside her, and she responded with a forced, soft smile. "Just thinking of my family," She replied. Not liking the way she sounded distant and sad – as she soon after realized she had; she smiled wider, and said more upbeat, "But you guys are so reliable, so maybe I'm worrying for nothing." Kurama only nodded, but his expression was completely sympathetic. When it turned into a smirk, however, Kagome began to question.

"We've found leads," He said, and that was all it took for her eyes to go wide, shock evident and excitement finding its way to intermingle as one of the main emotions shown in her orbs and coursing through her body. She didn't even think of the consequences when she threw her arms around his neck, locking him in her embrace. "THANK YOU!" She exclaimed. Sure, they had not found her mother and grandpa in the physical just yet, but it was eating away at her when they had absolutely nothing. She needed some spark of hope, and this was it.

Kurama, expecting her excitement but not her embrace, looked back at Yusuke and Keiko who's attention were on them. They both were just giving stares, which didn't really help Kurama in his predicament. It also didn't help that Kagome's mind was reeling and so she lingered in that position with him, so he decided to put a reassuring hand on her back. The whole thing began to seem endearing to him soon enough and he smiled, appreciative of the joy that had replaced her solemn attitude. Besides, her jasmine scent was pleasing to him. "I'm glad you're taking the news well," He finally managed to say.

"Kurama," She began as she pulled away, her vibrant, excited eyes locking with his. "That was the best news I've had in a long time. What are the leads?"

"Koenma, a connection of ours, was able to track a portal that had opened by your shrine around the time of the kidnapping. It was a special kind of portal… Imbued with magic that only one kind of demon can possess." Kagome looked at him intently, nodding as she listened. "What kind of demon is it?" She asked, urging him to keep telling the details. For only a moment, the thought of the Naraku-like aura she sensed at the winter festival came into her mind– only until Kurama revealed more information.

"A demon that has no nature… They don't take the form of an animal, nor a beast such as an imp, an ogre. And not even a shadow creature, which clings to only the shadows. This type of demon is said to be directly linked to hell, taking the form of whatever it chooses if only it causes fear in its victim. They are said to have the power to drag you to deepest parts of hell… Thus, we call them devils."

Directly linked to hell… Kagome thought, with unease. She didn't like the sound of that.

"Do you happen to know what they look like?" She asked in hopes of narrowing it even further. Kurama nodded. "They take many shapes and forms, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly. But they prefer to take the form of a human, blending in with their favorite prey. Their features however…. Can be demonic. Can make them stand out. Depending on their mood… But it's been awhile since they've been permitted to come into the realm where the humans preside. Their sudden appearance coinciding with the appearance of the Shikon no Tama, and their choice of target being your shrine – I think it's apparent what their motives are."

Once more, Kagome retreated into her thoughts. A humanoid form…. Demonic features…. She recalled the day she was attacked by that demon in the form of a man, and his unsettling wide smirk – the red of his eyes as well. "I think I've encountered one before…. I can't be entirely sure, but he seems to fit your description." Looking up back at Kurama, her expression revealed a dead set determination. "Is there a way we can locate them?"

"They travel in packs… And there aren't many existing. They're a rare breed that sticks together, so that narrows it down to an area in the demon realm where they decide to stay," Kurama replied. Kagome's expression never wavered.

"Then we need to go there."

Yusuke and Keiko were silent but listening intently. "Sounds like a plan," Yusuke jumped in. Kurama only looked on at Kagome's determined face, admiring her fighting spirit. He had never met a human woman with a fire quite like hers. The thought of that made a smile reach his lips. "Yes. We will."

Kagome looked up at the night sky, recalling the day's events. She had just escorted her friends to the shrine steps after an afternoon of studying. The day… It had treated her well. The news regarding a lead to what demon had kidnapped her family lifted her spirits, and the fact that she was catching up with the rest of her class due to her friends support was encouraging, but she felt she needed more reassurance in such trying times.

She had no time to search for it though. Perhaps it would come in the form of satisfaction after a night spent with good training. "Hiei?" She called out as she took her attention off the sky and turned in the opposite direction of the steps. There was silence that greeted her as she scanned the black silhouettes of the trees surrounding the shrine, but she knew he was there. "I'm ready to practice."

A form leaped from a distant tree and landed in her sight. Hiei stood there was an expecting expression.

A smirk found its way to Kagome's lips as she felt his aura spike dangerously. "Alright," she whispered to herself, readying her position. He was light on his feet, but quick, Kagome barely seeing him move to pounce. However, her reflexes didn't fail her as she jumped high above his head, landing on the other side as gracefully as she could. She had lost footing, however, and nearly tripped. "Keep vigilant. When your enemy is before you they could move at any given time – the more prepared you are for sharp movements and the more you train your eye, the easier it will come to evade those attacks." She let out a deep breath in response to his words, and they resumed their spar.

This had been going on ever since she had asked him to train her, and each time she felt she had been getting better. Once or twice or maybe three times he'd comment on something he'd observed, whether it was well-done or needed improvements. The fact of the matter was that the more they sparred, the more practice they got in, the better she'd become. Or, at least, the more efficient, which was basically the same thing to her.

He was thoroughly impressed. Hiei, like Kurama, had never seen such a fighting, fiery spirit in a human woman before – not until he met Kagome. Her will to fight was strong in her eyes, the determination she carried evident in the way she carried herself. Her sadness was only a setback, he knew, but she didn't let it overcome her – her will to become a rock for her brother and her family as strong as her will to fight. Skilled, intelligent: he noted these traits about her.

Sometimes, when she moved swiftly to attack or evade, her hair would flow rebelliously against wind, cascading about her… and her eyes. The darkness about her would not consume her eyes. They would shine brilliantly, almost inhuman-like, beckoning his attention. He could vaguely see her brows narrowed, her lips parted drawing and exhaling breathes in the night, but her bright brown eyes would be fire sparking. And it fascinated him.

This little woman was beginning to fascinate him.

When Kagome paused in her fighting stance, he arched his brow. "What is it?" He inquired.

She squinted, walking closer to him in order to get a better look. "Is that a smirk…? Or… Is that a smile?"

Hiei only scoffed as a reply. "It does not matter."

A/N: I'm having so much fun. The plot is coming back to me and I'm having so many ideas for this fic that I can't believe I'd left it the way it was. But honestly, one thing I'd like to note was that reading all the reviews helped so much. After years of having this fic idle and coming back to reading how much you all wanted this updated and finished, it broke my heart. And it also made me smile the way you all loved it so much! I am so sorry for stopping! But I just finished summer session so I'll have a break for awhile to write more and more.

Back to the fic. So Kagome isn't going to be going through as much very stressing stuff for awhile. And I'm also sorry about the character death of Rin… There's a special reason behind that and you'll see in the future.

Also! Some sparks these men are feeling for Kagome! Ooooooooooo!~~ We'll see how this turns out; I have more in store for them as well.