Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho 1. Broken

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 1: Broken

Kagome closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She was determined to convince the stubborn hanyou to let her go home without the need for drastic measures. Ever since the miko had secretly learned to control her powers, Kagome understood how degrading it felt to be controlled by someone that seemed weaker than her. She knew what it did to Inuyasha's ego whenever she embarrassed him by forcefully pounding him face first into the ground without even touching him.

With this understanding, Kagome slowly reduced the use of the prayer beads. With this change came several others. The others realized the miko didn't use the 'word' as much anymore and in result, Inuyasha didn't seem to be in terribly grouchy moods as often. This was a great relief because with the hanyou in better moods, he didn't push them as hard during travels. No one knew the reason for the miko's odd behavior but didn't question her actions. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Kagome and Inuyasha were much closer than before, he still made a big deal of her going home.

"I don't care, I said you ain't goin, so you ain't goin!" he growled as he blocked the miko's path.

She glared up at him furiously. His dark golden eyes glared back with equal fierceness. Kagome had come to terms with her feelings toward Inuyasha and realized that she couldn't handle waiting for him. Her heart wasn't capable of any further pain that he may cause in the future. She couldn't stand on the side and wait to see who he chose, her or Kikyou, so therefore she closed off her affection toward the hanyou. Of course she still loved him, but more as a brother than a lover. What she couldn't understand though was why he was still so over protective of her. It was near impossible for any male to get within a ten foot radius of her before Inuyasha would intervene and scare the suitor off. Was she destined to never find love? Because her irritating over protective best friend wouldn't let anyone close enough? He wouldn't even let her go home to visit her family. After having to deal with this for so long, she knew she would snap someday. Apparently, this was that particular day…

"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?! You don't own me! I haven't seen my family for almost two months! Thanks to you they probably think I'm dead! I am going home and if you don't get out of my way I will subdue you so deep into the ground Kikyou won't have to drag you to hell!" Kagome snapped, shouting in his face.

Inuyasha was frozen where he stood. Kagome had never been very aggressive and she hardly lost control of her emotions. What he had just witnessed was a once in a lifetime experience, and he sure as hell didn't want to go through it again. He could feel the anger rolling off her petite form in waves as she stood on her tip toes and screamed her complaints into his fragile ears. Never before had the little miko scared him with mere words, but for the first time since he met her, he was tempted to hide in a tree to escape her wrath.

Once she was finished with her ranting, she glared up at him, daring him to argue with her further. Inuyasha merely stepped aside without a word. He was surprised that he couldn't come up with some smart ass remark to piss her off further. He made to walk her to the well when she turned that deadly glare toward him once more.

"I am very capable of walking myself to the well." She spat, her voice dripping with her anger. Inuyasha just nodded before disappearing back toward Kaede's hut. Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, Kagome turned on her heel and began her short trek to the Bone Eater's well. As she walked, she found she was very satisfied with herself. She was able to get through that argument without having to sit Inuyasha and was proud. Though she had to admit the hanyou looked quite traumatized. She shrugged her shoulders as she continued walking. He would get over it. Hell, he should be glad she didn't sit him, so he better be in a better mood when she returned.

With a smile on her face that made it look as if she weren't in a bad mood at all, she took a deep breath of the feudal era's fresh air. The well finally came into view and her smile immediately fell. Moving with the skill and speed of a professional, Kagome fluidly removed her bow from her left shoulder and notched an arrow that was ready to be fired at any moment. There, by the base of the well lay a demon. It was a small demon but the miko had come to realize that size didn't matter.

Moving carefully, Kagome slowly made her way closer to the demon that was settled next to her only way home. As she got closer, she could see the demon had soft looking black fur. The beautiful color was doused in splats of crimson around the stomach area. The tiny demon looked quite familiar as she approached and once she was close enough, she knew why. It was a kitsune… a kit. Now that she was closer, she could see why the demon wasn't moving either. It was unconscious. Its wound was deep and still bleeding profusely. It must have passed out from blood lose.

Dropping her bow, she kneed at the kit's side and rolled it onto its back. The kit wore a silky shirt and matching pants that were torn in various places. She looked about maybe a few years older than Shippo and was about a couple feet taller. It was obvious she had been attacked and she needed to be healed quickly or there was the possibility that she wouldn't make it. Thinking quickly, Kagome slug her bow over her shoulder and gently lifted the kit into her arms. Moving quickly but carefully as to not agitate the wounded demon, she made her way to her secret cave.

She couldn't return to the village because she knew Inuyasha would just throw a fit and once the kit was healed, he would demand that it left. They would most likely get into a fight then because she would not allow the kitsune to go off on her own. She could easily get injured again, or perhaps worst. She wouldn't be able to look at Shippo and not think if the little kit was still alive, or if it had found its family. It would haunt her every thought and she just couldn't bare that, nor did she want to get into yet another argument with Inuyasha.

This was the location she would hide when she secretly trained her powers. Midoriko had taught her the basics but unfortunately informed the miko that in order to master her powers, she had to train herself. She didn't want the other's knowing that she could control her miko abilities because she knew they would only become even more protective of her. Not to mention that if they were to be attacked by Naraku and he somehow found out that she was more powerful, he would target her first, before Inuyasha. A powerful miko was far more of a threat to the vile hanyou than Inuyasha.

Her secret cave was located behind the well, in the opposite direction of the village. She had found it several days after she began secretly training her powers because she knew she needed a secluded area where she would be in private with no interruptions or threats. And of course it had to be hidden so that no one could find her. Once she entered the cave, Kagome threw a barrier around the mouth of the cave. If she was going to be using her healing powers on the kit, she needed to make sure that she was safe within her cave first. Healing used up a lot of energy, more than purification did surprisingly, and from how severe the kit's wounds looked Kagome knew she would be using quite a lot of her energy to keep the little demon alive.

Dropping her pack to the ground and setting down her bow and arrows. Kagome gently placed the kit on the ground before sitting beside her. Placing her hands above the child's wounds, the miko closed her eyes in concentration. She could feel her powers flowing through her veins, spreading down to her fingers and seeping into the kitsune's small body. Her energy was gradually deteriorating but with a quick peek at her patient, she could see the kit wasn't healed yet.

Forcing more of her healing energy into the child, she fought to stay conscious. Once she heard the kitsune's quick pain filled breathing even out, she withdrew her power and sat back to admire her work. Leaning her back against the wall of the cave, she took deep, even breaths as she checked the demon over once more to see if she missed anything. Once she was satisfied, she crawled over to her bag and pulled out a blanket. She draped it over the kit before collapsing from exhaustion. Thankfully, she saved enough energy to keep the barrier intact.

The tingling feeling of a demon approaching jolted Kagome from her sleep. Quickly sitting up, she took a quick glance over to the kit to see she was still sound asleep in the exact same position as she was before. Concentrating on the aura that was now directly outside her barrier, she realized it was only a weak demon that she could easily dispose of herself. Grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows, she slowly made her way to the mouth of the cave.

Upon reaching the entrance, Kagome easily spotted the oversized rodent demon that was sniffing at the edge of her barrier. Once it spotted her, it began growling, its beady red eyes glaring at her from the other side of the barrier.

"You have the kitsune kit hidden in that cave don't you? Hand her over human." It snarled in warning.

"You're the one who inflicted those injuries on her aren't you?" Kagome glared with pure disgust at the demon that was still growling at her. "How much of a coward can you be? Hunting down a demon child that cannot defend herself."

"That little runt is the last of Youko's family. Once I kill the kit, I will have my revenge." He growled, preparing to ram into Kagome's barrier.

Deciding she wanted to drain more information from this demon about the kitsune she was watching over, she attempted to lengthen their talk before the demon stupidly touched her barrier and turned to ash. "What has this Youko done to you that resulted in the need to hunt down and kill an innocent child?"

"He took everything from me. He came to take the shard of the sacred jewel I had but my mate interfered and attacked him. He killed her without even having to move from where he was standing. He told me that since I handed it over so willingly without any trouble, he would spare my life." He snared at the memory and Kagome almost felt pity for the demon. Almost.

"I am sorry for your loss, but revenge is not the answer. Would your mate want you to kill a child in order to avenge her death?" Kagome tried to reason, if she could, she wanted this demon to leave without being killed. She just hoped he wasn't lost in his need for revenge.

The demon snorted as it prepared to attack again. "Of course revenge is the answer. He took my mate from me, so it is only fair that I take the last member of his family from him." He growled before charging toward the barrier. Kagome sighed and closed her eyes in defeat as the demon collided with the barrier. All she could hear was a soft zapping sound followed by the sound of dirt slowly piling on the ground.

Shaking her head and turning away, Kagome returned to the deeper part of the cave and slumped down onto the ground. With another exasperated sigh, she leaned down to rest her back against the cool ground before pulling one of her extra blankets over her body. Letting out a yawn, she closed her eyes and slowly fell back asleep, hoping no more demons would interrupt her rest.

Kagome woke several hours later to the sound of soft whimpers. Opening her eyes and sitting up slowly, she turned to check on the kit that was supposed to be resting under the warm blanket she had covered her with. What she found instead was along the lines of what she expected when the kit woke. She had managed to make her way across to the other side of the cave and was pressing her back against the wall firmly. Tears were trailing down from her beautiful silver eyes as she hugged her black colored tail tightly to her chest. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion and her body tense, ready to bolt at any moment.

Kagome smiled softly and moved very slowly, so she wouldn't frighten the kit. Moving carefully, she changed her position so that she was sitting on her calves, her hands visible to the kit in a non threatening manner as they rested in her lap. "I won't hurt you, I promise. I just wanted to help heal you." The miko said softly, still smiling.

What happened next was nothing like what Kagome expected. After letting out a loud sob, the kit ran toward Kagome and leapt into her arms. She buried her face in the miko's stomach and continued crying, even harder now. After recovering from her shock, Kagome slowly wrapped her arms around the small demon, hugging her to comfort her as much as she possibly could. Soon her sobs died down to soft sniffles and her tight grip on the miko's shirt slowly loosened. The kit slowly climbed out of Kagome's lap and bowed her head as she stood in front of her.

"I am sorry…" she said softly, her voice cracking slightly.

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's perfectly fine."

The little kit looked up at her through beautiful thick lashes, her eyes puffy and red from crying. "Thank you…" she whispered.

"You're welcome… so where are your parents? Why were you out there all by yourself?" Kagome asked slowly, watching the many emotions that flashed across the kitsune's face. She dropped her gaze to the ground once more and Kagome regretted asking in the first place.

"They're dead… they were killed several weeks ago and I've been on the run ever since. I've been trying to find my uncle… he's all I have left and I knew he could keep me safe." She explained quietly, her gaze remaining on the ground at her feet.

Kagome slowly reached out and pulled the kit into her arms once more. She hugged her tightly, dragging her fingers through the soft fur of her tail as she tried her best to comfort the kit. She seemed so fragile in her arms… so breakable. Then again, if she thought about it, it was almost like she was already broken. Her heart was broken. Her family was gone and all she had left was her uncle and she had almost failed in finding him. She was broken and Kagome was determined to help fix and mend her together.

"What's your name?" Kagome asked softly.

"Alexis…" she answered quietly, fear laced into her smooth voice.

"My name is Kagome… you don't have to be scared Alexis, I promised I wouldn't hurt you and I won't. In a village not far from here, all of my friends are waiting there for me to return. One of those happens to be a kitsune kit…about the same age as you, maybe a few years younger." Kagome smiled when Alexis stared up at her in disbelief.

"Is he an orphan too?" she asked.

Kagome nodded, "Unfortunately yes. I took him in when we found him and discovered his parents had been killed by the Thunder Brothers. He's been traveling with my group ever since."

"He's so lucky that he found you… I'm so lucky I found you." She said with a small smile, wrapping her arms around Kagome's waist once more in a hug.

"Well I actually found both of you, but it's the same concept." Kagome laughed.

"Ok then we're lucky that you found us." The kit grinned up at the miko and Kagome rolled her eyes and ruffled her hair.

"I hate to ruin the good mood but a demon came by here earlier looking for you…"

Alexis buried her face into Kagome's stomach as if she could hide from the world if she couldn't see it. Kagome rubbed her back soothingly before continuing. "He said that he was after you because of a demon named Youko that was related to you."

"That's my uncle! He's a thief so I bet he probably stole something from the demon." She explained proudly. Kagome smiled down at the kit. She must really look up to her uncle to speak so highly of him.

"Yes, the demon said your uncle stole a shard of the sacred jewel from him. Your uncle must be powerful because that weak pathetic excuse for a demon was obviously too scared to go after Youko himself so instead settled for hunting you down." Kagome said sourly, glaring at the opposite wall angrily. Just the thought of a demon preying on a child made her blood boil.

"Oh he is. He's very strong. That's why I was trying to look for him…he could easily keep me safe." Alexis said quickly, bouncing up and down in Kagome's lap as she explained her uncle. Kagome laughed. This was how the kit should be acting. Like a hyper active energizer bunny. She was beginning to act somewhat like Shippo did on a daily basis and it was easing her worry. Kagome didn't know much about the kitsune breed but she did know how a kit should act. She also knew that handling two kits was going to be a handful…Shippo was already almost too much for her to handle sometimes.

Maybe if she helped find Alexis's uncle then she would be happy. Not to mention Kagome would then only have to deal with one kit. She wouldn't mind if Alexis stayed with them but she just figured it may be easier for the kit if she was with her uncle. He was a kitsune and could teach her things that she could not. Things that kitsune's should know, things that Shippo may not ever learn… Kagome stared down at the hyper kit that was still talking about her all powerful uncle and smiled. It was obvious that she wanted to find Youko, so she would help her.

"Alexis, how about I help you find your uncle?" Kagome said, interrupting the kit's banter.

Her silver eyes widened with excitement before she leapt up and wrapped her arms around Kagome's neck in a tight hug. "Really? You would help me? Oh thank you Kagome… thank you soooo much."

Kagome laughed. "It's no problem at all, I'm a little curious to meet your uncle anyway, he seems interesting. Not to mention I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you went off on your own to look for him." Kagome shivered at the mere thought of it. She highly doubted that if the kit was attacked again and was put in the same condition or worst as when she had found her, that someone would come along and rescue her again. It was rare that humans cared for demons, and another demon would most likely feed on her dying corpse.

"So when do we leave??" she asked in excitement.

Kagome thought of Inuyasha and how pissed he would be if Kagome returned with Alexis and said they were going to find her uncle for her. He would refuse and throw a fit, saying it was a waste of time that they didn't have and that they needed to find the last of the shards before Naraku did. Kagome groaned at the thought. She sure didn't want to get into another fight with the hanyou. Maybe she could return without Alexis and say that she had finals to study for and take and her mother wouldn't let her return until they were over.

Kagome smirked. That would definitely work. Inuyasha wasn't scared of anything she could think of except for her mother. She wasn't sure why, but her mother scared the living day lights out of Inuyasha. He was very polite when he talked to her and would do anything she asked of him. Maybe it was because he was afraid of what her mother would do to him if she was ever hurt. It didn't matter. All that mattered was the fact that if her mother said she was to stay home for tests, then Inuyasha wouldn't complain.

"Alexis, I want you to stay here ok? Don't leave the cave. I'm going to talk to my friends. When I get back, we'll leave." Kagome smiled when the kit nodded obediently. Ruffling her hair once more, Kagome stood and slug her bow and quiver of arrows over her shoulder. She left her pack behind so it seemed like she had only brought back her weapons because she didn't plan to stay long. She was going to explain that her mother only allowed her to return for a few hours so she could explain to them that she had to stay home for at least a month for finals then she was allowed to return.

It was a perfect plan…there was no way it could fail.

* * *

"She says I'm not allowed to come back until finals are over." Kagome sighed in irritation, pretending to be disappointed that she couldn't come back for a month.

"Well if your mother says you can't, then there is nothing we can do." Miroku shrugged.

"You need to keep a passing grade in school anyway Kagome, so just do your best. It must be hard to juggle school work and coming back here to collect the jewel shards. Don't worry about us; we can manage without you for a month." Sango grinned, hugging her friend tightly.

"Yea, and there's no way I'm going to argue with your mother…so I guess we'll see you when you get back." Inuyasha said quietly.

Kagome was jumping with joy inside. She was so thrilled this plan was working out so perfectly. She was tempted to skip out the hut with a huge grin on her face, but she had to keep up her sad face so it seemed that she didn't want to be stuck in her time for that long and just to study for another boring test. She nodded her head slowly, her eyes dropping to the ground as she moved to hug everyone goodbye for the time being.

"Don't worry Kagome, everything will be ok. I'll forgive you as long as you bring me back some more candy." Shippo grinned as he hugged his adoptive mother tightly before kissing her on the cheek and leaping into Sango's arms.

Kagome smiled slightly, though she didn't let it reach her eyes. "Yea…I'll miss you all. See you in a month." She sighed before dragging herself out of the hut and back toward the well.

"Poor Kagome, I'm glad I don't have to do those tests. From how she acts, she seems to really hate them." The miko heard Sango say before she was out of earshot. Once the village was no longer in sight, she grinned. She did it! She had successfully got herself a month of free time. Kagome wasn't completely sure if they would find Youko in that time span but that's the most she could ask for without raising any suspicions.

If they didn't find Youko within the next month, then Kagome decided she would go through the argument with Inuyasha so that Alexis could travel with them. They were bound to run into the kitsune thief sooner or later if he really was stealing shards from other demons. When they did find him, she would make sure Inuyasha didn't kill him and would reunite Alexis with her long lost uncle. Eventually everything would work out. It had to.

She brushed those thoughts aside as she came to the cave entrance. Her barrier was still intact, untouched. Walking through, she immediately heard soft whimpering and sobs. Sighing to herself, she made her way deeper into the cave to see Alexis curled up in a ball surrounded by the blankets the miko had left with her to keep her warm. Her tiny body was shaking with her sobs and she could easily see the wetness that was slowly growing as she continued crying into the soft blankets.

Slowly kneeling down beside her, the kit lifted her tear filled eyes up to Kagome before flinging herself into the miko's open arms. "I miss my mommy…" she cried, hiccupping from trying to speak while she was sobbing. Her breathing was coming out in sharp shallow bursts as she tried to stop crying. Kagome hugged the shaking kit to her tightly, rubbing her back soothingly.

"It's alright… shhh." She whispered.

"I miss her… I'll never see her again… she left me all alone…" the kit cried, fisting her hands into the fabric of Kagome's shirt.

"She hasn't left you Alexis. She is always with you…in your heart. She will always be there for you. She lives in your dreams and memories." Kagome said softly.

Alexis, her breaths coming out in hiccups, looked up at Kagome with teary eyes. "Is she really?"

"Of course. She will always be with you. Right here." The miko smile as she placed her finger on the kit's heart. "As long as you never forget her and only think of all the good times you had with her, she will remain with you in your heart. She will keep you safe."

"S…so mommy is the one who led you t…to me?" she sniffled.

Kagome nodded. "Most likely, your mommy saved you by leading me in your direction because she knew I would help."

The kit gave the miko a teary smile before hugging her again. "Mommy knew you would keep me safe… she was always a good judge of character." The kit giggled slightly through her tears.

"I bet she was. Did you know that the dead can hear your thoughts?" Kagome asked softly, almost laughing at the shock and disbelief that was splashed across the kits face when she looked up at her again.

"How? Can they really?"

"Yes, they can. If you think really hard about your mother, you can tell her how much you love and miss her." Kagome explained and watched as Alexis closed her eyes really tight for several minutes. When she opened them again she was looking up to Kagome with hopeful eyes.

"Do you think she heard me?"

Kagome smiled softly and pulled the kit into another tight hug. "Yes sweetie… I think she heard you loud and clear."

"Thank you Kagome." Alexis smiled as she pulled away.

"Of course, and anytime you feel you miss her a lot again, just close your eyes and think about her really hard. Tell her how you feel. Tell her what you did that day. I'm sure she would enjoy hearing what adventures you're experiencing even though she can see them because she is watching over you." Kagome smiled as she began packing the blankets in her pack. "Life is pain… get used to it. That's what my mother would always tell me during troubling times." Kagome smiled slightly.

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind… are we leaving now?" she asked as she moved to help Kagome pack up.

"Yes, I talked to my friends and I got us a month to look for your uncle." She explained.

The kit frowned slightly as she leapt onto Kagome shoulder after the miko strapped her bag to her back and slug her weapons over her shoulders. "Only a month? Will we be able to find him in that time?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but if we can't then we'll move onto plan B." Kagome grinned.

"What is plan B?"

"You join my traveling group. We're bound to run into your uncle at some point in time." Kagome explained as she began walking toward the east.

"Why don't we just go straight to plan B then?"

"Because it's a little complicated…" Kagome sighed. She knew she would have to explain this to the kit sooner or later, but she had hoped it would have been later. She didn't want Alexis thinking that her friends didn't want her to come along.

"You never really told me anything about your friends or your travels Kagome." She said innocently. "Or where you make these odd objects you have with you. That blanket was very soft, what is it made of?"

Kagome laughed sheepishly. This kit was even more observant than Shippo was. "I travel with five friends that I have met over the past year and a half. Sango is a taijiya, Miroku is a monk, Shippo is the orphaned kit I told you about, Kirara is a Sango's neko companion, and Inuyasha is an inuhanyou."

"A miko, monk, taijiya, orphan, neko, and hanyou? Your group is very odd. I would love to hear how you met them." She smiled.

Kagome laughed. "Ok, who do you want to hear about first?"

"Shippo." She cheered with a huge grin.

"Alright. So you know that Shippo's parents were killed by the Thunder Brothers. Well back then it was only Inuyasha and I. We had stopped to eat lunch in a bone yard, which I was not happy about one bit. Shippo appeared out of no where, using his illusions to trick Inuyasha and me while he dug through my pack to steal the shards I had." Kagome laughed at the memory of the big pink bubble that was threatening Inuyasha.

"Well Inuyasha wasn't tricked and he caught Shippo. The kit then explained that he needed the shards so he could get stronger and avenge his parents' deaths. I promised Shippo that we would help him avenge his family and made Inuyasha promise not to hurt Shippo. I'm not sure why, but that stupid hanyou likes picking on Shippo all the time. He's always hitting him over the head or holding him midair by his tail. Oh it just gets me so angry to even think about it!" Kagome fumed.

"Anyway, I was kidnapped by the Thunder Brothers and Inuyasha and Shippo came to rescue me. Hiten was the older brother and was in charge. He looked human and was actually quite handsome. Too bad he was such a savage. The younger brother was Manten. He was the one that kidnapped me and had planned on eating me." Kagome said in a story like tone, making Alexis gasp.

"Then what happened?! Did Inuyasha save you??" she asked, impatient for the miko to continue.

"I convinced the brothers that Inuyasha would give them his shards if they returned me to him safely and untouched. I don't know how, but the buffoons believed me and set out in search of Inuyasha. But he was already almost to their castle so we crossed paths in no time. Manten had me trapped on his cloud while Hiten approached Inuyasha. After arguing and some misunderstandings, Inuyasha attacked Hiten. I attacked Manten and the cloud we were on disappeared. We hit the ground but thankfully I landed on Manten so he broke my fall.

"I tried to climb out of the huge crater that was made from us falling but he grabbed me again, threatening to kill me if I didn't cooperate. Shippo saved me then by using his spinning top illusion. I was able to escape Manten while he was under the illusion but once it faded, he came after us. We didn't know before but Manten could throw fireballs from his mouth. I had grabbed Shippo and ran to hide because I couldn't possibly beat a demon as strong as he was and Inuyasha was still fighting Hiten."

Kagome paused to take a breath and put the suspense sound back into her voice, finding entertainment in the facial expressions Alexis was making from her story.

"After burning down every place possible for us to hide, Manten finally go a hold of me again. Shippo attacked him to try and save me but he was thrown into a nearby tree and rendered unconscious for the time being. Manten was choking me and just as I thought I wasn't going to make it, his grip suddenly loosened. He dropped me and fell to the ground. I looked over to him after catching my breath to see Inuyasha's sword, the Tetsugia, was stabbed through Manten's chest."

Alexis gasped in surprise. "Inuyasha saved you?! How did he possibly have the time to save you when he was stuck fighting Hiten??"

"He had seen Manten trying to suffocate me but couldn't get to me because Hiten was standing between him and me. So he leapt up and threw Tetsugia. Hiten had mocked him, saying that he missed but he didn't realize that the hanyou wasn't aiming for him but for his brother. Once Hiten realized his brother was killed, he went into a rage. I grabbed Shippo and ran to Inuyasha while Hiten mourned over his brother. Myoga, Inuyasha's somewhat guide, said that we were in big trouble now because Hiten had taken Manten's shards and combined them with the ones he already had. So now Hiten had 5 shards and was really powerful.

"Inuyasha had just gotten the Tetsugia recently so he didn't know how to use its power yet and without it, he couldn't defeat Hiten. Well Hiten and Inuyasha got into another fight and Inuyasha lost the Tetsugia. So he was using his sheath to defend himself. Shippo woke up by then and we ran to get Inuyasha's sword for him so he could beat Hiten. We got Tetsugia back to Inuyasha but he was still at a disadvantage because Hiten could fly. So Myoga told me that if I could take out the flying devices on his shoes that Inuyasha may have a chance of winning."

"So what did you do? I thought you didn't have any strong powers back then Kagome."

"I didn't, but I had been practicing with my bow and arrow so I could defend myself at least a little bit. I was able to fuse small bouts of purification into my arrows and I successfully shot one of Hiten's shoes. He couldn't fly anymore and now he and Inuyasha were even. I hadn't noticed when, but Shippo had grabbed his father's pelt that was wrapped around Manten's waist. He refused to part with it and dragged it everywhere we went.

"Hiten was angry that I had taken out his flying ability so he threw a thunder ball at us. We didn't have time to move and were hit with the attack. Inuyasha snapped then and somehow released one of Tetsugia's powerful attacks called the Wind Scar. The attack killed Hiten but Inuyasha didn't care about the shards anymore because he thought I was dead. Turned out that Shippo's father had some fox magic left in his pelt and the magic saved us from Hiten's attack that would have surely killed us."

"Wow, it sounds so exciting. You tell stories very good Kagome." She grinned.

"Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

They took a break at a river they came across to rest for an hour or two and have a late lunch. It wouldn't be long until it started getting dark but Kagome was sure she could get another two hours of walking done before stopping to make camp for the night. After eating and packing their things together, Alexis leapt back onto Kagome's shoulder and requested that she continue with her stories of her friends.

"Ok so that was how you met Shippo, so tell me about Sango and Kirara now." The kit pleaded and Kagome smiled sadly.

"Sango's story is a little sad. I'm not going to go into complete details because I think that is for Sango to decide to share but I will explain the basics."

Alexis nodded in understanding, respecting that fact that Sango wanted her privacy and that Kagome respected that privacy. It said a lot about how caring Kagome was of her friends.

"Sango lived with her father and little brother in the last remaining taijiya tribe. They were all called to a temple to dispose of a demon and were ambushed. One of the demons had planted a controlling bug on Sango's little brother Kohaku. The demon was controlling his actions and after their family killed all the demons, Kohaku was forced to turn on his family. He killed them all… even their father. Sango was the last one standing and she had found out who was controlling her brother.

"But it was too late. The guards of the castle attacked them, shooting them with dozens of arrows. All of their bodies were buried but somehow Sango survived and pulled herself out of the ground. She dragged herself to the nearest temple and was manipulated by Naraku that Inuyasha was the one who was in charge of the death of her entire family and tribe. Now before I continue with Sango's story and how we ended up meeting, I should explain to you who Naraku is and why he was targeting Inuyasha."

"I know who Naraku is. My father had told me about him before. He is an evil hanyou that was once human but sold his soul to demons so he could be powerful. He used to be a bandit by the name of Onigumo but is now know as Naraku. He is in the process of collecting all the shards of the Shikon no Tama so he can become a full demon." She explained.

Kagome smiled. "Yes, your father kept you well informed, that's good. Did he tell you about the story of the miko he fell in love with?"

Alexis nodded before she gasped in realization. "He fell in love with the miko named Kikyou that was taking care of his wounds but he couldn't have her because she was in love with a hanyou named Inuyasha! Kikyou was the guardian of the sacred jewel at the time and he became a hanyou so he could pit Kikyou and Inuyasha against each other so they would kill each other and he could take the jewel. So your Inuyasha is the same Inuyasha from before! But I thought he was pinned to a tree for eternity?"

"He was supposed to be trapped there forever, but I will explain that later. That is part of my story." Kagome grinned. "So Naraku sent Sango out to kill Inuyasha. He had already sent several demons to kill us but none were strong enough to get the job done. Naraku figured a taijiya would have the skills to kill us off though and she probably would have been able to if she wasn't near death from all the blood she had lost. Before she could really get anywhere close to killing Inuyasha, she passed out. Inuyasha carried her to safety and I cleaned and wrapped her wounds. When she woke up, she tried to kill Inuyasha again but I explained to her that Inuyasha would not kill her family and that it must have been Naraku. She had heard of Naraku and all of her anger was turned to him."

"So her whole family was killed? Poor Sango…" Alexis sighed, understanding how the slayer must feel.

"That's what we thought, but somehow Naraku brought Kohaku back to life with a jewel shard. He erased all of his memories and uses Sango's poor brother to do his dirty work. It kills Sango every time we encounter Kohaku because he can't even remember his own sister." Kagome explained sadly.

"Is there anyway to save Kohaku? To get him back to Sango and return his memories?" Alexis asked hopefully.

"We aren't sure, but we do know that the jewel shard in his back is what's keeping him alive…if that is removed, he will die." Kagome said as she stopped for the day and set down her bag.

"So that's how you met Sango…and Kirara was just with her the entire time?"

"Well Kirara was a little complicated. We didn't find her until later because Sango had left her at the village when they all set out to the castle. So later when Sango went to bury her family properly, she found Kirara."

"Kirara must have made her feel a lot better…not as lost as she must have first felt." Alexis said quietly.

Kagome nodded slowly as she prepared to made dinner. "Yea, well that's all the stories for today!"

"Aww, why Kagome? Please tell me one more! Please?" she begged.

Kagome shook her head with a laugh. "No can do, we need to save some stories for the rest of our boring travel to occupy ourselves. Tomorrow I'll tell you Miroku and my story, seeing as you already seem to know Inuyasha's story. Then the next day I'll tell you about Kouga and some of the other demons we have met along our journeys. I have made quite a few friends here…" Kagome smiled to herself as she stared into the fire she had made to cook dinner. So many friends…and there was the possibility that she may never see them again after the final battle.

"I can't wait." Alexis grinned as she stared at the odd metal object that Kagome was using to cook noodles in water. She wasn't sure what she was making but the fish they had for lunch was very good so she was sure she would like whatever Kagome was making now. Once dinner was ready, Kagome handed Alexis a bowl of ramen before serving herself. The kit found that she loved the flavored noodles very much and ate it even faster than she did with her fish.

After dinner was cleaned up, Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag and settled it near the fire so they could keep warm. She threw a barrier up around their little camp before sliding into her sleeping bag and motioning for Alexis to sleep next to her. The kit happily skipped over and dove under the cover. She cuddled up against Kagome's chest, her nose pressed into Kagome's neck as she inhaled Kagome's comforting scent of almond and peppermint.

The kitsune fell asleep quickly and Kagome smiled as she wrapped her arms around her tiny form lovingly. Kagome stared up at the stars in the sky above her. That was another reason she loved the feudal era so much more than her time. She couldn't see anything in the sky because of all the pollution and lights in her time. Here, everything was so clean and clear. The air smelt fresh and not like gasoline. Sighing to herself and closing her eyes, Kagome just hoped they would be able to find Alexis's uncle within the next month. But for the time being, she would watch over the kit as if she were her own.

* * *

A/N:

There's chapter one of my newest fic! Hope you all enjoyed. I'm slowly becoming more descriptive in my writing the more I write. I often look back to my first fic and pick out the many differences between my writing when I first began and how much I have improved. Well enough of my babble. Chapter two will be up soon, so no worries ^_^ but I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your vacation with your families…I know I will.

Happy Holidays,

Icyfire

Next Chapter – Chapter two: Fairytale


	2. Fairytale

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 2: Fairytale

Kagome awoke peacefully that morning. A first since she began traveling with Inuyasha. He always woke her up too early or would start a fight with someone, most of the time being Shippo, and she would wake up grumpy. Alexis was still asleep so she got out of the sleeping bag carefully so as not to wake her. Moving quietly, Kagome began making breakfast. The delicious smell of eggs woke Alexis several minutes later. Stretching with a yawn, the kit rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she tiredly scrambled out of bed and over to Kagome's lap where she sat and waited for her body to fully awaken.

Kagome smiled down at Alexis. She wasn't quite sure how or why the kit had become so attached and trusting of her so quickly but she didn't mind. It made this trip much easier knowing that the kit trusted her and would most likely listen in a serious situation if any were to occur. Kagome was sure she would be able to handle most of the demons that they would cross paths with. There were only a select few she was worried about, such as Naraku or any of his minions.

The only demons that ever came after the jewel shards she had were weak. The stronger demons didn't believe in using a relic that could simply give them the power, they believed that true power came from training and hard work. She not only respected that, but was also very relieved that the stronger demons followed this because she was sure she wouldn't survive against one of them, even with her purification.

Once breakfast was ready, Kagome served Alexis a decent amount before digging into her own meal. They ate in a comfortable silence and after they finished, Alexis offered to help clean. Several minutes later, Kagome was strapping her bag onto her back and Alexis leapt up to her shoulder. The kit was quiet for sometime and Kagome began to worry about her. Turning to Alexis, she saw the kit was gazing ahead of them blankly.

"Hey, are you ok?" the miko asked quietly, reaching up and poking Alexis's nose to get her attention.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I'm fine…" she answered absentmindedly.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're a terrible liar, did you know that?"

Alexis smiled slightly as she leaned her head against Kagome's with a sigh. "I had a really good dream last night… Mommy and Daddy came to see me in my sleep."

Kagome smiled and reached up to pull the kit into a tight hug.

"They said they were very proud of me and that I should listen to you because you will keep me safe."

Kagome nodded, "Yes… I will protect you. No matter what, ill keep you safe and get you to your uncle." Kagome assure her with a grin. "Besides, I'm a little excited to meet this uncle of yours. He seems…interesting."

Alexis smirked. "He's single, as far as I know."

Kagome laughed. "Oh you're so cute." Inside, Kagome was panicking. All she needed was another clueless demon that chased her around Japan calling her his woman.

"Really Kagome, I think you would like each other. You're really pretty, uncle is very handsome. He's a different breed than I am though, I'm a black kitsune and uncle is a silver kitsune. He has a silver tail and ears." Alexis explained.

Kagome groaned to herself. That's just all she needed to top it off. A demon that had fuzzy ears that she would have to avoid touching at all costs. Her uncle was probably very sweet but not her type. Kinda like Kouga. She somewhat listened as Alexis continued babbling on about her uncle. She just hoped Youko wouldn't follow her like a lost puppy like Hojo and Kouga did.

"So anyway, you said you were going to tell me about Miroku and your stories! So come on!! I've been waiting so long." She bounced up and down on her shoulder in excitement.

Kagome laughed. "Ok, ok. So I'll start with Miroku's story and then mine will follow. My story will connect everyone else's together. Kinda like the glue that keeps everything together." Kagome grinned.

"Miroku is the monk that's in love with Sango right? He's the third one to join you in your journey?"

"Correct, alright so Inuyasha, Shippo and I were traveling to a town that was nearby. We were randomly going in different directions in hopes of finding a jewel shard. I'll explain to you later what a bicycle is but I was riding my bike with Shippo in the basket and Inuyasha was suddenly attacked by a large demon that was coming down the mountain. Somehow Shippo ended up with Inuyasha and he threw the demon off of him.

"While he was dealing with the demon, a man in purple robes grabbed me and kidnapped me on my bike. I didn't know at the time, but he had secretly taken my shards while I was scrambling to get away from him. He finally let me go and I didn't notice the shards were gone until after the monk was out of sight and Inuyasha and Shippo had returned to me. We rushed into the town that the monk had disappeared into and Inuyasha began sniffing him out. We finally found him and Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsugia on him. The monk fought back quite well but wasn't good enough to defeat Inuyasha.

"Then he suddenly ran. He was running through the town yelling for everyone to get to safety as he led Inuyasha out of town. At first we saw him as an enemy and we thought so further when he released his wind tunnel on Inuyasha. The wind tunnel was a curse placed on Miroku's grandfather and has been passed down to each male generation that has not killed Naraku yet. The Wind Tunnel is a hole in Miroku's right hand. When he unleashes it, it sucks anything in its way into the black void and anything that is taken in, can never come out.

"So anyway, I figured there had to be a reason that the monk had warned all the villagers to get to safety. He must not be an enemy. So to test my theory, I put myself in the wind tunnel's path. It sucked me toward it but Miroku closed it once he realized an innocent human was about to be killed. I landed on Miroku and seemingly knocked him unconscious. Inuyasha make his way over to me, yelling about how stupid I was when Miroku groped me. Inuyasha wasn't happy about that." Kagome laughed slightly.

"But unfortunately…the cursed Wind Tunnel will kill Miroku if we don't defeat Naraku soon." Kagome explained, sighing sadly at the thought of her friend and his time slowly slipping away.

"I'm sure you can save Miroku. I bet uncle will help fight against Naraku." Alexis said.

"I'm not sure if I would want your uncle to fight against Naraku with us. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you losing all of your family…" Kagome whispered, her eyes cast down to the ground.

Alexis stared at Kagome for several minutes before understanding. "You don't actually blame everything that's happened on yourself do you?"

Kagome remained silent and Alexis placed her tiny hands on Kagome's cheeks and pulled her face to her direction so she could look her straight in the eyes. "None of this is your fault Kagome. It's all because of the jewel. You can't blam…"

"But it is my fault Alexis! All of it! I'm the ditsy miko that shattered the Shikon No Tama into millions of pieces! If I wasn't for me, Shippo's father would have never had a jewel shard and the Thunder Brothers wouldn't have targeted him in the first place. If it wasn't for me, Sango's village would still be alive and she would still have her brother at her side. All of this death, all of this suffering…it's because I broken the jewel." Kagome did her best to hold back her tears as she turned to look away from the kit.

Alexis nuzzled Kagome's neck and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Kagome…if it wasn't for you Inuyasha would still be stuck to that tree. He would have never known how it really felt to be loved and cared for. If it wasn't for you Miroku and Sango probably would have never found each other. If it wasn't for you…Shippo and I would have never crossed paths with you.

"I would have dies out there in that field. Shippo would have been killed; Miroku would die without even the chance of fighting against Naraku for his life. You think that all you have brought is death and sadness but in reality, you bring happiness and relief." Alexis smiled as Kagome hugged her to her chest tightly, letting the tears fall now.

"Like you said before Kagome, you're like the glue. You keep everyone together. If it weren't for you, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Shippo would never have teamed up to defeat Naraku. Because of you, Naraku has been defeated and weakened multiple times over and over again. Your group is the only one to ever really be considered as trouble toward Naraku."

"But what about you… You're parents were probably killed because they had jewel shards…" Kagome whispered.

"This experience will only make me stronger… kind of like Inuyasha. He grew stronger from the pain and sorrow of his childhood. Same with uncle Youko… so maybe I will grow up to be strong like them." She grinned. "And I would have never met you Kagome… and I bet if I never met you then I would have never found uncle Youko."

"But we haven't even found him yet." Kagome pointed out with a soft giggle.

"Not yet, but I have a feeling we will find him." She smiled before kissing Kagome on the cheek. "So that was the perverted monk's story, now tell me yours!"

"Alright, this is going to surprise you a little Alexis but I trust that you will keep my secret. I'm not from this time… I'm from the future, 500 years in the future to be exact."

"That explains the weird things you carry in your bag and the food too."

"Yes, well in my time, I live on a shine. The god tree that Inuyasha was pinned to is on our shrine grounds so it makes me think sometimes that maybe I was meant to be brought here all along. Anyway, my little brother Souta was trying to find our cat and had stopped at the doors of the well house that is on next to the shrine. When I got there, he said that Bouyo was near the well. There was a faint scratching sound near the well and Souta freaked. I had told him he was being silly and that it was just Bouyo.

"So I went down to the well that was boarded up at the time and picked up Bouyo. Now here's where things get weird. We had thought the scratching sound was Bouyo clawing the wood on the well, but I was holding the cat and the scratching was still sounding behind me. Suddenly the boarded were broken off the well and a large centipede demon pulled me into the well. It demanded that I give it the jewel but at the time I had no idea what it was talking about. It was about to attack me and I instinctively put my hands in front of my face. Next thing I knew a purple flash came from my fingers and I was sitting at the bottom of the well."

"What happened to the demon??"

"I'll get to that, relax." Kagome laughed. "So I pulled myself out of the well and was confused out of my mind when I realized I wasn't home anymore. The place I had found myself in was nothing like my home. There was plant life and little animals everywhere, the air was fresh and the sky was clear. I looked around and saw the Goshiboku and figured if I was home then it was near the tree. So I ran in that direction only to find myself even more surprised.

"There, pinned to the god tree by an arrow that was supposed to be visible just outside my bedroom window, was a very handsome man. After taking a closer look I realized he couldn't be a man because he had strange dog ears and shiny white hair. I thought I had died and gone to heaven." Kagome laughed.

"So the man pinned to the tree with the doggie ears was Inuyasha right?" Alexis asked quickly, excited for the miko to continue.

"Yes, it was. So while I was tweaking his cute ears, a group of people captured me, saying that I was in a forbidden area. They tied me up and put me before the village miko. Of course I had no idea what any of them where talking about. So an old woman had come out of her hut and seemed surprised when she saw me. She looked my facial features over more closely and had decided that I must be the reincarnation of her sister Kikyou."

"Kikyou was burned with the jewel when she died right?"

"Yes, but I will explain why she has not remained dead a little later. Anyway, Kaede, the old miko, fed me and while we were eating, the centipede demon that attacked me in the well began attacking the village. I knew that it was there for me and I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of that so I ran back to the forest that I had seen the dog boy and Goshiboku.

"Just as I reached the clearing that the tree was in, Mistress Centipede attacked. She thankfully missed me but did manage to send me flying to the base of the tree. I hear someone talking to me and looked up to see the dog boy, that had seemed to be dead or in a deep sleep, was glaring down at me. He kept calling me Kikyou and I got angry. He realized that I wasn't Kikyou just as Mistress Centipede attacked me again. This time she didn't miss though. She sunk her teeth into my side,"

Kagome lifted her shirt up slightly to show the kit the bite marks that were scared along her otherwise smooth skin. Alexis shuttered slightly before Kagome straightened her shirt once more and continued with her story.

"When she ripped her fangs from my skin, the Shikon No Tama was pulled from my body. It was born inside me all along and I didn't even know it. The funny thing is my grandpa is pretty much obsessed with the legends of the sacred jewel. He would have freaked if he knew I had the jewel within me all that time. So anyway the jewel fell to the ground and I was trapped against Inuyasha to the Goshiboku. While we were trapped, Mistress Centipede swallowed the jewel."

"Is it true that if a demon were to use the jewel's power that they could be invincible?"

"Not quite, you see after Mistress Centipede swallowed the jewel, Inuyasha convinced me that the only way for us to live was if I released him from the tree. The curse on the arrow wouldn't allow him or anyone else to remove it but he somehow figured I could. So I unbound Inuyasha from his eternal sleep and he was able to tear Mistress Centipede to pieces. By then Kaede and some of the other villagers had already gotten there and she told me to quickly find the jewel before the centipede regenerated and pulled itself back together. Once I found the jewel, which I had no idea how I could see its bright shine but no one else could, I thought that I was finally safe."

"Did more demons come after you?"

"Not exactly, one hanyou in particular came after me. Inuyasha turned on me and even tried to kill me to get the jewel. Kaede saved me though. She placed cursed prayer beads on Inuyasha and made it so that I controlled it. I set the subjugation word as 'sit' and ever since then Inuyasha couldn't do anything I didn't want him to because I could force his face into the ground without even touching him." Kagome giggled.

"That's cool. Do you know how to make more of those prayer beads Kagome?"

"No, but Kaede can teach us if the need should ever arise. Why do you ask?"

"Well because from what I can remember, Uncle Youko is a big pervert." She giggled.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Wonderful… Miroku and Kouga were bad enough as individuals. From the looks of it, this Youko seemed to be a mix of the two. What was she getting herself into? Sighing with a shrug of her shoulders, Kagome continued walking. That day, Kagome and Alexis didn't stop for lunch. The miko felt the slightest pull of a jewel shard and immediately began traveling in that direction. Alexis was excited to see what they would find when they located the owner of the shard, her hopes high that it would be her uncle but Kagome highly doubted it.

They would be amazingly lucky if they happened to find Youko within the first few days of their travels. Once they found the demon that held the shard, Kagome first tired reasoning with the demon. She did not want to purify it if it willingly gave up the shard. Unfortunately for him, he decided to attack. Of course he never even got within several feet of them before he was turned to dust. After that bout of thrill, Kagome went on to explain to Alexis about Kikyou and her resurrection.

She described the pain that she felt as the witch attempted to steal her entire soul to bring Kikyou back from the dead, then how exhausting it was to call her soul back to her body before it was too late. Alexis now understood that Kikyou held half of Kagome's soul and wandered somewhere out there. Kagome had explained her feelings throughout her journey and how they had changed over time.

First, she was in love with Inuyasha and was hurt every time he disappeared to meet with Kikyou in secret. After having her heart broken and torn apart so many times, she had finally given up on Inuyasha and decided that she couldn't wait for him to decide if he would choose his first love or the miko from the future that looked almost exactly like her. She wasn't even completely sure if he was really looking at her when he stared at her, or if he was thinking he was looking at Kikyou.

With that thought in mind, Kagome found it easier to let go of her love for him as a lover and accepted herself to love him as a brother instead. This way, he was still her best friend and she could keep her promise to never leave his side as long as he needed her. Kagome was actually surprised with how much she ended up telling Alexis. She told her all of her thoughts and deep feelings… her pains and confusion… her worries and fears.

She told her pretty much everything within the span of the next week and even described her time in a little more detail so she understood how different it was. She told her about pocky and all the toys and sweets that Shippo loved so much. Alexis made her promise that even if they did find her uncle that Kagome would stay in touch with her and sometimes come bring her candy. Throughout that week of traveling and telling Alexis of her and her friend's many stories, they had successfully collected six shards.

Unfortunately there was still no sign of Youko but they still had a few more weeks to continue looking before they would have to start heading back. Most of the demons they crossed paths with were weak and individual. Most couldn't stay in groups because they would fight over the power of the jewel shards. This made everything much easier for Kagome and Alexis. She would simply shoot the demons down with arrows if they first did not hand over the shard willingly.

Alexis enjoyed traveling with Kagome. She was so different from other mikos and humans… she was civilized. The miko actually gave demons a change to live if they gave her the shards, unlike her uncle who she was sure didn't ask any questions and simply killed his victims before taking their shards for himself. Alexis knew that her uncle didn't use the shards to increase his power; no he was already one of the most powerful demons that existed in this time.

He used them to attract other demons and because they were a valued treasure. Many demons would come in search of him to take his shards that he had stolen and collected from many others. He enjoyed the challenge and pushing his skills to his peak. Instead of using the shards of the Shikon No Tama to increase his strength, he settled for battling the many demons that came to steal them. This way he wasn't cheating to gain more power, simply using bait to lure in strong demons to defeat.

Her father had told her so much about her uncle Youko, but only about his battle tactics and the way his mind worked when fighting. That's all she knew of him… and that he was a very loyal family member. She didn't know anything about his other traits. She knew what he looked like because her mother had described his features to her in case she ever had to look for him, but she had never actually seen him in person. Her mother had said her brother was very handsome and strong, but her imagination could only wander so far.

Speaking of her imagination, the way Kagome described her stories…with such emotion and detail, she almost felt as if she were there. Like she had been with Kagome to witness everything that had happened. The miko had described her friends so well that Alexis could almost picture each of them in her minds eye. She couldn't wait to meet them to see if her mental picture of them was close to what they actually looked like.

Kagome took a deep breath and looked around. She had no idea where they were. They were surrounded by thick trees. The ground was covered with healthy green grass except for the clean dirt path that they were currently following. This forest was quite beautiful but there was an eerie silence about it that made Kagome anxious. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and spread out her aura to perhaps find a river or lake nearby to rest.

What she found was not very relieving. Maybe several miles away, completely surrounding them were five demons. These were no regular demons though; they had one jewel shard each. Kagome swore to herself. How could she be so stupid as to no keep her guard up and stay more alert? If she wasn't so exhausted she could have been able to feel those shards hours ago. Now it was too late to run, not to mention there was no where they _could_ run.

Thinking quickly, the first thing that came to mind was to keep Alexis safe. That was her main priority. Looking around, she saw a decently large hole at the base of a willow tree. Taking an arrow from her quiver, she shot it into the hole to purify any demons that may have been present inside before ordering the kit to get in.

"Kagome, what's wrong? What's happening?" she asked, frightened by the panicked look in Kagome's eyes.

"We're surrounded… I didn't think this would happen but apparently there are some intelligent demons out there. Five demons, stronger than most of the others I've fought the past week, seemed to have band together. Each of them has one shard and they're heading straight for us. They must feel that I have a lot of shards so their coming after me."

"What are we going to do?"

"_You_ are going to stay right here. You are not to leave the safety of the barrier no matter what, do you understand me?" Kagome said sternly. Alexis nodded her head slowly, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Kagome, what are you going to do?" she sniffled, fearing the miko's answer.

"I'm going to get rid of these demons." She answered as she threw a barrier up around the entrance of the hole so Alexis would be safe. She made sure this barrier would only purify any demon that touched it from the outside but didn't harm anyone from the inside. To Alexis, it would be like she was stuck behind a glass wall. Smiling reassuringly to the kit, Kagome turned her back to the tree. Taking a deep breath, she checked how far they were to see how much time she had.

Approximately 7 minutes before they reached her.

This area was so beautiful; too bad she would have to ruin that. Looking around carefully, Kagome spotted several thick vines hanging from the many trees that surrounded her. A smirk slowly spread across her face. All that time she had spent watching Xena the Warrior Princess and all of those other cartoons and television shows would actually pay off. Her mother had always told her that tv would just turn her brain to mush and not help her in real life. Now the little miko could go back home and tell her mother how watching tv just might save her life. Kagome was thankful that she watched so much tv in her time…it made her quite creative.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N:

Hello everyone ^_^ hope you enjoyed chapter two; it was actually pretty fun to write. Have any of you ever watched the tv show Xena? If you haven't then you should. It's one of my favorite shows in the world lol. And there are so many lessons and morals to each episode, its great. Oh , and another thing. Have any of you read the book series Twilight? OMG! I am obsessed with it! I finished all four books in I think a month and then found out that eh first movie was coming out!

I was counting down ever since I found out the release date for the movie lol. And finally, it comes out tomorrow!! I live in a small town called Dickinson in North Dakota, I attend college here but this little town is so behind with things that it doesn't get Twilight out tomorrow. Well I can't wait until it does come out and I want to see it on the first night it comes out so I'm driving allll the way to Bismarck to watch it lol.

Jeez I need a life. Sorry for this pointless babble, just had to get it out lol. So anyway, the next chapter will be out soon, so no worries. TWILIGHT RULES! I love Edward Cullen! Oh and for all of you twilight fans lol, my friend sent this to me cause she knows how obsessed I am.

"You know you're obsessed when you look at your boyfriend and think 'Damnit SPARKLE you fool!!! Why don't you sparkle?!'"

Until next time ^_^

Icyfire

Next Chapter – Chapter Three: Fighter


	3. Fighter

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 3: Fighter

Kagome pulled the last knot tight before stepping back to examine her work. Nodding to herself, she slung her quiver of arrows over her shoulder, grabbed her bow and walked back to a tree with somewhat low branches. Stepping onto the lowest branch, she pulled herself up into the tree. She positioned herself so that she was stable on a thick branch where she could clearly see the bait.

Pulling an arrow from her quiver, she notched it onto her bow and took aim. Everything was set. Alexis was safe within the barrier and hidden in the tree base, the traps were set, and her pack sat on the exact spot where she buried her jewel shards. Demons could feel the power of the shards, but they couldn't pin point their exact locations, not like she could. They could not see and sense them to the extent that she could. The shards would most likely remained unfound not matter what happened to her.

Right now she had to clear her mind. Her goal was to rid of the danger…the threat. If anything _did_ happen to Kagome, then the protective barrier that kept Alexis safe would disappear and she could not allow that to happen. Concentrating on the task at hand, Kagome prepared herself for the demons' arrival. Any second now the demons would enter the surrounding area and all she could hope for was that her plan worked.

"It's somewhere close, I can feel it." She heard a raspy voice announce to her left.

Taking a deep, even breath, Kagome kept her aim where she needed it to be. Suddenly there was a snapping sound and the miko smirked. She watched as the demons slowly fell into her multiple traps. One stepped into the vine she had tied from one tree to another near it. Once he pulling his foot up to take another step, pulling the vine along with his foot, it snapped and wrapped around his ankle before pulling him against a tree. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down toward his stomach to see an arrow shoved through, the arrow head just barely pushing completely through the skin.

Kagome had broken the arrow in half and jammed the wooden part into the bark of the tree that one demon would be thrown into. That's one down, four to go. The next unfortunate demon happened to be the one she had set her aim for. This particular demon, which happened to look like a ram from the horns on his head, stepped into the net that was triggered once he was positioned in the middle. While the demon struggled to claw his way out, Kagome let her arrow fly, purifying him before he even completely escaped.

After that, there were two other snapping sounds. One, that first had Kagome breathing a sigh of relief, and the other somewhat painful. Kagome pushed the branch off of her legs with great effort as she examined her situation. The first snapping sound had been another demon getting trapped. This one, a snake demon, was currently hanging upside down but his ankle from a tree. The second snapping was the branch she had been sitting on being broken and her falling to the ground below, the large branch landing on her midsection.

She had successfully taken out two of the demons and one was occupied, but she had failed in terminating the remaining two who were now glaring down at her. At the corner of her eye, she saw her bow and without another thought quickly reached for it. What she received was a sharp kick to the stomach and her bow being broken in half. Glaring up at the two remaining threats, Kagome searched for their shards. The first, a bear demon, had his shard in his throat. The second, a tiger, had hers in her left thigh.

The bear demon growled down at her and grabbed the front of her shirt before lifting her up and off the ground. "Where are the jewel shards?" he snarled.

"I don't have any shards and even if I did, I wouldn't give them to you." Kagome snapped. The bear bared his teeth at her before throwing her to the ground. Kagome grunted in pain. Her ribs hurt and she figured she probably broke some of them but she had to concentrate is she wanted to live. Gritting her teeth together tightly, she pushed herself off the ground and formed a bow and arrow out of her purification energy. Glaring angrily at the bear, she easily shot him down and watched him turn to ash.

Turning her icy glare to the tiger, Kagome formed another arrow and aimed for her. She let her arrow fly but before it hit her, she disappeared. She cursed under her breath. The tiger demon must be using the shard to increase her speed. If that was so then it would be almost impossible for her to shoot the tiger unless she predicted where she would move. Kagome concentrated hard on where the shard was going and realized she was merely circling her. Taking aim, Kagome waited for the right moment.

"KAGOME!!!" Just as the miko was going to release her arrow, she heard Alexis's cry. But it was too late. Kagome cried out in agony as the snake demon sunk his teeth into the skin of her forearm. She could feel his poison burning into her blood stream before he even removed his fangs from her flesh. Kagome fell to her knees, her weapons disappearing.

"No!! Kagome, please get up! NO!!" she could hear Alexis shouting as she pounded against the barrier she was trapped behind. But there was nothing she could do, she couldn't move. It took all the strength she had to stay conscious so she could keep the protective barrier around the kit. Just as she felt she couldn't fight any longer, she heard a cry of pain and turned her head slightly to see the snake fall. Several moments later, the tiger demon was taken out and the last thing Kagome saw was a demon with silver hair and golden eyes kneeing at her side.

* * *

The pain was so unbearable that it pulled Kagome from her peaceful sleep. She woke hissing in pain as she instinctively tried to sit up. A pair of hands on her shoulders held her down where she lay and she immediately panicked. Her eyes flung open in fear only to see the demon that had saved her. At least she thought he saved her. He was the last thing she saw before going unconscious and she was sure that he had killed the demons that were attacking her.

She stared at him as he concentrated on something. Another sharp pain shot through her midsection and she figured he was probably wrapping her ribs so they could heal correctly. Biting her lower lip to keep from screaming from the pain, she lifted her arm to cover her eyes and felt a slight resistance. Looking over her arm, there was a bandage wrapped around her upper arm as well. Then she remembered the poison. How was she alive?

"Kagome! You're awake!" Said miko looked to where the voice came from to see Alexis running toward her, tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell to Kagome's side and wrapped her arms around her neck in a tight hug. "I was so worried Kagome… I thought you weren't going to make it…" Alexis sobbed.

"Yea…same here. So how _did_ I make it?" she whispered, looking toward the demon wrapping her ribs when she heard a slight chuckle.

"Uncle saved us! He killed those demons and came to our rescue!" Alexis smiled happily.

"Uncle?" Kagome's gaze averted from the grinning kit to the handsome demon healing her. "You're Youko? Alexis's uncle?" she asked, shocked.

His reply was a small nod, though he didn't look up at her from his work. Kagome felt her heart begin to quicken as she stared at the kitsune. He was certainly very good looking, just as Alexis had said. Nicely built body, perfect hair, silky looking tail, and almost irresistible ears. They twitched every now and then, one facing their direction to listen to their conversation.

"Told you Uncle Youko was handsome." Alexis whispered in Kagome's ear and she averted her gaze from the older kitsune, her cheeks cherry red.

"How am I still alive? That snake poisoned me." Kagome stated, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Uncle Youko sucked out the venom, and now he's bandaging up your ribs cause he said you fractured some. He said that you'll be fine in about a week." Alexis explained, taking Kagome's hand and rubbing her cheek against her palm.

"So does your uncle talk? Or is he mute and communicates through telepathy or something?" Kagome questioned, getting irritated with his silence.

"I talk; I just like to concentrate when at work, if you don't mind." Kagome's entire body froze at the sound of his voice. It was silky smooth, but husky and strong. At her sudden silence and stillness, he turned his gaze to her and Kagome felt her heart pound even faster now. His eyes were incredibly beautiful. They were a molten gold color with hints of sliver. A cocky smirk spread across his face and Kagome pulled herself from her daze. She glared at him before turning her head away with a snort.

Youko rolled his eyes and went back to his work while Alexis went to get Kagome some water. "You've been out for several hours. Alexis was very worried about you."

"Lucky thing you came along then." Kagome mumbled, refusing to look back toward the kitsune.

"If I hadn't come when I did, you both would be dead and the shards would be theirs." He snorted

Kagome's eyes widened as she shot up into a sitting position before crying out in pain and falling back once more. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she bite her lower lip and clenched her fists together to ride out the pain and wait for it to pass.

"The shards are safe, now will you stop moving? You're only making your injuries worst." Youko growled softly, tightening the last of the bandages.

"But my shards… I … I buried them…" Kagome panted out, trying not to take deep breaths. It hurt too much to breathe… to move. How she wished she was in her time where there were antibiotics that could numb her pain.

"Alexis dug them up and retrieved them for you." He answered just as the kit walked back into the room. Speaking of a room…where was she? Kagome took a look around to determine where she was exactly. The ceiling looked like solid rock, the walls as well. The room seemed bear besides the bed she only now realized she was lying on and a large chest at the foot of the bed. What surprised Kagome was that it was an actual bed. It had a wooden frame and many layers of blankets so that it was comfortable.

The top layer was a smooth sheet. It looked quite expensive and figure it was probably made of fine silk. Kagome rolled her eyes. What did she expect; this was the home of one of the greatest thieves in all of feudal Japan. To her right was a wide pathway that she figured led to the main room, but in front of her was a narrow pathway. Kagome stared at it in confusion when she caught a glimpse of what looked to be steam rolling at the ceiling just at the entrance.

"There is a hot spring in that room. You are welcome you use it whenever you like, once you can stand." Youko's voice drifted to her ears as he moved to sit near her head. She turned her confused gaze up to him when he smiled and reached down to help her sit up slightly. Alexis put the cup of water to Kagome's lips and tipped it slowly until the entire cup was empty. Youko gently laid her back down before standing and turning toward the door.

Kagome yawned and looked down at Alexis with a smile. For some reason everything was getting blurry…and she felt extremely tired. Her body began to numb and soon she couldn't feel anymore of her pain. What was happening to her? Was there something in that water?

"Come Lexi, Kagome needs her sleep." Kagome felt Alexis move to kiss her on the cheek before hopping off the bed and following her uncle. It wasn't long after that Kagome fell asleep.

"Will that medicine really heal Kagome faster?" Alexis asked quietly once they entered the main room.

"Yes, it numbs her pain as well but it does make her dizzy. It is said that the body repairs itself in sleep, which is why I mixed a touch of sleep powder with the medicine. Kagome seems stubborn… we'll have to keep a close eye on her."

"Probably, Kagome doesn't like looking weak and she looked like she really wanted to get to the spring." Alexis giggled.

"You know this miko quite well…" he thought to himself aloud, his gaze drifting in the direction his room was located; where the miko was resting in his bed.

"Kagome saved me uncle; she saved me and brought me to you. She's very different from the other humans and mikos…"

"I can see that, a normal miko or human would have left you for dead or killed you. I'm glad you're alright. Where is Sakura?" Youko asked, wondering why his niece was wandering around without her mother in the first place.

"Mo…mommy and daddy were killed…just a month ago…" she muttered under her breath, tears gathering in her eyes.

Youko stared at the kit in disbelief. His sister was dead? His grief soon turned to confusion as he saw Alexis squeeze her eyes shut and clench her tiny hands into tight fists. She looked as if she were concentrating really hard on something.

"Lexi…what are you doing?"

She didn't answer for several minutes, but once she opened her eyes, she looked happy. She smiled up at her uncle. "Kagome told me that the dead can hear our thoughts… So she said that whenever I feel like I miss her so much its unbearable that I should concentrate really hard and tell mommy how much I love and miss her."

Youko smiled softly and pulled his niece into a tight hug, his gaze directed toward where the miko rested. She really was something else… Alexis was probably beyond depressed by the thought of losing her parents but this miko was able to calm the kit and even tell her how to make herself feel better.

"Kagome seems very nice, yet she didn't look to be very happy when she woke, despite her pain." Youko observed

"She's just being cautious. Kagome is very trusting but she was making sure that you weren't a threat to anyone for my safety. Kagome is really protective… and a really good story teller! She told me all the stories about her and her traveling group and how they're all working to collect the jewel shards and piece it back together!"

Youko's eyebrow lifted. "Oh really? She wouldn't happen to travel with a hanyou, taijiya, monk, and kitsune kit would she?"

"Yea! How'd you know?!"

"Lets just say they're group is talked about quite frequently among demons…"

"Let Alexis go now and I might consider not turning you to dust." Both kitsunes looked toward the doorway that led to Youko's room to see Kagome leaning against the wall with a bow and arrow made of her purification aimed at Youko.

"Kagome! You have to go lay back down!" Alexis said frantically.

"Alexis, get away from him. This is a trap; it must be Naraku's doing." She glared at Youko with pure hatred.

"It's not a trap Kagome, this is uncle Youko, he saved us remember? He bandaged your ribs cause they were cracked and sucked out the poison from your blood." Alexis argued, confused as to what was wrong with Kagome.

"You don't know if that is actually your uncle Alexis! This is the kind of trick Naraku pulls! He uses the ones you love against you! He could be a new detachment from that sick hanyou, can probably shape shift or something…" Kagome drifted off as she glared angrily at Youko, her eyes somehow shifting from their chocolate brown color to a blood red.

Alexis and Youko stared at the miko in shock and confusion. Pulling himself out of his stupor, Youko made quick work of controlling the surrounding plants. Before Kagome could even react or understand what was happening, vines wrapped around her wrists and ankles, securing her in place and successfully making her purification disappear. Kagome's head dropped in defeat, her bangs covering her eyes as her body shook. Tears could be seen falling from her face and landing on the ground below her.

"Kagome… It's really Youko… This is him, it's no trick." Alexis said softly, slowly making her way over to the crying miko tied up by her uncle's vines.

"How do you know Alexis… how…?" She whispered, her voice breaking as she continued to shake.

"Because he knows only what uncle would know, and he has the power that mommy told me he had. He has the power over plants." Alexis explained.

"How can you be so sure? He tried to put me to sleep so he could steal the shards…" Kagome said accusingly, still not lifting her head.

"Kagome… What's wrong with you? What happened?" Alexis asked, tears gathering in her eyes as she turned to her uncle. "What's wrong with her? Did the medicine have some kind of side effect?" she asked, trying to hold back her tears.

Youko shook his head. "There is no side effect to it, it's all natural herbs."

"Midoriko… she came to me in my sleep… she told me Naraku found out the truth about me…" Kagome said quietly

"Do you mean about your time?" Alexis asked quickly, getting worried.

"Yes… she said he found the well and went to my time. He killed them… my family…" Kagome cried, finally lifting her eyes to meet with Alexis's. What they saw shocked them further. Her eyes were no longer red, now they were a deep blue color filled with grief and sorrow. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she closed her eyes as she continued to sob.

"Uncle… let her go… please." Alexis asked quietly. The vines loosened and Kagome fell to the ground, remaining there as she cried over her loss. Alexis ran over to Kagome and hugged her tightly. Youko watched as the now blue eyed miko frantically hugged the kit as if she were all she had left. He wasn't sure how she possibly woke from the dose he had given her but he would figure that out later. What he was curious about was what they meant when they said her 'time'.

The miko soon fell asleep and Youko carried her back to his room. He gently placed her in his bed once more and checked her injuries before moving to sit in a chair next to the bed. Alexis was curled up on the miko's stomach, holding one of her hands in both of her small ones as she stroked Kagome's palm in a comforting manner. Youko watched as Alexis calmed the sleeping miko and waited until she was in a deep sleep before beginning his questioning.

"You probably want to know about what we were talking about huh?" Alexis asked quietly before he even had a chance to say anything. He merely nodded. "Kagome is from the future. She's the guardian of the Shikon No Tama and the miko that shattered the jewel in the first place. Her, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo are all working together to gather the jewel shards so the jewel can be whole again. Kagome wants to make a pure wish so it will vanish forever."

"She can time travel?" he asked curiously, looking toward the miko sleeping soundly in his bed.

"No, there's a well that she uses to go back and forth between her time and this time. From what she said earlier, it sounds like Naraku somehow found out that she's from the future and went there to find her and ended up killing her family." She explained sadly.

"Anyone can travel through this well? If so then she should have been more cautious."

"They didn't really understand who exactly could travel through. Kagome could go through, but not if she didn't have any jewel shards with her, but Inuyasha could go through without shards."

"Why were her eyes shifting colors? Is that normal for her?" Youko asked, thinking about her eyes changing from brown to red then to blue just moments ago.

"That's never happened before, it was pretty cool though." Alexis grinned, hoping to lighten the mood slightly.

"My eyes change color according to my mood. Midoriko said she needed to unleash my power's full potential and apparently eye color shifting is part of the package." Kagome said quietly, slowly opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling.

Alexis hugged the miko around the neck tightly. "Are you ok now Kagome?"

"Yea… for now." Kagome turned to look up at Youko with orange tinted eyes. "I apologize for almost attacking you… I kinda went overboard a little."

"No harm done, I appreciate that you are so willing to protect my niece. I am relieved to know she was in safe hands in my absence." He smiled thankfully.

Kagome smiled slightly and Youko watched in complete fascination as a golden color slowly leaked into the orange color of her eyes. It was like mixing paints… the colors swirl around each other before finally settling for one particular color. Or as if the color was injected into her eye. It was so amazing that Youko couldn't seem to pull his gaze away. Her eye colors were linked to her emotions… so what did golden mean? What did orange signify? It was quite obvious what red stood for… Anger or maybe hatred. Could be both. The red color could just be any angry emotion in general.

"So what other colors do your eyes change to? We saw gold, red, and blue so far!" Alexis said in excitement.

"I'm not sure, all I no is that there are colors for anger, sadness, love, happiness, fear, confusion, curiosity, embarrassment, and playful." The miko explained, trying to get more comfortable.

"So does one emotion cover all the similar emotions? Like we already know red is for anger but do your eyes turn red for any type of angry emotion? Like rage, irritation, or frustration?" Alexis asked, surprising both Kagome and Youko with her intelligent question.

"Midoriko said that depending on the how severe the emotion is, the darker my eye color will be. So for example, rage would probably be blood red, irritation or frustration isn't as strong so would be a light red color, not as dark."

"What about when you're not really feeling any emotion? Like do you have a neutral color that your eyes always go back to??" Alexis asked, so interested in this new discovery.

"I'm pretty sure my eyes will settle with the color of my happy mood." Kagome answered, ruffling the kit's hair.

Youko rolled his eyes, "Lexi, why don't you join me in the living room. Let Kagome rest for a bit." He suggested.

Alexis nodded and leapt off the bed before dashing into the main room. Youko followed behind her, stopping at the doorway. "You're going to rest this time right? Not attempt to kill me again?" Youko smirked at the glare she sent him, a pink color swirling with the gold of her eyes.

* * *

Kagome woke to the feeling of someone sitting on the bed she was resting on. Slowly opening her eyes, she blushed slightly when she saw Youko lifting her shirt slightly to check her ribs. Looking away to hide her blush and her eyes that probably gave her away completely, she noticed a tray of food on the ground next to the bed.

"Your ribs seem to be healing nicely; you should be able to move without pain within the next few days. If you wanted to, you could stand on your own now, though it would hurt to breath."

"It hurts to breath all the time." Kagome glared up at him with pink eyes and specks of red, trying not to breathe deeply. Holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut, she slowly pushed herself to sit up and lean against the wall at the head of the bed. Letting out her breath slowly, she opened her eyes to see Youko smirking at her, looking as if he were trying to hold back laughter.

"What do you find so damn entertaining about this?!" Kagome snapped at him, her eyes shifting to a bright red.

"You look pathetic." Youko chuckled softly.

Kagome gathered a small amount of purification into her hands and was about to zap the cocky demon when she suddenly found her hands tied to the posts of the bed. Confused, she stared at the vines tied around her wrists with brownish red orbs before turning to glare at Youko once more. "You just wait until I'm healed; I'm going to beat the living crap out of your kitsune."

Youko chuckled as he reached down and set the tray on her lap. "Oh? Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a promi…" Kagome's sentence was cut off when Youko shoved an apple in her mouth. Youko smirked at the miko as he moved closer to her. Kagome's heart began pounding in her chest. She was mad at him… at least she wanted to be. She wanted to be pissed, but there was something about him that Kagome just couldn't stay mad at.

"I must say… you look quite delicious." He purred before sinking his teeth into the other end of the apple, biting off quite a large piece. Kagome swore her heart skipped a beat when he winked at her and left the room. Once he was out of sight, the vines around her wrists disappeared and Kagome pulled the apple from her mouth. She stared at the part Youko had bitten into before placing it on her tray.

"Stupid, seductive, tricky kitsune. When I get my hands on him…oh he's dead." Kagome muttered to herself angrily as she ate her meal.

The same smirk still plastered on his face, Youko gracefully sat near the fire he had made for dinner and served himself. Alexis trotted over to sit next to him. Feeling eyes on him, Youko slowly turned his attention to his niece, who was smirking up at him.

"What?"

"Kagome's single you know. No mate, no boyfriend, nothing." The kit grinned innocently.

Youko glared down at her playfully. "And what makes you think I'm interested in Kagome?"

"She's pretty, smart, and strong; all the perfect qualities for a perfect mate. Not to mention she's different."

"You're quite observant aren't you?" Youko chuckled.

"You would be surprised. So are you going to mate Kagome?" she asked innocently.

Youko nearly choked on his food before he turned to stare at his niece in horror. "Youko Kurama does not mate; I rut then leave and find another more worth my time."

Alexis snorted as she turned back to her food. "Well then don't plan on getting with Kagome. She has more morals than that."

Youko rolled his eyes. "Lexi, have you not learned yet that kitsunes are masters at seduction?"

"Doesn't matter how much of your power you use on Kagome, it won't work."

"You want to bet on that?" Youko smirked, knowing the kit would back out now.

"Sure, Kagome and I get all of the jewel shards you have if I win the bet." She said with a wide grin.

Youko's eyes narrowed as he stared at Lexi. The jewel shards he had collected were his most prized possession. They brought him battles to increase his fighting and strength. That didn't matter though, because he wasn't going to loose them. "Alright, and if I get Kagome in bed with me… you have to hand over all the shards she has."

Alexis smirked. "Deal."

* * *

A/N:

And that wraps up chapter three! Hope you all enjoyed it. It's a little short, and I apologize for that but I'm trying to get as many chapters in this fic as possible. I want at least maybe ten chapters. I also have another fic idea forming. This one is going to be really long, like maybe twenty chapters ^_^ oh how exciting. Anyway, R&R and Happy Thanks Giving ^_^

Icyfire

Next Chapter – Chapter four: Intoxication


	4. Intoxication

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 4: Intoxication

Kagome sat there staring at the walkway that would lead to the hot spring. She had just woken up several minutes ago and now all she wanted was to soak in the hot water that was just beyond those walls. It would surely make her chest feel better. Finally making her decision, Kagome slowly pushed herself off the bed and onto her feet. Keeping her breathing even, she carefully made her way to the walkway, trailing her hand along the wall just incase she needed the support.

The spring finally came into sight and she sighed in relief. The room was decorated quite nicely, a very relaxing setting with smooth rocks arranged around the water. Something caught the miko's attention from in the middle of the spring. It looked as if a small child was floating in the water. Her eyes widened suddenly as her heart dropped out of her chest. Completely forgetting about her pain, Kagome leapt into the water and rushed over to Alexis.

The kit was floating in the middle of the spring with her eyes closed and the first conclusion Kagome's mind sprang to was that she had drowned. The splashing quickly caught Alexis's attention and she opened her eyes in time to see Kagome pull her from the water and into her arms.

"Alexis?! Are you alright?" she asked, her silver colored eyes staring down at her.

"Yes, I'm fine. What's the matter Kagome?"

Kagome was now confused. Alexis was ok? She wasn't drowning? The miko sighed in relief only to groan in pain. Squeezing her eyes shut, she slowly moved to the shore of the spring where she could sit. Her clothes were completely soaked and weighing her down. Giving up on dragging herself all the way out of the comforting water, she settled for sitting close enough to shore so that her head was above water. She let go of Alexis and watched as the kit swam around without any trouble.

"I thought you had drowned Alexis, you scared me half to death." Kagome said after regaining control of her racing heart.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you Kagome. I'm actually a really good swimmer." The kit grinned

"I can see that… where is your uncle?" she asked, her eyes wandering toward the entryway.

"He's sleeping in the main room since you have his bed."

Kagome's eyebrows scrunched together in question. "Why? He could sleep in his bed. I'm used to sleeping on the ground." Kagome argued.

"You'll have to take that argument to him. So what are you doing up so late?" the kit asked, swimming over to Kagome.

"I could ask you the same question." Kagome laughed when she caught the look on Alexis's face. "The pain woke me and all I wanted to do was soak in this amazing warmth."

"Can't you use your powers to heal yourself?" Alexis asked.

"Probably but it drains my energy very quickly. My ribs will be fully healed in a few days and if I were to use my powers to heal myself then I wouldn't be able to move around much for a few days anyway. So I don't see why I should waste the energy." Kagome explained.

"Uncle Youko is very talented when it comes to making remedies. Bet you didn't know he can make a mixture from the root of a special plant to restore energy." Alexis grinned.

Kagome rolled her eyes with a smile. "No, I didn't know that. So are you saying that I should just heal myself and have Youko restore my lost energy with his special mixture?"

"Yup." She grinned.

Kagome laughed. "Well I have a slight problem. I don't have any clean clothes."

"That's easy to fix, wait here." The kit leapt out of the spring and disappeared through the doorway. She reappeared several minutes later carrying a beautiful kimono in her arms. "Uncle Youko is a thief remember? He has lots of clothing around here that you can wear."

"Are you sure it will be ok with him that I wear this? It looks expensive…"

"When is he ever going to wear a woman's kimono? Its fine, hurry up and put it on." Alexis rolled her eyes.

Kagome shrugged and removed her wet clothing. Alexis handed her a fluffy towel that was from her pack and dried herself off before slipping into the black and silver kimono. She winced slightly from the pain of lifting her arms over her shoulders but did her best to ignore it. Once she was dressed and dried her hair, Alexis led her to the main room. Upon entering the room, Kagome found herself staring at a particular kitsune that was sleeping near the fire. His legs were covered by a silk blanket and his smooth looking tail was draped over his upper body.

"Kagome, go lie down on those blankets and I'll wake up uncle." Lexi said and Kagome nodded. Moving carefully, Kagome slid to the ground and sat on the blankets. Turning her attention to where Youko and Alexis were, her golden eyes with specks of silver met with Youko's beautiful golden orbs. He turned to look at his niece before nodding and standing with a small yawn. Both kitsunes made their way over to Kagome and sat next to her.

"Why are you sleeping out here? It's your bed, you should be sleeping in it and I should be sleeping here." Kagome randomly said, glaring up at the kitsune.

"I would much rather share it with you." He purred as he winked at her, his eyes traveling over the kimono that she wore. It looked perfect on her, complimenting her curves nicely.

Kagome blushed slightly but was able to hide it by rolling her eyes with a snort. "You wish."

"Ok you guys can flirt later. Kagome, can you start working on healing yourself? It only takes uncle a few minutes to make the mixture." Alexis said.

Kagome nodded and lay back against the blankets. Closing her eyes she concentrated on using her healing power to mend together her ribs and repair any other damage that had been inflicted. She could feel her energy draining away quite quickly as she did her best to stay conscious to finish. Once she was finished, Kagome let out a deep breath and let the darkness take over.

Once Kagome began healing herself, Youko got to work making the mixture that would restore her energy. He kept a close eye on her energy level and quickly realized that if she ever used too much of it, she could kill herself. Her healing powers fed off her physical energy, but once that was all gone, did it move on to take her life energy? If that was the case, the miko would have to be very careful with how much she used her healing powers.

By the time he finished, Alexis announced that Kagome had fallen unconscious. Nodding, he asked her to continue stirring as he moved to sit next to her head. Lifting her gently, he ordered Alexis to bring the bowl closer. Filling the spoon with a good amount of the mush, he opened Kagome's mouth and poured the mixture down her throat. Brushing his fingers down her throat, he helped her swallow before feeding her three more spoonfuls and setting her down gently.

"She'll wake up in a few hours; she needs to rest so the formula can have time to take effect." Youko explained as he lifted Kagome into his arms and carried her to his room. He placed her on his bed gently before draping the covers over her and returning to the main room. Ruffling Alexis's hair, he got comfortable near the fire once more and went back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Youko woke to the strong smell of eggs and pork. He opened his eyes to see Kagome kneeling beside him moving a plate back and forward under his nose. She grinned, "Smells delicious huh?"

"Very." He purred, staring up into Kagome's golden eyes that were slowly gaining a pink tint.

"Kagome! I got water." Alexis came trotting into the room carrying a large jug filled with water. Upon seeing Kagome and Youko, she grinned knowingly. Kagome blushed and set the plate of food down before quickly standing. "What are you smirking at?" Kagome asked, glaring over toward Alexis half-heartedly, she made her way over to the kit and ruffles her hair before taking the water.

"Oh nothing." Alexis giggles, skipping over to sit in Youko's lap as he enjoys his breakfast.

"I didn't know you could hunt, but where did you find the eggs?" Youko asked curiously as he finished his meal.

Putting her now clean dishes aside, she turned a mischief smile in his direction. "Alexis stole them from the nearby village."

Youko stared at the miko in surprise before turning his gaze down to his niece, who was grinning with pride. "You let her steal?"

Alexis laughed. "Let me? She asked me to uncle. Kagome knows it's in our nature to be masters at thievery."

"What kind of miko are you?" Youko asked incredulously, still so shocked that he couldn't think straight. This pure hearted miko understood and allowed thievery? What was the world coming to?

"I'm a miko that doesn't judge anyone by what they are or their past actions but by what they decide to do with their life and what's truly in their heart." Kagome explained, not looking up as she dug through her pack. Youko stared at her curiously. She said she didn't judge anyone by what they are… so in other words she was trying to say that she accepts him and the fact that he is a thief. Youko smirked.

This miko was unique, that was obvious, and with her eyes shifting colors according to her emotions he could read her almost like an open book. Yet despite all that, he still didn't understand her. Was it possible for someone to have such a pure heart? So pure that she accepted him for whom he was?

"She's a real catch…don't let her escape." Alexis muttered under her breath before moving to sit next to Kagome. "What are you looking for Kagome?"

"My bathing supplies… I really need a bath." Kagome murmured as she continued her search.

"I put them in a basket near the spring. I figured you would take a bath right when you woke up instead of moving straight to breakfast." Alexis said.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you sweetie, would you like to join me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice." Youko smirked as he stood and began making his way toward the spring. He was suddenly stopped when he ran into an invisible wall. Rubbing his nose, he turned a pout in Kagome's direction as she carried Alexis with her toward the barrier.

"Only in your dreams fox boy." She smirked as she tweaked his ear before walking through the portal.

"Oh you have no idea…" he complained under his breath as he returned to sit next to the fire.

* * *

"You weren't joking when you said your uncle was a pervert." Kagome muttered as she undressed and slowly waded into the water.

"Would I joke about something like that?" Alexis giggled.

"Guess not… well at least he isn't as bad as Miroku. He hasn't groped me yet." Kagome sighed in relief.

"Wouldn't get your hopes up too high. Uncle Youko seems to like you and when he sees something he wants, he usually gets it. He is after all a thief."

Staring at the entryway in somewhat of a daze, Kagome snorted. "Well he isn't stealing anything from me."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Yea that's what you think…"

Pulling herself from her daze, Kagome turned to Alexis. Grabbing her shampoo and conditioner, Kagome thoroughly washed the kit's smooth hair before treating her own. Once they were finished with their bath, Kagome wrapped herself in an expensive looking silk robe that Alexis handed her. Tying it tightly around her waist, Kagome made her way back to the main room, Alexis trailing behind her.

Upon entering the larger room, Kagome dropped the barrier she had placed there and turned her attention to Youko. "I regret to announce that I must be leaving."

Hearing this, Alexis sprung up onto Kagome's shoulder and shook her head vigorously. "No, Kagome… you can't go…"

"I have to; I need to get back to the village before my time is up. All I need is for Inuyasha to send out a search party for me." The miko groaned.

"You still have a week left though! I don't want to say goodbye to you Kagome…" Alexis whined, sniffling.

"No need to cry Lexi." Youko said, moving to stand in front of Kagome.

"But Kagome is leaving…"

"Not yet she isn't. She will be staying for two more days."

Kagome glared up at the kitsune. "Says who."

"Me of course. You have to give us _some_ time to pack our things." He smirked.

"Pack your things?" Kagome asked in confusion.

"Did you honestly think that I would allow you to travel on your own and leave Lexi?"

"But you cannot accompany me. I don't want to risk either of your lives." Kagome argued.

"Uncle Youko can help in the battle Kagome. Please let us come with you." Alexis begged, throwing her best puppy dog pout at the miko.

Kagome's lip quivered but she refused to let herself give in. "No. I refuse to be the reason you lose yet another family member Alexis. If Youko joins the battle, there is no guarantee that he will survive and I will not take that chance." She whispered, her eyes shifting to orange with a hint of silver.

"Alright then it's settled. We leave in two days once the sun is up." Youko grinned before stepping around Kagome and walking toward his room.

Moving quickly, Kagome placed Alexis on the ground gently before moving in front of Youko, blocking his path. "No, you are not coming with me, it's too dangerous." Kagome stated stubbornly.

"Yes, we are and there is nothing you can do to stop us." Youko smirked.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Four reasons. One, I am stronger than you, therefore can protect you better than you can protect yourself."

"I can protect myself just fine." Kagome ground out between clenched teeth, glaring up at him with bright red tinted eyes.

"Oh yea, I can see that. Specially from the condition you were in when I found and rescued you both." Youko said sarcastically. "Two, I have my own personal grudge against Naraku. Three, Alexis needs a mother figure and since she is already so attached to you, you're the perfect candidate."

"And the fourth reason?" Kagome asked, still glaring up at him.

"I refuse to allow anyone to harm you." He answered before disappearing into his room. Kagome remained where she stood in confusion and surprise. What exactly did he mean by that? Was he starting to find an interest in her? Kagome shook her head. No that couldn't be it… an amazingly handsome god like him wouldn't pursue her. Maybe he felt that he was in debt to her because she brought his niece to him safely. Yup, that had to be it. It was the only logical explanation.

"Kagome? Are you alright?"

The miko shook herself from her stupor and nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm fine. It's getting late, why don't you get some sleep sweetie?"

"What are you going to do?" she asked, yawning.

"Just going to take a walk, I need some fresh air." She smiled before bending over to place a light kiss on the kit's forehead and making her way outside.

Kagome didn't return until morning and upon entering the cave, she searched for Alexis to make sure she was warm. The winter season was arriving and it was starting to get chilly. The miko found Alexis curled up with her uncle on his bed. He had an arm draped over her protectively while his warm silky tail blanketed the kit's body to keep her warm. Alexis was hugging something to her chest tightly, her nose buried in it and Kagome smiled slightly when she realized it was one of her shirts from her pack.

Sighing deeply, Kagome quietly sat on the edge of the bed near Alexis. Feeling the bed move and a presence other than his own and Lexi's, a growl came from Youko. Smiling, Kagome reached over fearlessly and softly rubbed one of his ears, successfully stopping the threatening growl. Once he was calm, she removed her hand and placed it lightly on Alexis's cheek. Kagome didn't realize that she had woken Youko up when she stroked his ear. He remained still and just watched the miko stare down lovingly at the kit.

Staring at her peacefully sleeping face, Kagome softly ran her fingers through the kit's hair as she leaned down to kiss her on the nose. Alexis's eyes fluttered open and Kagome smiled down at her. "Good morning, would you like to help me with breakfast?"

Alexis smiled and reached up to hug the miko around her neck tightly. "Anything for you 'Gome."

"Know what I think is a better idea?" Youko suddenly asked, grabbing her forearm and gently pulling her to lie down across them. "You shutting up and going back to sleep. What are you doing awake so early anyway?" he asked.

Kagome blushed beet red as she scrambled to get off the bed and also the sexy and irresistible kitsune that she was laying over. "I couldn't sleep last night."

Just as Kagome was about to stand, she suddenly found herself pinned down to the bed, Youko straddling her waist. Her blush darkened as he smirked down at her.

"How about you stay here and get some rest while I make breakfast." He purred before disappearing. Kagome looked toward the door just in time to watch the pillow hit her face. "Go back to sleep Lexi. I'll come get you when breakfast is ready." He chuckled before he was out of sight.

Kagome glared angrily in the direction he went. Stupid arrogant kitsune. Kagome huffed out angrily before turning on her side and pulling Alexis close to her chest. The kit smiled and cuddled up against her before falling back asleep. Several moments ago, Kagome was wide awake… now; as she watched Alexis sleep so peacefully, she was getting drowsy. Yawning, Kagome closed her eyes and fell into a comfortable sleep.

A loud crashing sound jolted Kagome from her sleep. Without thinking, Kagome out of reflex slammed a barrier up around her. The sound of a body hitting the cave wall could be heard and Kagome leapt out of bed to see who was trying to attack her. Sitting against the wall was Youko, rubbing his head at he turned to glare up at her.

"Would you please explain to me why you _threw_ me against the wall?" he growled.

"Well what the hell were you doing so close to me?!" the miko yelled.

"I was going to wake you for lunch!" he growled, stomping toward Kagome and stopping at the barrier that was still shimmering around the miko.

"What was that loud crash? I'm sorry, the crash startled me awake and the first thing that came to mind was to protect myself." Kagome explained, trying to slow her racing heart as she removed her barrier.

Youko sighed as he reached up to rub his sore skull. He had to admit, that barrier was quite powerful. "Lexi probably dropped something from your bag. She said she was going to look for something called ramen."

Kagome stared up at him with apologetic pink tinted eyes. "I'm sorry… let me take a look at your head." She said quietly as she moved behind the kitsune. Brushing her fingers along his skull, she felt a small bump. Feeling terrible for hurting him in the first place, Kagome closed her eyes and called forth her healing powers.

Youko suddenly felt a comforting warmth flood through his veins for several seconds before disappearing as if it were never there in the first place. He turned to question Kagome just in time to see her collapse to the ground. Panicking, Youko quickly lifted her up onto the bed. Her heart was pounding and her breathing came out in short quick breaths.

"I'm ok… just a little worn out." Kagome panted.

Not feeling the throbbing in his head anymore, Youko growled down at her. "Why are you wasting your healing powers on me? Have you forgotten that I'm a demon?! That would have healed within the next hour!"

"No, there was internal bleeding… you hit your head much harder than you thought." Kagome said slowly, trying to regain her composure.

"Internal bleeding or not, you didn't have to heal me. I would have healed eventually." He argued.

"Why are you lecturing me about this?! It's not that big a deal! I felt bad for hurting you so I wanted to heal it. Why does that bother you so?" Kagome argued with him, frustrated as she pushed herself off the bed.

"Because you don't realize how dangerous using your healing powers can be."

"Yes I do. My healing powers feed off of my energy. Once there is no more energy left to fuel the power, it moves to feed off my life energy." She explained as if she had been lectured those exact words thousands of times.

Youko merely stared at her. His face was unreadable to Kagome but she knew he was probably surprised she understood her power so thoroughly.

"It is my power… I would know my power better than anyone else." Kagome stuck her nose in the air before turning on her heel and disappearing into the main room.

Youko rolled his eyes before following the miko. She was now sitting next to the fire stirring a pot filled with noodles and boiling water. Alexis was sitting it the miko's lap holding a small silver package.

"Alright, go ahead and pour it in." Kagome said and Alexis climbed up to Kagome's shoulder before leaping up onto her head and leaning over to pour the powder from the package into the boiling pot. A little weary of the kit leaning over the boiling hot water, Youko grabbed her tail softly just in case. Once she was finished, she turned to roll her eyes up at him.

"I would have been fine uncle. Kagome wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. She has pretty quick reflexes for a human." The kit giggled at the look Kagome gave her.

Once the ramen was ready, Kagome served Youko and Alexis before herself. Youko stared down at the bowl of noodles and wrinkled his nose.

"It's not going to kill you jeez. Have I made anything that you haven't enjoyed yet?" Kagome complained, sounding insulted that he didn't seem to trust his lunch.

Feeling guilty but too stubborn to show it, Youko smirked as his ear twitched, immediately grabbing Kagome's attention. "I've haven't had to chance to enjoy you yet." He purred.

Kagome blushed as she glared across the fire at the kitsune. "Never gunna happen you perv."

"We'll see…" he smirked as he twitched his ear once more. Youko knew she had an odd obsession with his ears; it was quite obvious with how often she tried to touch them. He didn't mind much seeing as it felt amazing whenever she caressed them with her soft fingers. He absolutely loved teasing her with that small bit of knowledge.

Throughout the entire time they spent eating and cleaning everything, Youko continued twitching his ears every once and a while. Finally Kagome snapped and turned from washing the dishes to throw her large pot at the kitsune's head. He easily caught it and did his best to hold back his laughter as he stared at her glaring angrily at him.

"STOP DOING THAT!" Kagome yelled.

"Doing what?" Youko smirked, twitching his ear once more.

Kagome clenched her hands into fist tightly. "THAT!!!" she snapped.

"You weren't even looking at me, how could you tell I was doing anything?" Youko asked, doing his best to keep a straight face.

"I could _sense_ you moving them to mock me!" she yelled angrily.

Youko almost lost it there. She was so tormented by it that she actually thought she could sense his ears twitching. She really did have an obsession with his ears. "Are you feeling alright Kagome?"

"I'll be perfectly fine once you stop teasing me!" she yelled in frustration before stomping off to Youko's room. She dropped onto the bed and crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at the wall across the room. Youko held back his laughter at the sight of her pouting and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to look at him. When she didn't, he rolled his eyes and inclined his head toward her.

Kagome turned to glare at the kitsune and he twitched his ears once more. "You know you want to…" he smirked.

"Are you giving me permission to touch them?" she asked sourly with a bit of sarcasm.

"Yes, unless you don't want to… then I can just go back to the main room and have Lexi rub my ears for me…" he trailed off.

Kagome clenched her teeth together and before she could stop herself, she was already stroking the soft fur of his adorable ears. A purring sound rumbled in Youko's chest as his eyes fluttered closed. After several seconds, Kagome couldn't resist any longer.

"Youko… can I wash your hair?" she asked quietly.

Youko opened his eyes to look up at her in question. "I don't usually let anyone touch my hair…" he trailed off.

"Please? You'll enjoy it, I promise." She quivered her lower lip slightly in one of the cutest puppy dog pouts Youko had ever seen. How could anyone say no to that face? Sighing, he nodded and Kagome smiled happily before leaping off the bed and dragging him to the hot spring. Once there, she told him to get in as she gathered her shampoo and conditioner. Turning back toward the kitsune, she turned beet red as she watched him remove his shirt. Quickly averting her gaze, she moved to sit on one of the boulders that were positioned around the spring's edge.

Looking back up to Youko, she did her best not to blush as she smiled and motioned him over to her. Once he was in front of her, she had him turn around and he rested his back against the boulder. Kagome moved so that her legs draped over the edge, one on each side of the kitsune and her feet submerged in the comforting water. Smiling to herself, Kagome poured a small amount of shampoo into her palm before working it through Youko's silky soft hair.

The kitsune's eyes closed in bliss while Kagome massaged the hair products into his hair thoroughly, combing her fingers through his hair and softly stroking his ears every once in a while. Once she finished, Kagome smirked as she suddenly pushed the demon completely under the water. He came up sputtering before turning to glare at the giggling miko.

"Sorry… had to wash out… the suds somehow!" she laughed.

Youko growled quietly as he moved back to his original position so she could apply the conditioner. Once again, she poured a decent amount into her hand and worked it through his hair slowly. Once Youko felt that she was finishing, he grabbed her wrists before she could push him under the water again and turned to face her.

"You're a sadistic little miko aren't you?" he purred as he moved closer to her, completely aware of their current position.

Kagome's mind was racing. Youko was positioned between her legs, he was soaking wet and still looked amazing, and his face was now moving closer to hers. Panicking, she pulled her hands from his grasp and pushed him in the water before leaping up and dashing out of the room. Youko came up to the surface in time to hear laughter. Looking toward the source, he stared at Alexis is question.

"What are you laughing at kit." He demanded, slightly frustrated.

"You, did you honestly think you could get to Kagome that easily?" she laughed.

Youko glared at his niece. That's exactly what he thought. No woman, demon or human, could resist him. He knew Kagome had to feel some kind of attraction toward him and since he already wanted her so badly he figured why deny her what both she and he desired?

"Haven't you realized that Kagome is different from other woman? I'm positive you can smell her purity. You can't win Kagome over by just seducing her uncle."

"How would you know." He argued, irritated that she was making a point.

"Mother was the same way. You should know; she was your sister. She possessed a soul almost as pure as Kagome's despite her being a demon. She had a very open mind and a big heart. Kagome is almost just like her, only human, and you know that humans are more in tune with their emotions that demons are."

"I've noticed the similarities, so what's your point." He admitted stubbornly.

"My point is that your power of seduction won't work on Kagome. You have to earn her love." The kit explained.

"Wait a minute. Who said anything about love?!"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Uncle, it's quite obvious. Why do you think you feel so protective over her? Why do you want her so badly? Why do you enjoy irritating her so?"

Because he felt she needed his protection. She seems too fragile to defend herself and just the thought of her getting hurt again boiled his blood. He wanted her because of that perfect body and because she's so unique… different from the rest. Also because of her intoxicating scent… it was like a drug to him. He almost felt addicted to the smell of jasmine and peppermint and he was absolutely delighted the other night that he slept in his bed because her scent still clung to the sheets. And he loved irritating her just to get a rise out of her. She was so sexy when she was angry…

Realizing what he had just thought, Youko sighed to himself. He was falling for the miko… she was like his intoxication and he wanted her in every way possible. How could this happen? Youko Kurama doesn't fall in love. He's supposed to be known as the king of thieves and here this little miko comes along and steals his heart right from under his nose without him even noticing. He pulled himself out of the spring and stared down at his young niece.

"You're much too intelligent for your age." He grumbled before disappearing into his room.

* * *

A/N:

Hello everyone ^_^ hope you enjoyed chapter four! I'm working as fast as I possibly can to get the next chapter finished. College is such a drag sometimes lol. Finals are around the corner so I might have to put a hold on writing so I can study but no worries, the next chapter will be up in no time. Until till next time! R&R

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Five: Emotions


	5. Emotions

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 5: Emotions

Her bag was completely packed and ready to go. Alexis borrowed a small black bag that was buried in Youko's many piles of stolen treasures to pack some clothes of her own. Once they were ready to leave, they exited the cave and waited near the entrance for Youko to join them. Several moments later he stepped out and before leaving, placed his hand on the rock wall near the entrance. Kagome watched in awe as large vines and branches moved to cover the cave opening. Within seconds, it looked as if there were no cave there in the first place.

Removing his hand, he turned to the girls and waited for Kagome to lead the way. Realizing they were waiting on her, Kagome turned toward the forest and thought for a moment before heading west, remembering that she had began traveling east from Kaede's village. Kagome had wondered at first what was taking Youko so long to join them outside the cave but quickly understood once she felt the nine jewel shards that he now carried with him.

Now that Kagome thought about it, she didn't remember ever telling Youko she could sense the shards in the first place. He actually didn't know a lot about her, yet she knew quite a bit about him. Was that fair to the kitsune? She knew that Alexis didn't tell Youko anything about what she had told her because the kit knew that that information wasn't to be shared without her permission first. Kagome did wonder why the kit hadn't asked if she could tell her uncle yet though… maybe she was waiting for her to explain it to him herself.

"Youko, has Alexis told you anything of my mission?" she suddenly asked quietly.

"She has not. I did question her briefly about it but she refused to share any information. She respects your privacy." He replied, glaring toward his niece. Youko had tried asking her more about Kagome but she wouldn't tell him a single thing. He wanted to get to know the miko better but Lexi insisted that he find out from her personally. He respected that but it bothered him slightly that his own flesh and blood wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know. The damn kit had gained her mother's stubbornness that was for sure.

"Well I should probably explain to you everything seeing as you insist on siding with us in the final battle against Naraku…" she said grudgingly. Kagome didn't want Youko to join the battle. She hadn't seen him in action but even if he was a decent fighter, she didn't want to risk him getting injured or killed. His blood would be on her hands…just as Alexis's parents now were. She would never be able to live with the fact that she had taken the kit's entire family.

"You can trust uncle Kagome, he keeps secrets." She smiled widely, leaping up to sit on Kagome's right shoulder and lean her head against Kagome's.

"I know, thank you sweetie." Kagome smiled before turning to look up at Youko who was walking beside her, quite close too she realized. "I'm the guardian of the Shikon No Tama… and I'm also the one who shattered the jewel." Kagome caught the look of surprise that splashed over the kitsune's face as he turned to stare at her incredulously. "Onigumo had already given his soul to demons fifty years prior to my arrival and Inuyasha had been pinned to the Goshiboku during those many years."

"I've heard the story. Onigumo fell in love with Kikyou, the recent guardian of the jewel. He tricked the hanyou and miko into killing each other. In the end Inuyasha was eternally sealed to the god tree and Kikyou lost her life. The miko's last request was that the jewel be burned with her body." Youko said, turning to see Kagome's reaction. She smiled and nodded.

"Alright, it makes it much easier to explain when you partially understand everything. So this is where it gets a little confusing… I'm not from this time. I live 500 years in the future." Kagome said softly, pausing to see Youko's reaction.

The kitsune stopped as he stared to the miko, who stopped in her tracks once she realized he wasn't beside her anymore. She watched as realization flooded his beautiful golden eyes. A smirk slowly spread across his handsome face as his eyes traveled down the length of Kagome's body, making her blush bright red.

"That explains your odd clothing as well as the things you have in that bag." He said before continuing to walk, falling in step beside the miko from the future.

"Yea… well anyway I was pulled down a well that's on my shine grounds by a demon. She brought me to this time. At first I had no idea what anyone was talking about when they said I possessed the sacred jewel but I soon found out when Mistress Centipede ripped it from my side. That was also the same time that I had somehow awoken Inuyasha from his deep sleep. I ended up needed to break the spell on him to save my own life as well as the other villagers that had come to save me.

"Once the centipede was killed, Inuyasha turned on me and tried to steal the jewel. Kaede helped save me there and you'll find out how when you meet him." Kagome smirked slightly to herself and Youko had the feeling he didn't want to know. "So after battling several more demons and humans to keep the jewel safe, a crow demon finally stole it. Before this, Kaede had explained to me that I was Kikyou's reincarnation and once Inuyasha found this out, he figured I had her skills and powers as well.

"He ordered me to shoot the crow down with an arrow. I had never used a bow and arrow ever in my life before that and had no clue as to what I was doing. Well the crow swallowed the jewel and grabbed a child from the village. At that time, Inuyasha didn't care about anything or anyone besides himself and the jewel. He attacked the crow but only was able to cut off the leg that happened to be holding the little boy. The boy fell into the river and after I saved him, I attached the crows foot to an arrow because I knew that the foot would go straight back to the crow so it could regenerate itself.

"Unfortunately, when my arrow hit the crow, it shattered the jewel. From then on, Inuyasha and I have been searching and collecting the shards so I can fuse the jewel back together. Along our journey, several others joined us. An orphan kit named Shippo, a taijiya named Sango and her neko companion Kirara, and the monk Miroku."

"What an odd group… and now you're adding another kit and a silver kitsune." Youko chuckled.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yea yea. So we're doing our best to collect more shards than Naraku so he won't be too powerful for us to defeat."

"How do you locate the shards?"

"Kagome can sense them." Alexis grinned.

Youko turned yet another surprised stare toward the miko. Kagome smirked. "Yup, I can tell that you have nine shards with you right now Youko. They are in your left pocket." She laughed at the look on his face. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"That's quite impressive…now the question is if you are a decent fighter." The kitsune asked. "How well can you use those arrows now?" he questioned, glancing toward the bow and quiver of arrows slung over her left shoulder.

"Quite well actually. I almost never miss." She said proudly.

"But Kagome is only good when it comes to far distance attacks. She's not so great when it comes to close combat…" Alexis commented, successfully popping Kagome bubble.

"Good thing you have me along then." Youko smirked.

"Oh yea? And why is that?" Kagome asked sarcastically.

"Because my skills in fighting bypass that of Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western lands."

Kagome's eyes widened. He was better than Sesshomaru? That could turn out bad for Inuyasha seeing as his pride always got in the way of reason. If he and Youko battled, Inuyasha would not be happy that there was another male traveling in the group that was stronger than him. "Sesshomaru is pretty strong…" Kagome trailed off.

"You know Fluffy?" the kitsune asked, chuckling slightly at the nickname he had given the lord.

"Yea… he's Inuyasha's half brother. He's tried to kill me several times now…" Kagome grimaced.

Youko at first looked surprised then slightly disappointed and angry. This confused Kagome but she pushed it from her mind for the time being. "Yay! Uncle Youko can be our hero!" Alexis cheered.

"I don't need a hero. I can fight for myself." Kagome said stubbornly.

"But doesn't every story need a hero?" the kit asked.

"Not exactly Lexi. I could be the knight in shining armor." Youko smirked. "Or the prince on a white horse."

Kagome rolled her eyes as she did her best to hold back her blush. She wished Youko would be her prince riding a white horse… who would come sweep her off her feet. Of course she would never announce this out loud but a girl could still dream right?

Alexis giggled slightly at the dreamy look that was now on Kagome's face and the miko blushed beet red before quickening her pace. For the next several hours they traveled in a comfortable silence. Kagome was completely oblivious of the thousands times Youko would glance in her direction. She was just such a distraction… everything about her was so addicting. Her scent was so delicious he wanted to just pull her to him so he could inhale her wonderful smell.

Her body was so amazing…muscular but perfect curves. He had to avoid watching her hips swing as she walked so he wouldn't do anything rash. Just walking so near to her made his blood burn with desire. He was tempted to just tackle the miko to the ground and make her scream his name in pleasure. Youko was very thankful that it wasn't mating season yet… though it was approaching within the next few months.

"Do you mind if we stop for a few minutes? I need to fill my water bottle so we all don't dehydrate. It's so hot today…" Kagome asked, turning to the kitsune.

Youko nodded and moved to lean against a nearby tree to wait for the miko. Alexis leapt off her shoulder before Kagome disappeared through the trees to the river they could hear nearby. Youko stood there waiting and could feel his niece staring at him. Finally opening his eyes, he stared down at her in irritation.

"What?"

"You really are falling for her." She giggled.

"You don't know what you're talking about kit." He snorted, sticking his nose in the air.

"Oh you're so clueless uncle…" she sighed and before Youko could question her Kagome returned with a smile on her face.

"Look, I got another shard." She grinned, lifting her hand to show them the small purple shard that was in her palm.

"Are you alright Kagome?" Alexis asked, realizing that in order for Kagome to have gotten another shard, she must have fought with a demon.

"Perfectly fine, not a scratch on me. He was pretty far away from me and once he turned and looked at me as if I were a piece of meat I knew there was no reasoning with him." Kagome shivered slightly, remember the look in the demon's eyes. If there was anything that really freaked Kagome out, it was the look of hunger that some demons had when they spotted her. She felt like a deer stuck in headlights. It really freaked her out because Kagome honestly considered most demons as if they were humans.

She liked both humans and demons so didn't treat them differently just because of what they were, she considered them all the same. But when a demon looked at her with that sick smile, her heart would race with fear and disgust. It made her sick to her stomach to think of a demon eating a human… it was almost like cannibalism to her.

"I didn't hear anything, how could you have beaten a demon that quickly with a mere arrow?" Youko questioned.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you I have purification powers? I'm a miko so I figured you knew that already…"

"I wasn't aware that you had complete control of your powers. Should have realized that when you threw me into the wall." Youko mused.

"I said I was sorry Youko! I even healed you, what more do you want from me?!"

Kagome suddenly found herself wrapped in strong arms and pressed against the chest of a certain sexy kitsune. "There is plenty I want that you have yet to give me." He smirked at the bright blush that consumed her pale face as she stared up at him with wide purple and brown specked eyes. Curious of what the new color that he had not seen yet meant, he slowly lowered his face closer to the miko to get a better look.

Kagome's heart was pounding in her chest, her blood was racing through her veins, and she felt as if she couldn't breath. He was so perfect… and she couldn't shake the thought of how amazingly wonderful his body felt against hers. His face seemed to be closing in on her and Kagome once again panicked. Without even thinking, the miko slapped the notorious thief. She quickly escaped his embrace and ran down the path they were following, leaving a shocked kitsune staring at where she once stood.

Alexis stood where she was staring after Kagome. She was almost as shocked as her uncle was. Kagome had actually slapped Youko…the greatest known thief in all of feudal Japan! Also one of the most brutal demons known to exist. Most demons or humans would be dead by now for striking the kitsune in such a way yet Kagome was able to merely walk away from it without any harm. Alexis turned her gaze back toward her uncle before looking back toward where Kagome had ran off to.

She couldn't decide who she should go to…who needed her the most. Youko was her uncle…her own flesh and blood, but she had grown to love Kagome just as much as she loves her uncle. Youko was still standing where he was, still staring wide eyed at the ground with his hand barely touching the cheek that Kagome had slapped. Had uncle Youko never been slapped by a woman before? Maybe never even denied by a woman? And what about Kagome? It seemed to her that the miko had never met anyone as forceful as Youko can be with something he wants. Maybe she was scared or just didn't know how to react to her uncle's advances.

"Alexis… go find Kagome. Make sure she's alright." The sudden sound of her uncle's voice startled her but she quickly nodded and ran off to find the miko. She wasn't hard to find because of the strong smell of salt that led her straight to where Kagome was sitting on a large boulder that was next to the river. The miko had her knees pulled up against her chest with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees. She could hear Kagome's sobs from where she stood and know knew that Kagome obviously needed her more than her uncle at this moment.

Alexis slowly approached the miko until she was sitting beside her. Moving slowly so as not to scare her, the kit gently laid her hand on her shoulder and Kagome suddenly wrapped her arms around Alexis and hugged her tightly. The kit merely sat in the miko's arms as she sobbed into her fur, soaking it thoroughly. When she was finally out of tears to shed, Kagome took a deep breath and placed Alexis in her lap before smiling down at the kit in thanks.

"Are you alright Kagome?" she asked softly.

Kagome nodded slowly. "Much better now…"

"Why were crying?" the kits asked, reaching up to wipe away a lone tear that had fallen from the miko's orange tinted eyes

"It's complicated… I know that I like your uncle, but for some reason every time he gets near me I panic… I've never met anyone that is as blunt as he is. Not to mention he's a kitsune. Shippo always warns me about adult kitsunes, both male and female. He told me that it doesn't matter the gender, they are masters at seduction and once they find something they want, they will do everything in their power to get it."

Alexis laughed slightly. "That is true… and you most definitely have caught uncle's eye, but you need to understand the entire situation Kagome. Uncle Youko is used to just seducing who he wants and getting everything he desires before leaving. You're different though… he doesn't exactly understand how he feels about you. I know exactly what he's feeling and I keep trying to tell him but he won't listen cause he's stubborn."

"So he does like me? I'm just not used to being so close to men. I mean Kouga does get close a lot but doesn't just come out and pretty much say that he wants me! He always says that he wants me to be his mate but doesn't get as physical as Youko does… I guess I'm just not used to it." Kagome laughed slightly. "When he grabs me… it makes my heart pound and I feel as if I can't breath. I've never felt this way before and it's a little frightening."

Alexis laughed. "You both are so clueless!" she giggled, holding her stomach tightly as she rolled onto her back laughing. "You're both so blind! When the answer is right in front of you!" she giggled.

"What are you talking about Alexis? What's so funny?" Kagome asked, frustrated that she was missing something that the kit know all this time. The laughter was suddenly cut short when they hear the distinct sound of growling. Before Kagome could even turn to get a look at the threat behind them, a strong pair of jaws locked onto her left thigh. The teeth sunk deep into her flesh and Kagome did her best to keep from yelling out in pain.

There was a muffled scream in front of her and Kagome's heart dropped from her chest as she saw another coyote demon clamp down around Alexis's midsection. Before the demon could run off with the kit, Kagome quickly reached forward and zapped the demon with her purification, but not enough so that it would reach Alexis. It yelped and dropped the kit before turning a snarl toward Kagome. A soft splash was heard and Kagome felt her blood freeze within her veins.

"ALEXIS!! NO!!" Throwing raw purification at both the demons, they turned to ash and Kagome leapt off the ground, ignoring her bleeding leg, and dove into the river. The current was far more powerful in this part of the river than it was farther up where she had filled her water bottles and her injured leg was making swimming much more difficult. Diving under, Kagome spotted Alexis and swam toward her as fast as she possibly could. Pulling the kit into her arms, she quickly surfaced and searched for shore.

Only able to propel herself forward with one leg, Kagome struggled to reach shore. Unfortunately, the current pulled them farther down the river to where the land rose higher and almost out of her reach. Kagome grabbed onto the edge with her free hand and tried pulling them up but couldn't. She was too exhausted but Kagome know that Alexis didn't have much time, the kit needed the water pushed from her lungs or she wouldn't make it.

Just as Kagome thought all hope was lost, someone grabbed her forearms and pulled them up to ground level. Once out of the water, the person pulled Kagome tightly into their arms before setting her down on the ground gently. Kagome looked up briefly to see Youko's beautiful golden eyes flooded with worry before she turned her full attention back to Alexis.

Working quickly but carefully, Kagome laid the kit on her back and opened her mouth. Pinching her nose closed, Kagome pushed air into her lungs before moving to pump her heart, careful of the bite wounds along the kit's stomach and side. After several pushes, she moved back to pushing air into her for several long breaths before pumping her chest again. The miko was careful not to push to hard so she wouldn't damage any ribs.

"Come on sweetie…come back to us…please…" Kagome cried, tears flooding down from her orange eyes as she continued breathing for the kit. Youko didn't know what to do. He had never seen anyone successfully save someone that had drowned so his hopes weren't very high that his niece would make it. Why had he left them alone? How could he have been so stupid? It was his fault that Alexis was attacked then drowned…his fault his niece was dying.

Suddenly the little kit began coughing up the water that was in her lungs. She rolled over and spit up the river water and Kagome rush to pat her back so she could get rid of all the water. Once she finished coughing, Kagome pulled the kit into her arms and hugged her tightly, crying into her still soaked fur. A soft pained sigh alerted Kagome that she was still in pain from the bites and she immediately released her, carefully placing her on the ground and running off to get her bag so she could bandage her.

Once the miko disappeared, Youko moved over to sit next to his niece and gently pulled her into his arms. "Lexi… I'm so sorry… this is my entire fault…" he said, his voice strained and Alexis knew that there were tears in her uncle's eyes.

"It's not your fault uncle, I'm fine. This was no one's fault, and Kagome was able to save me so everything is alright ok?" she said with a sore throat, turning in her uncle's embrace to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him as best as she could without her wounds hurting too much. They could hear Kagome returning and Youko gently placed his niece back on the ground and leapt up into the thick branches of the tree above them.

Kagome winced slightly as she dropped to the ground next to Alexis and began digging through her bag to find her first aid kit. Kagome had made sure to quickly wrap her leg to stop the bleeding so that Youko or Alexis wouldn't notice. If they knew she was injured, it would just delay them even longer. For all she knew, Alexis would probably be able to convince her uncle to carry them back to his den until they were healed and Kagome definitely didn't want that.

The miko was slightly relieved to not see Youko anywhere in sight. She could feel that he was in the tree above them because of the shards he had with him but at least she didn't have to face him right now. She wasn't sure how she was going to apologize to him but she knew that she was going to somehow. Pushing that from her mind for the time being, Kagome turned her complete concentration to cleaning and properly wrapping Alexis's wounds. Since she was so much smaller, the coyote was able to get its jaws almost completely around the kit's midsection and Kagome felt terrible for letting her guard down.

If she had been paying attention then this would have never happened and they would be on their somewhat merry way. Those coyotes didn't have shards but she should have been able to feel the threat, especially since they were so near. If it weren't for Youko, Kagome wasn't even sure if Alexis would be alive at this moment, nor her for that matter. She would have either eventually lost her strength or been pulled down the river by the current or she would have lost too much blood, or maybe all three.

"I'm so sorry Alexis…" Kagome whispered once she was finished bandaging her up.

"Why are you both blaming yourselves? It was no one's fault so will you both relax? I'm alive aren't I?" she complained, getting irritated.

"But Alexis, I should have been paying better attention! If I had been, none of this would have happened. And what if Youko hadn't pulled us out of the river? I didn't have the strength to pull us out of the river, if it wasn't for him, we would both be dead." Kagome argued.

"Why are you both so stubborn? Jeez it's almost like you were meant for each other." Alexis huffed.

Kagome blushed beet red before quickly standing, wincing slightly from the movement. Thankfully, no one noticed her falter. Ignoring the pain, Kagome bent down and gathered Alexis in her arms. "We should be going. I want to travel for at least a few more hours before the sun goes down." Kagome said quietly before walking off in the direction they had been heading in earlier that morning.

Youko had leapt down from the trees to lead the way while Kagome followed carrying Alexis. Kagome was thankful for this and that the injured kit had fallen asleep because her leg was starting to seriously bother her. She refused to allow herself to limp because she knew that Youko would hear the difference in her pace and wonder what was wrong. She could feel blood seeping through her bandages and trail down her leg but there was nothing she could do.

Kagome was far to stubborn to ask to stop because she knew Youko would wonder why when there was still another hour or so of sunlight. She didn't want him to know she was injured because she didn't want to hear a lecture of how irresponsible she was to actually let a demon get that close to her or let her guard down. She was too exhausted to argue with anyone right now and she didn't want to listen to anyone yelling at her. Inuyasha always did it and she didn't want to hear it from Youko because she knew she would if he found out she was hurt.

It finally got to the point where Kagome's vision was staring to blur and she knew it was from blood loss. She was stubborn but not stupid and she knew that if she fainted there was the chance that she could hurt Alexis since she was holding her. She finally stopped and rested her free hand on a nearby tree.

"Youko… we need to stop…" she panted in a pained voice.

"Wh…" before the kitsune could finish his question, his eyes landed on the blood that was seeping through the material of the dress that the miko had borrowed from him. Without even thinking, he was at her side within seconds. He helped her sit at the base of the tree and rest her back against it before he took her bag from her. He dug through it until he found the sleeping bag and first aid kit. Quickly laying out the sleeping bag, he took his sleeping niece from Kagome and placed her gently under the cover before returning to Kagome's side.

Kagome's face was flushed red because she knew that Youko would have to bunch the dress up so he could get to her injury. She was quite surprised when he merely tore the dress up the side of her thigh all the way up to her hip. She blushed as he moved the fabric aside but was careful to keep her covered. She appreciated his effort and did her best to relax since she knew she could trust him.

Without a word, Youko removed the bandage that Kagome had made quick work of applying before grabbing her water bottle and cleaning the blood from her wound. Once the blood was clear, he could easily see the type of wound she had and seemed to glare down at the puncture marks that marred her otherwise clear skin.

"Why didn't you say something?" he growled and Kagome winced slightly at the tone of his voice.

"I knew you would be angry that I was slowing us down." Kagome answered softly.

"Slowing us down? What made you think that even mattered?" he asked, pausing to look up into her orange and pink colored eyes.

"Cause I'm a weak human that just attracts trouble and makes everything harder for everyone else…" she said quietly, her gaze dropping to the ground.

Youko growled softly and shook his head as he wrapped a clean bandage around her thigh. "All that matters to me is my niece and your safety. The speed of our travel means nothing."

"I'm sorry Youko… if I had been paying closer attention then Alexis wouldn't have been injured in the first place. The coyote just caught me by surprise and I couldn't think through the pain of his fangs in my leg." She said softly, tears beginning to trail down her cheeks.

The smell of salt assaulted Youko's nose and he made quick work of tying the bandage before pulling the sobbing miko into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her close to him as he inhaled her wonderful scent.

"It wasn't your fault Kagome. I should have been there… I shouldn't have left you both alone." He whispered.

"Don't try to blame yourself Youko, this isn't your fault. It's mine. I should have been paying attention. You saved us…you pulled us from the river."

Youko began chuckling and Kagome pulled away slightly to look at his with confused brown eyes.

"The kit is right. We really are far too stubborn for our own good. The question is though, who is more stubborn?" he laughed, finding himself lost in the miko's captivating eyes.

Kagome couldn't help but smile at the charming smile that played across the handsome kitsune's face. She blushed slightly at his intense gaze and began feeling self-conscious. She knew she could stare into those perfect eyes of his all night but she wasn't sure how long he would be able to behave without making a move on her and she wasn't about to find out how solid his control was.

"Well we should probably get some sleep…" she muttered under her breath before attempting to stand. She was stopped by the strong arms that were wrapped around her securely.

"You're not going anywhere miko." Kagome shivered as his warm breath brushed her cheek and he shifted so that he was leaning against the tree that she was just moments ago. He turned her so she was sitting in his lap with her back against his chest. "Lexi has your sleeping bag, so you're sleeping here, where I can keep a close eye on both of you."

"I could just sleep with Alexis…" she said softly.

"Shut up and just go to sleep will you?" the kitsune said, growling playfully.

Kagome rolled her eyes with a slight smile as she laid her head against his firm and warm chest. Sleeping on him was actually much more comfortable than her sleeping bag. He was warm and the sound of his heartbeat was soothing. His velvet soft tail trailed up to cover her legs as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her warm. Kagome found she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and didn't fight the sleep this time. She was too exhausted and comfortable to fight anything at the moment.

Kagome woke the next morning to the feeling of Youko's silky soft tail trailing along the skin of her uninjured thigh. Confused, she opened her eyes to see that side of her dress was also torn all the way up to her hip. She shifted slightly in the kitsune's lap so she could get more comfortable and turn to look up at him when she heard him growl quietly and his tail wrapped tightly around her upper thigh. Warmth pooled in the pit of her stomach at the feeling and her breathing hitched.

"You don't know what you're doing to me right now Kagome…please stop moving…" he growled. The scent of her arousal hit his nose and it took almost all of Youko's control to keep from rolling over onto the miko and taking her right there and then. He knew he couldn't do that though because she was different from the others…not to mention she meant so much more to him than any other female he had even met. He was doing his best to behave himself but her squirming was making it very difficult.

Kagome immediately stopped moving and merely leaned her head back against his warm chest. "Why is the other side of my dress ripped?" she said in an accusing voice.

Once Youko had complete control of his instincts, he answered her. "Figured you would like it to match the torn side."

Kagome sighed with a shrug and closed her eyes once more. Her wound didn't hurt as bad as it did the night before but it still stung when she flexed her thigh.

"So are you going to be my Aunty Kagome soon?" At hearing the kit, Kagome leapt out of Youko's lap, completely forgetting her wound and blushed beet red. Then the pain hit her and she winced and slowly dropped down on her uninjured leg. Youko had his arms around her waist before she even fully reached the ground and guided her to lie on her back.

He rolled his eyes at the miko's reaction and threw a halfhearted glare toward his now awake niece before getting to work replacing Kagome's now soaked bandages. "You have to move more carefully or your wound will never heal." Youko scolded. "And you, stop asking such ridiculous questions." He said, growling toward Alexis.

Kagome felt a stab at her heart when she heard those words fall from his lips. Stop asking such ridiculous questions? So he didn't like her? He didn't want her as a mate? How could she have been foolish enough to think he would love her? A sob broke from her throat as Kagome suddenly leapt up and dashed off, slightly limping, into the trees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Without even bothering to ask his niece why she ran off, he quickly followed after her.

Catching up to her within moments, he gently grabbed her and held her in place. She tried to get free, pushing against him so she could run.

"Why are you fighting me Kagome?!" he growled.

"I'm sorry the thought of being with me is so ridiculous Youko!" she cried out, pounding her fists against his chest as she still tried to distance herself from him.

Youko's ears drooped and his heart fell into his stomach. He didn't realize that his words could have been heard that way but now that he thought about it, it was quite obvious. He gazed down at Kagome, tears flooding down her cheeks and felt like a complete idiot.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant." He said, trying to calm her.

"Then what did you mean Youko?! What other way could you explain why you spoke those words!?" she cried.

Realizing there was no way he could get her to calm down enough for him to explain, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers firmly. Her crying stopped and her eyes widened as she stared in shock at the kitsune that was kissing her softly. Once she was silent, Youko pulled away and gazed into her eyes intently.

"I said the wrong words Kagome. The thought of being with you is not ridiculous actually. You must know that I am attracted to you, if not then I overestimated your intelligence." He chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the mood.

Kagome sniffled as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I wasn't sure… Shippo had always warned me about adult kitsunes…" she trailed off, knowing Youko understood what she meant.

"This is far more than a simple physical attraction Kagome and I know you can feel that." Youko said, holding her chin in his hand, forcing her to look up into his eyes. That violet color slowly began to seep into her orange and red colored eyes until it completely concealed the other two colors. That emotion was still a mystery to him and he had yet to figure out several of her other emotions as well. Before he could think any harder on it, the smell of Kagome's blood was growing stronger by the second and they had left Alexis by herself.

All this blood was bound to attract some demons and Youko refused to let anything harm either Kagome or Alexis again. "We should get back to camp. Alexis is alone." He said quietly before gently lifting Kagome into his arms and dashing off back to camp to clean up her wound and keep them safe from any demons that may have come across the scent of the miko's blood.

* * *

A/N:

There's chapter 5 ^_^ Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter is going to be sooo exciting. OH!! So for all of you fellow Twilight fans, I found out that New Moon the movie has a set release date!!! It's supposed to be released on November 20th of 2009. I no I no, it a whole year away! Isn't it pure torture? Anywho, ill get to work on the next chapter. R&R ^_^

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Six: Imaginary


	6. Imaginary

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 6: Imaginary

Kagome glared up at the kitsune that was currently carrying her. He had been carrying her for the past three days because he insisted that they could travel faster and she would heal quicker if she stayed off her wound. He carried her bridal style while Alexis sat comfortably on Kagome's stomach just enjoying the ride. The kit had already fully healed by last night and Kagome was almost positive that she was close to completely healed by now.

Youko barely let her walk anywhere. Not the short distance to the camp fire, or to her pack, or even to wash up in the morning. She was beginning to get beyond frustrated and if he didn't let her walk after their lunch break today, she was sure she would snap. Kagome had to admit though; she didn't mind being held in the kitsune's strong arms. It was quite comforting and she felt protected within his embrace. The only thing that bothered her was that the only reason he was carrying her was because she was injured and she knew very well that she could walk on her own just fine.

Youko knew the fact that he was still carrying her irritated the living hell out of Kagome. That was partially the reason why he was still carrying her. He was very aware of the fact that her wound was practically completely healed but besides secretly irritating her, he enjoyed their proximity far too much to let her go just yet. With her in his arms, her scent was constantly drifting up to his nose and he absolutely loved every time the wind would shift and blow against him because it would blow her intoxicating scent right into his face.

Her body fit so perfectly against his and he nearly laughed at how unaware the miko was of the level of enjoyment he was experiencing from merely being able to hold her so close. Holding her bridal style, he was able to firmly wrap his hand around her well shaped thighs. On the flip side though, this was all quite torturous. The mere thought that this was the farthest he would be able to go with the miko nearly drove him insane.

Alexis had explained while Kagome was sleeping that in her time, most women held onto their purity until marriage. He recognized the term marriage as the eternal bonding of a male and female among humans. So mating was the demon version of marriage and in order for Youko to completely claim Kagome as his, he needed her to agree to be his mate. This decision wasn't hard for him to accept seeing as he already realized that he loved the miko and oddly enough he dreamed of her bearing his kits some day.

This was all very new to Youko. He had never met a woman that he had grown so fond of or even felt more than a physical attraction toward. To be dreaming of the miko pregnant with his kits was a completely different story. He loved her so much that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and build a family. Kitsune's mate for life once they finalize the mating process, which required a bite mark on the inside of her thigh.

Once she accepted his claim, he would proceed to place a bite mark on the junction of her neck and shoulder, which signaled to other males that he had placed a claim on her but they were not completely mated yet. The mere thought of another male taking Kagome from him boiled his blood and almost to the point of red seeping into his vision.

Apparently Kagome gave Alexis permission to tell Youko anything she wanted because the other day while Kagome was resting in his arms during travel, the kit had told Youko almost everything about Kagome's past suitors. Kagome must have understood kitsune kits more that he thought. She apparently knew how much kits enjoyed talking and therefore gave Alexis permission to tell Youko anything she wanted because she claimed she trusted him with her secrets.

Alexis had proceeded to inform her uncle about how protective Inuyasha was of Kagome but made it clear that Kagome only loved the hanyou as a brother she never had. She also warned him about Miroku's perverted ways and warned him not to hurt the monk too badly because Kagome would get angry. Kouga was the last on her list of suitors because she knew that the wolf demon would irritate her uncle the most.

She explained how Kouga would randomly come visit Kagome and ask her if she was prepared to become his mate. She explained that Kagome only saw Kouga as a friend and nothing more but no matter how many times she turned him down, he still never gave up. She also warned him that Kagome had said that Kouga had a habit of fighting with any other male that dared to stake a claim on 'his woman' and would most likely start something with Youko if they crossed paths anytime soon.

The kit also informed her uncle of the odd obsession that Naraku seemed to have with Kagome. Kagome had explained that since she looked like Kikyou, he lusted to have her in every way possible. The mere thought of Naraku touching Kagome in such a way had sent shivers of disgust down her spine when she had explained it to Alexis. The thought may have disgusted the miko but it thoroughly infuriated Youko. The different methods of torture he could perform on the vile hanyou were still forming in his mind.

Youko's arms tightened around Kagome from remembering the conversation he and his niece had shared the day before and Kagome turned a questioning look up to him. The kitsune looked beyond irritated and Kagome frowned. Was he irritated that he had to carry her around everywhere because she was injured? Maybe she was right; maybe he did see her as weak and useless just like Inuyasha did.

Sighing heavily, Kagome let her head fall backward so that she could see the trees that pasted them by. At hearing her sigh, Youko glanced down at the miko only to catch sight of the clear flesh of her neck. Staring at it intently, he felt the sudden urge to press his lips against the soft skin. He wanted his claim mark on that clear skin and the longer he stared, the more he felt the urge to lean down and sink his fangs into her flesh.

The thought of Kagome bearing his mark led his mind to wonder to other things…such as how much he would enjoy pleasuring the miko. She would think she had died and gone to heaven by the time he was done with her. The thought of him pushing into her tight… there was a sudden sharp pain on Youko's ear that immediately yanked him from his thoughts. Alexis removed her small but sharp teeth from his sensitive ear and dropped down to sit on her uncle's shoulder when the smell of his arousal dispersed.

Youko at first glared in his niece's direction before a look of relief spilled into his golden eyes. He was truly thankful that his niece was there to help him stay in line. If it wasn't for her, he was sure he would have lost control by now and most likely done something that he would surely regret. With her senses, she could smell whenever her uncle's mind was drifting off to forbidden thoughts and she would happily help avert his attention or distract him.

Alexis could tell how strongly her uncle felt for Kagome and knew he was doing his best to behave. Just by the way he looks at the miko she could tell that he had definitely fallen for her and would probably do anything in his power to have her. With this knowledge, Alexis was slightly hoping that Kouga would make one of his random appearances so that she could see how everything turned out. Youko knew not to harm the wolf too badly because even though he was quite irritating and consistent, he was still Kagome's friend and their ally against Naraku.

Kagome on the other hand confused Alexis. She knew that the miko was falling for her uncle but sometimes the look in her eyes…the look of doubt and fear threw her off. What did Kagome have to be scared of? She knew that Youko wouldn't hurt her didn't she? Perhaps she hadn't yet realized how head over heels the kitsune was for her yet. That was possible and it would explain the doubt and fear. She feared rejection and that maybe she was just a burden to him.

So if it was rejection that Kagome feared, all that needed to be done to relieve her of that worry was to have Youko tell her he loves her. The only problem with that was the fact that her uncle was still confused with his emotions and didn't completely understand them yet. Alexis rolled her eyes; did she really have to do all the work?

Youko decided to stop for lunch at that particular moment and gently set Kagome down on the ground. Alexis dropped from her uncle's shoulder to sit in Kagome's lap as she formulated her plan while Youko dug through Kagome bag for her water bottle. Handing it to her, he quickly made a fire before dashing off to hunt down some lunch.

Returning several minutes later, Youko positioned the rabbit above the fire so it could cook while he made his way back over to Kagome. Before he could even get within two feet of her, she was already glaring at him.

"I'm healed and you know it. I can walk on my own and I don't need a bandage anymore because the wound has already closed up."

Youko snorted, scowling slightly before turning his back to her. "Fine." Irritated that he would obviously not be able to carry her now, Youko went back to sit near the fire, glaring at the rabbit that was roasting. Alexis nearly laughed at the sight. Her uncle was sulking over by the fire and Kagome had her nose stuck up in the air with her arms crossed stubbornly across her chest.

Suddenly Kagome leapt to her feet and stared off to the west. Her sudden movement startled Alexis but she still landed on her feet from being thrown from the miko's lap. All the commotion caught Youko's attention and he was at Kagome's side in a flash, spreading his aura toward the direction she was staring.

"What is it Kagome?" Alexis asked after several moments of silence, slowly making her way to stand beside the miko.

"It's Kouga. I can feel two shards of the jewel coming in this direction at an alarming speed. Kouga is the only one that I know of that moves that fast." She smiled slightly, excited to see her friend.

A silent growl formed in Youko's chest. The wolf… wonderful. Now he could officially meet his competition. Even though Kagome knew the demon, Youko refused to let his guard down. He wasn't sure how the wolf would react to his presence. He also kept close attention to where Alexis was just in case.

A strong aura zipped past Youko and he turned in time to see Kagome fall to the ground, unconscious. Youko's first reaction was to rush to Kagome's side but he knew that he needed to assess the situation first to ensure their complete safety before he let his guard down to check on Kagome. He could hear her breathing and heart beat so didn't panic too much over the miko. Taking a good look around, there was no one in sight besides Alexis.

Where was Kouga? And why did he attack Kagome? Focusing on the strong aura that had flew by him; he pin pointed the aura to be where Kagome lay. Confused and alarmed, he was about to make his way to Kagome's side when the one demon he didn't expect to see made an appearance. Naraku stood across the clearing with a smug smirk on his face.

"It would seem that my new creation has found its next victim." He chuckled, his eyes traveling down the length of Kagome's body. A growl tore from Youko's throat as he pulled his rose whip from the folds of his clothing. He had it prepared just in case he had to fight Kouga and now he was relieved for his precaution.

"What have you done to Kagome." He snarled.

"I have done nothing to the miko; my newest detachment is what is haunting her. I do hope she survives through it though. Mental strength is a key quality I look for in a mate." He smirked before disappearing into the shadows, his deep chuckling echoing through the trees. Once Naraku was out of sight, both Youko and Alexis rushed to Kagome's aid.

The miko was sweating profusely and her heart beat was a constant quick patter. She was burning up but other than that, she seemed fine. Her face was blank of emotion, as if she was merely sleeping and had a slight fever.

"Kagome told me about the different detachments that she and her group had fought in the past uncle…and from how the stories went, they were not easy to defeat." Alexis spoke up.

"I didn't expect this to be that simple… but what is this demon doing to her?" he asked, more to himself.

"She told me there was one demon that could see into one's heart and very soul and if there was even the smallest trace of darkness, he could control that person. Maybe this demon can do something along those lines?"

"How were all the other detachments destroyed?"

"Inuyasha was able to defeat most of them with his tetsugia… but those were all demons that he could actually face. This one is no where in sight."

Youko growled in frustration. Naraku had specifically said that his newest detachment was haunting her now…what did that mean? Once the demon collided with Kagome, she fell unconscious so was the demon haunting her in her sleep? But if that was the case, then how could this demon possibly kill Kagome or accomplish anything? All Youko could think of it accomplishing was giving her nightmares, but how terrible could that be for a human as pure hearted as Kagome?

* * *

Kagome shivered in the cold darkness. Where was she? What happened? The last thing she could remember was waiting for Kouga to arrive. Suddenly Kouga appeared before her and Kagome leapt to her feet.

"Kouga! Where are we?" she asked, stepping closer to the wolf.

He took a step away from her and turned a disgusted scowl toward her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Kouga? What's wrong?" Kagome was confused, why was he being so distant and looking at her like that?

"What's wrong is that I'm stuck in this hell hole with the likes of you." he spat, turning his back to the miko.

Confused, Kagome placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Kouga, what are you talking about?"

He growled at her and pushed her hand from his shoulder violently. "Don't touch me you vile human."

Kagome pulled her hand to her chest as if he had bitten her. It sure felt like he did with those hurtful words that had just fallen from his lips. What was happening here? Why was Kouga looking at her as if she had betrayed him somehow? Had she done something to anger him?

"Kouga… I don't understand." She said slowly.

"I should have known that a mere human didn't possess the strength, much less the intelligence to become my mate and rebuild my pack." He laughed darkly, glaring at her in disgust. "You're not worthy of my presence." He snorted.

A thousand jabs to the heart… that's what his words felt like to her. As if he had taken a knife and stabbed her several times with it. Hell she was almost positive that if he had actually stabbed her that would have hurt less than the razor sharp words that he had just thrown at her. Beyond confused, she reached forward once more to place her hand on his shoulder and he slapped it away violently with an angry snarl.

"I told you not to touch me! Are you too stupid to understand a command when you're given one?"

"What's gotten into you Kouga?! Why are you acting like this?" she demanded, refusing to let the tears that were gathering in her eyes to fall.

"You really want to know?" he laughed cruelly before continuing. "I finally realized how truly pathetic you are! I wasted all my time and effort trying to gain your attention when I should have killed you when I first kidnapped you. Once you finished helping with the Birds of Paradise, I should have thrown you to my wolves." He spat.

"This isn't real…you're not Kouga… Kouga claims that he loves me…" Kagome says to herself, falling to the ground and pulling her legs to her chest.

"Me love you? HA! Yea maybe when I was love stuck but now that I realize that the only use you are is to find the jewel shards, I'm seeing much more clearly now. You're weak and could never take the position of alpha female in my pack." He said sharply before walking off, leaving Kagome in the dark by herself.

Kagome shook her head. This wasn't real… that wasn't Kouga. He wouldn't say those things; even if he did realize he didn't love her… he wouldn't hurt her like this. This is a dream… it has to be. She just had to stick it out for a while until Miroku or Sango woke her from this nightmare.

Kagome suddenly woke with a start. Panting heavily and shivering slightly, she looked up to see Miroku scowling down at her with a bucket in his hand. Relieved that she was finally out of that horrid nightmare, she leapt up and out of her sleeping bag and hugged Miroku tightly.

"Oh Miroku… I had the wors…" Kagome suddenly found herself pushed away from her friend and harshly into a nearby tree.

"You tainted soul, don't infect me with your darkness." He snapped, holding his staff tightly in his hands as he glared in hatred at Kagome.

"Miroku? No… not you too…"

"We trusted you _Kagome_ and you betrayed us." He forced through grit teeth, saying her name as if it were poison itself.

"What are you talking about? I would never betray any of you!" Kagome retorted, watching the staff that was held tightly in Miroku's hands that were shaking from his anger.

"You lie! It's your fault Sango is dead! If you would have tried harder to control your powers then Sango would be alive now! Because of how weak you are, Naraku was able to spring a sneak attack on us and Sango was too busy protecting you to pay attention to the demon that snuck up behind her! YOU DIDN'T EVEN WARN HER! You just watched as the demon slit her throat!" Miroku yelled, striking her in the stomach with his staff.

Kagome grunted in pain and fell to the ground, tears flowing from her orange colored eyes as she watched Miroku spit at her feet before disappearing, leaving her in the darkness once more.

* * *

They had been sitting there for hours trying to figure out what the demon was doing to Kagome. For hours, she didn't move and the blank expression remained on her face. It didn't seem like the demon was doing anything to the miko until Youko spotted a lone tear trail down her cheek before a soft cry escaped her lips.

"Naraku said that his detachment was haunting her, so maybe it's bringing back her past emotions and pains and turning them into nightmares that seem real to Kagome because she can't wake up." Alexis suggested.

"Ok well if that's the case then how do we wake her?" Youko mused. They had already tried shaking her and throwing water over her face to see it she would wake but nothing seemed to work. It was now obvious that the demon was slowly getting to Kagome and neither Youko nor Alexis were going to wait around and find out how this demon planned to end the miko's life.

* * *

Kagome sat in the darkness sobbing to herself. She didn't betray anyone… she wouldn't have just sat by and watched as a demon killed Sango in cold blood. She would have done something… anything to save her friend. This wasn't real, it couldn't be! Where was Youko and Alexis? Or Inuyasha and Shippo? This couldn't be real… she wasn't the reason for Sango's death.

"You did nothing Kagome… you just sat there and watched." Kagome whipped her head around to locate the source of the voice. Standing before her was her best friend Sango, soaked in her own blood and staring down at Kagome with lifeless eyes.

"No… Sango I would have done something to help! I wouldn't have just done nothing!" Kagome yelled, refusing to look at the woman that looked so similar to the taijiya she knew and loved.

"Look at what you've done to me Kagome. If you would have done something… anything… I could be alive and happy now. Once we defeated Naraku I could have married Miroku and made a family with him! I could have lived a full and happy life!" Sango cried, wincing in pain and falling to her knees.

At hearing her groans of pain, Kagome quickly looked up only to see Sango gone and she was alone once again. The miko pulled her legs to her chest once more and dropped her forehead to rest on her knees. This was a dream… a terrible dream. This was her imagination… yea that's it, this was all imaginary. None of it was real. She would wake from this hell soon and realize how foolish she was to think this torment was reality.

Her loneliness didn't last as long this time though. Several minutes after Sango left, Alexis and Shippo were suddenly at her side. Relief flooded through the miko when she felt no hostility from the two kits she had grown to love so much. Looking up, she quickly noticed the tears flooding from their eyes.

"Shippo…Alexis…What's wrong?" she asked, worry evident in her voice as she reached toward the kits.

"No! Not you! Anyone but you!" Alexis cried, cringing away from Kagome's outstretched hand.

"Why Kagome? Why did you have to do it?" Shippo sobbed, hugging Alexis as if to protect her from the miko.

Kagome stared at the two kits in confusion, hurt that they seemed to be scared of her. "What did I do? Shippo, Alexis you both know that I love you and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"You shattered the jewel so it's your fault our parents are dead…" Alexis whined, crying loudly.

"Their blood is on your hands." Shippo whimpered.

"If it wasn't for you, mama would be alive."

"And father would still be here to protect me."

"I wouldn't have to think of her for her to hear me."

"Father would have taught me how to be a kitsune."

"And Mama would still be tucking me into bed at night."

"But you don't care."

"Yea, you're too busy trying to get with my uncle Youko." Alexis accused, turning a hateful glare toward the miko.

Kagome felt her heart breaking with each and every word that was spoken. Each word torn another piece of her heart away until she felt there was nothing left at all… as if her heart was shattered into thousands of pieces and now littered the floor. Not only had they broken her heart, but it also felt as if they were crushing each broken piece with their painful words.

"No… I do care…" Kagome whispered, her gaze falling to the ground as tear flooded from her pained eyes.

"Don't lie to us anymore. We can't take anymore of it. You took our parents from us Kagome." Shippo whimpered.

"And for that, we hate you."

They hated her. Kagome didn't even bother to look up because she knew they left her. Why would they stay? They hated her now. It was all her fault. Everything. If she would have been a more skilled archer then the bird wouldn't have swallowed the jewel in the first place. If she would have been more intelligent then she would have realized that the leg was going to return directly back to the crow, therefore the arrow would hit it.

"I always knew you were pathetic. A weak copy of the far more powerful original."

Kagome didn't even bother to look up at the sound of Inuyasha's voice. She didn't want to see the disgust, disappointment, or hatred that was probably on his face.

"Wench! Look at me when I'm talking to you damnit!" he growled suddenly and kicked Kagome in the stomach.

The miko grunted in pain but still didn't look up. This would be over soon… just like the others. She just had to take the pain and be patient so she could be alone once more and drown in her sorrows. A loud snarl tore from Inuyasha's throat and Kagome suddenly found herself pinned to the ground, Inuyasha glaring down at her.

"Stupid wench. You need to be taught your place." He growled and to Kagome's horror, yanked her skirt up.

"Inuyasha! No!" Kagome yelled, trying to push her skirt back down. Before Kagome knew what was happening, her hands where suddenly pinned above her head, held together painfully by the hanyou's left hand. Growling his frustration, Inuyasha shred her panties and pulled down his pants. Kagome was full out bawling now as she begged the hanyou not to do it.

"Please Inuyasha." She cried, tears falling from her orange and silver specked eyes.

"Shut up." He growled in response. That's when Kagome panicked. Shaking her head vigorously, she struggled to get free. She pulled at her bound hands and tried getting a good kick in. By some kind of luck, Kagome was able to knee the hanyou hard enough in the stomach to give her the time she needed to escape. Leaping up from the ground, she quickly turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

She heard his snarl of protest before she felt him tackle her to the ground. Pinned down once more, only this time she was lying on her stomach, Inuyasha grabbed her wrists tightly, his claws puncturing her skin. Before she could scream from the pain, the hanyou she saw as a brother and loved with all her heart slammed his erection into her, taking her virginity along with what was left of her sanity.

"You're alone. No one wants you, not like anyone ever did in the first place." The haunting sound of Inuyasha's laughter echoed throughout Kagome's mind.

* * *

"I'm alone… No one wants me…" When Youko and Alexis heard the miko whimper those words, they understood what was happening. The demon was slowly destroying her soul. Once that was broken, he would have the power to actually take her life from the dream world. If he succeeded in making Kagome believe that her dream was reality then any injuries inflicted in her dream would also damage her body that lay still before them.

"Kagome, you're not alone! We're here for you." Alexis yelled, shaking the miko as tears formed in her eyes. "Uncle…she's not waking up. Why won't she wake up?"

"The demon is destroying her soul by taking from her what she values most in life; her family and friends. He's making her believe that she is alone and that no one loves her anymore therefore has no reason to live. If he succeeds then Kagome will die."

"Then how do we save her!" Alexis cried, holding Kagome's hand tightly to her chest as the tears began to fall.

"We have to somehow get through to her…" Youko said. He couldn't think straight at the moment. He was in too much of a panic. He had just found the miko and now he was losing her. Is this what the fates defined as entertainment? Giving him something he didn't even realize he wanted then once he started falling for her, they take her from him?

Youko growled in anger. No, Kagome wasn't going to die. He was going to figure out a way to get through to her. He was going to save her and they were going to continue traveling back to Kagome's group like they were before. He refused to lose her. A small smirk spread across the kitsune's face. He was the notorious Youko Kurama; king of thieves and he was not about to let this dream demon steal Kagome from him. If he couldn't take her back fairly, then he would just have to steal her back.

* * *

Kagome rocked back and forth, her legs pressed to her chest so tightly it looked as if she were trying to hold herself together. Like she would fall to pieces if she relieved her hold even by the slightest. The miko cried no more, but only because she had no more tears to shed. There was nothing left for her. Her friends, her family, everything that meant most to her was now gone. They were either dead or despised her in some way.

She no longer held her purity and the miko could feel that her heart was no longer warm and loving, beating proudly in her chest. It was now broken and the pieces scattered at her feet. It was her fault that so many had died. Their blood stained her hands, just as Alexis had said. Because of her weakness, her loved ones were in pain. They lost their loved ones and all the guilt was dropped upon Kagome's shaking shoulders.

So what was next? Who was going to appear and tear at her very soul, or at least whatever was left of it. Was Kikyou going to come and degrade her? Or perhaps simply end her misery and take the other half of her soul so the dead priestess could live again? Kagome only wished it were that easy… that her escape would come so soon. Hearing someone approach her, Kagome slowly raised her head.

What a surprise, Youko Kurama was now standing before her with his arms crossed over his perfectly built chest. Kagome stared with blank empty eyes at the silver kitsune, waiting for whatever form of torment he was to bestow upon her. Kagome had the lingering feeling that this was going to hurt the most. This would be what was going to push her completely over the edge.

Kagome had only just begun to realize her feelings for the kitsune and now he was here to take advantage of that just as her other friends and family had. She continued to stare up at the demon she had grown to love and waited for her punishment. But that's all she did. Wait. He was merely staring down at her in pure disgust and betrayal. Was this his form of torture? To stare her down with those eyes flooded with the disappointment that tore at whatever was left of her soul?

As if he had read her mind, a sadistic smirk spread across his divine features. Without warning, vines emerged from the ground and bound Kagome painfully against the ground. She ground her teeth together to keep from screaming in agony as the thorns of the vines dug into her flesh. Lying in a pool of her own blood, Kagome stared lifelessly up into nothingness.

"You finally realize that no one loves you." Youko chuckled, stepping forward so that he was standing at the miko's feet. "How foolish were you to think that I would actually love you in return?"

* * *

Youko and Alexis had been trying everything they could to wake Kagome. From slapping her, wafting an awakening mixture that Youko had made under her nose, to begging her to wake up, nothing worked. While the two kitsunes' were sitting beside the miko probing their panicked minds for another solution is when the wounds began to appear. Deep punctures appeared along both the miko's wrists and around her ankles. Blood was gradually seeping from the multiple wounds.

Alexis stared at the miko's blood with wide eyes. Shaking her head slowly, tears stung her eyes once more as she flung herself onto the miko's chest. "KAGOME!!!! Don't you dare leave me! You told me that you would stay with me and protect me!!" she cried, pounding her tiny fists against Kagome's shoulders. "You said mama sent you to keep me safe in her place! So you have to wake up Kagome!" Alexis cried, her tears soaking the front of the miko's kimono.

Youko sighed and gently lifted his niece off Kagome's chest. It was hard enough thinking he was going to loose Kagome; he didn't want to watch his niece suffer as well. She thrashed around angrily in his hold, crying loudly. "Life is pain! You just have to get used to it!" Alexis cried out, finally escaping her uncle's grasp. The kit dropped down next to the miko and buried her face in the fabric that covered Kagome's stomach. "So wake up right now Kagome." She sobbed.

"Alexis…" Both kitsune's gazes flung toward the miko's face. The expression that was there was no longer blank, but looked pained. Nonetheless, she had responded. Alexis leapt up onto the miko's chest again before turning her shocked expression to her uncle. He was also staring at the miko in surprise and slight relief.

"You said something that got through to her Lexi… what was it?" Youko demanded.

"When Kagome first found me, I was still mourning over mama and she had told me what her mother always told her; life is pain, get used to it." Alexis said quickly.

Youko nodded and pondered for a moment before shaking his head in frustrated confusion. "What does that have to do with anything!"

"Maybe it's the memories of why people love her that is getting to her. Kagome told me that whenever Kagome was having a hard time, her mother would always be there to comfort her and say that phrase."

"That has to be it… Kagome told you many stories of her friends correct?" When his niece nodded vigorously, he continued. "Think of the reasons why her friends love her, remind her." Youko said, subconsciously grabbing one of the miko's hands. Maybe there was a chance for them to save her…

* * *

The whip pounded against her back once more and Kagome winced in pain. She was surprised she wasn't dead yet from either blood lost or permanent damage that would soon result in her vital organs failing. Just as she began to give up and lose hope, a voice drifted to her ears. A voice full of anguish and despair and that sounded very familiar.

'Life is pain! You just have to get used to it!'

Kagome's head snapped up and she frantically searched for the source of the voice. "Alexis…" she whispered. That was Alexis's voice; she would never be able to forget the sound of the kit's voice that was full of misery when she first met her. But why was she yelling at her? Kagome was beyond confused and her thoughts were momentarily lost when the whip hit her once more.

"You killed my sister, Alexis's mother. She hates you; she's not coming to save you." Youko stated, pulling back his whip for another round.

'Kagome… if it wasn't for you, I would be dead by Naraku's hand and the taijiya clan would have ended… you're always standing behind me to catch me whenever I fall…'

Sango's voice filled Kagome's mind and the memory of when Kagome had saved Sango from foolishly hunting Naraku on her own and eventually getting herself killed plagued her mind. How could Sango hate her? She was like a sister to her and they loved each other as if they were of the same blood. Even if Sango did die, it was to protect the one's she loved and she died a brave and strong warrior.

A pained growl attracted Kagome's attention and she turned to see Youko holding his head as if he were in pain.

'I promise you Miroku… we will defeat Naraku and the curse will be lifted.'

Recalling now of the time when Miroku had confessed he loved Sango but couldn't express his feeling to her because he feared he would not live long enough to fulfill his dreams. Kagome remembered she had hugged the monk tightly and promised he would have his chance at happiness. That was also the day he told Kagome he loved her as well, but not in the way he loved Sango.

'Pleeeeease mama… oops… I mean Kagome…'

Kagome laughed slightly as she remembered the time that Shippo had accidentally called her 'mama'. She had told him she didn't mind and the kit seemed quite overjoyed. Shippo called her Kagome only every once in a while from mere habit.

Youko was now shrieking in agony, curling up and snarling in pain.

'Best friend… I've never had a best friend.'

She could still remember the bright and happy smile that had consumed Inuyasha's face when she first called him her best friend.

'You are despicable Inuyasha! Kagome's hands feel much colder than they usually do. And her beautiful cheeks, which are usually so rosy, are pale like a fish's belly. I can tell you put Kagome's life in terrible danger. Well I would never let anything like that happen to her!'

That was the time that one of the band of seven had poisoned her, Sango and Miroku and Kouga showed up while they were recovering. The wolf demon had really given Inuyasha a piece of his mind then.

* * *

With each memory that Alexis reminded Kagome of, she became more responsive. Her wounds were even disappearing and her health was returning to normal. It finally came to the point that Alexis had run out of things to say…

"I said everything I can remember her telling me that would make her realize how much we love her… but she still hasn't woken up." Alexis said quietly, growing worried once more.

Youko stared down at the miko intently. He knew exactly what needed to be said to bring her back…

Youko squeezed her hand tightly between his as he gazed down at her beautiful face. "Kagome… I love you." with that said, the kitsune bent down and pressed his lips against hers softly.

* * *

'Kagome… I love you.' Youko's voice echoed in Kagome's mind and her eyes widened. She felt her entire being flood with warmth and her heart pound in her chest at a rapid pace. Wait, her heart was pounding? Kagome smiled. She was right. This was her imagination. Her heart wasn't shattered, it was still there and now it was complete. Kagome turned a glare toward the demon that looked like Youko who was still cringing in pain.

"You're not real. None of this is, it's all imaginary, a terrible dream that you manipulated! You hold power over me no more! NOW GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Kagome yelled as a burst of purification consumed the demon before he disappeared completely. Kagome felt something against her lips. She knew she was waking up from this hellish nightmare but the pressure applied to her lips was confusing. As she felt herself return to reality, the pressure became more prominent but soft. Opening her eyes, she smiled against Youko's lips. Feeling her response, Youko pulled away quickly only to see the miko smiling up at him.

"KAGOME!!!" Alexis threw herself at the miko and wrapped her tiny arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. "You're ok!!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, tears of joy trailing down her cheeks. Kagome laughed softly and hugged the kit in return, burying her nose in her dark hair before pulling away and kissing her forehead.

"That's partially thanks to you." Kagome smiled warmly as she sat up. Turning her bright golden eyes to Youko, she pried the kit from her neck and set her down gently before tackle hugging the older kitsune. "And thanks to you…" she said softly, hugging the kitsune tightly as he wrapped his arms around her. Kagome felt completely protected in the shelter of his arms. The way he hugged her now seemed as if he let her go, she might vanish and it made Kagome laugh.

It felt so right to be in his arms, sitting in his lap as she was now. His scent was so unique that she had learned to love it within the few days she knew the kitsune. The funny thing was, within those few days, she had begun falling for him. Kagome hadn't been sure of how she truly felt until she heard him say he loved her. Of course Kagome wasn't going to say anything about it because she wasn't sure if he had really said it or not. She didn't plan to make a fool of herself anytime soon.

Youko held Kagome in his embrace for longer than necessary but he didn't care. All that he cared about was that she was well and alive, here in his arms where he could protect her. He had told her he loved her but Kagome had yet to say anything about it. For now he wasn't going to worry about that though because all that mattered was that the little miko hadn't rejected him yet.

* * *

A/N:

Aww hehe hope you all liked this chapter. I think it's the longest of them all so far lol. Well anyway, I'm keeping this note short, all I want to say is Happy New Years! All you youngsters be carefully and don't party too hard! Lol I know I will ^_^ so until next time! R&R

Love you all!

Icyfire

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Seven: Trouble


	7. Trouble

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 7: Trouble

Alexis stared back and forth between her uncle and Kagome. They were in a disagreement once again and were arguing over how they should approach the village. According to Kagome, they were just about to enter Inuyasha's forest, which stood between the village and the Bone Eater's Well that was the portal to her time. Kagome had stopped everyone before they reached the forest saying that once they entered, Inuyasha would probably know they were there. Alexis wasn't sure why, but Kagome was nervous about rejoining her group.

Kagome was arguing that Youko and Alexis should stay behind and let her explain everything to her friends before they introduced themselves but uncle Youko had his mind set. He wanted to assist in the explanation and personally ask Kagome's friends if they would allow him to travel with them. Kagome disagreed to this because she knew that Inuyasha would immediately say no and only become even angrier.

Inuyasha's anger was the main reason Youko wanted to be there when Kagome explained everything. Ever since the incident with Naraku's dream haunting detachment, Alexis's uncle almost never let Kagome out of his sight. Kagome demanded an answer as to why he was hovering or as she had put it, 'Breathing down her neck.' Youko had come to the conclusion that Kagome was a danger magnet and therefore needed a constant body guard. Once the kit's uncle heard that Inuyasha would be throwing a fit over the situation, he refused to let Kagome confront the hanyou without him at her side.

"Inuyasha isn't going to hurt me!" Kagome yelled, glaring up at the stubborn Kitsune.

"You don't know that for sure, the possibility of him changing full demon still stands." He retorted.

"I already told you his sword keeps his blood in check!"

"Not that time at Kaguya's castle." Youko stated and Kagome's first reaction was surprise. How could the kitsune know about that particular time? And if he did know about it… did that mean he knew about the kiss too? Kagome turned her gaze briefly toward Alexis, who was sitting to the side enjoying a bar of chocolate. The kit's ears were drooped slightly and she didn't look up to meet the miko's gaze as she usually did. Yup, Alexis must have told Youko almost all the stories she told her.

"That was because she forced him to change with her powers! The tetsugia couldn't do anything to stop that."

"Yea, but apparently you could." Youko muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, irritated that she couldn't hear what he mumbled.

"I don't care how much you believe that hanyou is in control of his demon blood, I'm going with you." Youko said, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his nose in the air.

"What is with all the men in this time?! I'm not made of glass Youko, I won't break. Inuyasha would never intentionally hurt me."

"Like I said before, you're a danger magnet. If I let you wander through that forest on your own with your luck, you'll most likely get attacked and we'll end up coming to rescue you. Not to mention the commotion will probably attract Inuyasha's attention and he will come running so in the end, it'll turn out that we confront Inuyasha with you." Youko concluded with a smug smile.

"And what makes you think I'll be attacked in the first place?!"

"Because you're Kagome."

"I do not get attacked that often!"

"Would you like me to begin recording the number of demons that trouble you when you're left alone?"

"OK!!! I'm sick of sitting here listening to you two love birds argue in circles!" Alexis finally snapped, leaping to her feet and standing between the now blushing Kagome and her uncle, who was glaring half heartedly down at her.

"Here's what we're gunna do and I don't wanna hear ANY arguing. We are all going into the forest together. Uncle Youko is going to stay in the forest while Kagome and I go on to the village to explain everything to Inuyasha. Uncle Youko is to STAY in the forest, but can be within view and hearing distance, until we come and get you." Alexis said before walking off and entering Inuyasha's forest without another word. Both miko and kitsune stared after the kit with slight surprise.

Turning toward each other, Kagome 'hmphed' before stomping off to follow Alexis, leaving Youko to walk behind glaring at her back. Never before had the kitsune met a female as… frustrating as she was! Most females, demon or human, feared him and therefore didn't even think of provoking his anger yet this little miko argued with him every chance she got! She was so stubborn and irritating and beautiful… and quite sexy when she was mad…

Youko sighed when he realized he wasn't even mad at the miko anymore. He couldn't even stay angry with her for very long, no matter how much she frustrated him. But when he thought about it, it was the stubbornness, the fire in the little miko that attracted him to her so. She was so dependent and something about that strong will made him like her that much more. Even though he was a male demon and she knew very well that he could easily overpower her, she still didn't back down like other women.

Aside from the fire Kagome possessed, she still held that gentle and caring personality that made her who she was. The true reason she didn't want Youko to come with her to explain everything is because she knew how Inuyasha would react once he saw the kitsune. He would unsheathe his sword and charge Youko and Kagome didn't want anyone to get hurt so she was doing everything she could to avoid that situation.

In Youko's opinion, if the hanyou was that jumpy for battle then he couldn't be trusted to keep his temper in check. That in mind, Youko most definitely planned to get as close to Kagome as possible while she and the little devil that had formed this plan talked to Inuyasha. If the hanyou even blinked wrong, Youko would be there to protect his future mate and niece.

Speaking of mates… Youko turned his gaze back to the miko in question who was still walking ahead of him, her tiny hands clenched into fists. Youko held back his chuckle. The little spitfire held grudges. Shaking that thought from his mind and returning to what he had originally been thinking of, Youko was beginning to grow impatient. It had been almost a week since he confessed his love to her and she had yet to say anything about it.

Youko was starting to worry that perhaps she was avoiding the subject purposely because she did not feel the same way in return. The mere thought of that made Youko's head spin. She had to hold some level of affection toward him. If she didn't then she wouldn't have allowed him to kiss her; twice! Not to mention she would have refused to sleep in his lap when she was injured and would have complained when he opted for sleeping next to her every night since the dream haunting demon.

So if she held feelings for him then why hadn't she said anything regarding the matter? Was she scared? If so, he didn't understand why seeing as there was nothing he could think of that would terrify the miko. Maybe she was embarrassed, but what would she be ashamed of? Why did women have to be so complicated? The demon women he had encountered in the past were nowhere near this confusing, but then again the only reason Youko came in contact with them in the first place was for the sex.

The lack of sex was another torturous element in this. Was he really willing enough to deprive himself of sex just to win this miko over? Did he honestly grow to love her that much over the short amount of time they knew each other? Youko once again sighed as he answered his own question. Yes, he was that deeply in love with her. So in love that he would do anything, even give his life for her. She was his life now. If the only way to show Kagome that he was absolutely serious and wanted only her was to neglect his sexual needs for the time being, then so be it.

"Will you hurry up, you're slowing us down." Kagome complained, turning to glare at him. Youko rolled his eyes with a smirk. For such a small female, she had quite a big temper. She was so irresistibly sexy when she was angry like this. Now if the miko could only put all that emotion into a particular action…

Not able to resist any longer, Youko caught up with the miko and gently but firmly grabbed her forearm. Spinner her around so quick that Kagome's mind couldn't even register what was happening, Youko leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Kagome stared up at the kitsune with wide and surprised brownish pink eyes. Soon a deep red blush consumed the miko's entire face as her mind made mental tabs of every part of his body that was pressed against hers and his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

Slowly, Youko pulled away only to smirk down at the dazed look that accompanied the bright blush that covered the miko's cheeks. And suddenly the kitsune was gone, no longer holding her so closely. Kagome shook herself from her stupor to see him catching up to walk beside his niece. She absentmindedly began to follow, her hand slowly reaching up to brush her fingers along her lips.

How the hell did he do that? Just a moment ago Kagome was literally fuming at the mere thought of the silver kitsune and now all traces of that anger were gone. All she could do was stared at Youko, drowned in her own confusion. How was it possible for someone to dazzle her so, to completely change her mood? If that had been anyone else, Kagome would have been pissed beyond belief that he would just come up and kiss her, but Youko…

When he did that, she just couldn't hold onto her anger. Who would be able to? Who would even want to! Kagome didn't return the kiss but it was still at the top of her best kiss list. It was at times like this that Kagome seriously considered the fact that maybe Youko really did tell her he loved her. There was no other valid explanation for his actions. Well there was the side note that he could just be swooning her with his kitsune seduction until he got what he wanted.

Kagome truly hoped that wasn't the case. She knew she loved the kitsune and wished she could know for sure exactly what he thought of her. The thought of merely asking the kitsune what he felt had crossed her mind several times, but her fear of rejection quickly followed that particular thought. Thinking of her other options, she didn't find any problem with asking Alexis. Unfortunately Kagome had a nagging feeling that the kit wouldn't tell her anything and say that is was her responsibility to find out that information herself.

Kagome groaned in frustration. She was too scared to straight out ask Youko what he thought and her only other source to that information probably wouldn't tell her anything. Maybe she could just wait and ask Shippo and Sango what they thought. Or perhaps Youko would react in a certain way to Inuyasha and that would determine the verdict. Depending on how Youko acts around Inuyasha would judge how Kagome would approach the kitsune. Alexis calling to her from ahead pulled Kagome from her thoughts. Moving quickly, the miko caught up to the kitsunes.

Soon they reached the edge of the forest and could see the village just beyond the trees. Alexis hoped up onto Kagome's shoulder that wasn't carrying her oversized pack and turned a comforting smile up toward her. With one final glance toward Youko and a long deep breath, Kagome slowly made her way to Kaede's hut. She didn't have to walk far before a figure clad in red came rushing toward her. Inuyasha stood before the miko with an irritated glare as his gaze moved from Kagome to Alexis and back to the miko.

"Where the hell have you been wench." He growled, ignoring the kit for the moment.

"I wen…"

"Don't even think about telling me you went home because I ran by to check on you and your mother said you hadn't been there for more than a month." Inuyasha snapped, interrupting her explanation.

"Wait, my family's alive?" Kagome asked with wide eyes.

"Of course they are idiot, why the hell wouldn't they be?" Inuyasha snapped

"Never mind that, I wasn't going to say I went home!" Kagome yelled, growing irritated as she pushed aside her confusion over her family and reverted back to the argument that had began. Maybe she was just dreaming about the whole Midoriko visiting her and Naraku killing her family…

"Then what were you going to tell me wench! That you were on your dandy way to the well and just so happened to come across another kitsune kit and decided to adopt it too?! So that the runt can slow us down even more than you pathetic humans already do?!" Inuyasha growled, glaring down at the miko.

That was the last straw. Kagome could feel Alexis's small body shaking. From anger or sobs, she didn't know but the miko was about to sit the hanyou to hell when suddenly a tall figure in white materialized in front of her, completely blocking her view of Inuyasha. She immediately knew it was Youko, first from his unmistakable clothing, then by his natural scent of roses and pine that Kagome had quickly grown to love. She peeked around the kitsune's perfectly muscled torso only to see Inuyasha and Youko snarling at each other.

"Who the hell are you." Inuyasha snarled, unsheathing his legendary sword.

"Youko Kurama. It's nice to finally meet you _Inuyasha_." The kitsune replied, sarcasm thick in his voice.

"Let the miko go and I may consider sparing your life weasel."

The hanyou would pay for the 'weasel' insult. Never before had he, Youko Kurama, been compared to a creature as vile looking as a weasel. The kitsune knew that Kagome wouldn't be happy with him if he harmed Inuyasha, so he settled for a different method of revenge. Even though he was sure she would be angry with him for this as well, he figured he may as well gain something from it seeing as either way she would end up angry.

A smirk slowly spread across Youko's face as he wrapped his silky tail around Kagome, who still stood behind him. He turned slightly, Inuyasha still within his sight, and pulled Kagome closer to him. "Do you mean this miko?" Youko purred, turning his smirk to the fuming hanyou.

"You harm her; I'll make your death slow and painful." Inuyasha growled menacingly.

"Who said anything about harming her?" Youko asked with false surprise before he pulled Kagome to his chest and pressed his lips down against hers firmly. Once again, Kagome was staring up at the kitsune in pure shock and surprise, unable to even think clearly. Her heart was pounding in her chest by the time he released her. His eyes still watching Inuyasha's every move, he chuckled slightly and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Breathe Kagome."

Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, Kagome turned her gaze back to the now beyond pissed hanyou and their new audience; Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. The miko blushed beet red as she watched the varying expressions on her friends' faces. Sango looked shocked and confused while Miroku was smirking knowing at the blushing miko. Shippo's face was the most confusing though. He looked curious and slightly excited.

"What the hell is going on wench!" Inuyasha finally snapped.

"SIT!" Kagome yelled, glaring down at the hanyou, still blushing. She heard soft chuckles and looked up to see that Alexis had leapt up to sit on her uncle's shoulder and they were both doing their best to hold back their laughter at the sight of Inuyasha being thrown face first into the ground by a single word. Now able to think clearly, she turned a glare up to the silver kitsune, angrily yet gently unwrapping his tail from her waist.

"If you would have given me a chance to explain then you would know that yes I found Alexis near the well. She was injured so I nursed her back to health then once I learned her mother and father were killed, set out with her to find her uncle Youko and that now both of them will be traveling with us."

"Oh hell no! I don…"

"SIT! I don't care what you have to say! Youko has made up his mind on joining us against Naraku and we need all the help we can get! So get used to it and if you attack Alexis or Youko, so help me _god_ I will sit you so far into the ground, it'll take you days to climb yourself out!" she yelled before stomping off toward Kaede's hut. Youko turned a smile toward the other three who he had figured were the taijiya, monk, and other kit. They smiled back, though the slayer looked weary.

As Youko slowly followed Kagome, Alexis was staring intently at the three people following them into the hut, leaving Inuyasha to pry himself from the ground. The woman walking next to the man in purple robes must be Sango. She looked very aware of her surrounding and her chocolate brown eyes help wisdom and pain. The monk was obviously Miroku. He seemed laid back yet cautious of everything around him. His eyes lingered toward Sango every once and a while and Alexis knew he was probably planning to grope her any second.

The last was just as obvious as the first two. Shippo trotted along next to Sango, his gaze filled with curiosity and hope locked on her uncle. Alexis knew they would be friends in no time and she could tell from the emotions that clouded his eyes that the kit was probably hoping Kagome may have found a mate. He, of course, was right. It would just be a matter of time and several choice words before the two of them were bound together for life. Alexis was sure Shippo would be excited to have a new father, not to mention a cousin that was around his age.

When Youko entered through the door, Alexis turned her attention to an old woman dressed in miko garbs. Kagome seemed excited as she spoke to the older miko and Alexis immediately wondered why. She turned her curious gaze up to her uncle who just shrugged his shoulders slightly. Alexis hadn't heard any of the conversation because she was too busy analyzing Kagome's friends that she had told her so much about, while Youko had his complete concentration on the exact location of Inuyasha since his back was turned.

"Are you sure it's alright? I don't want to interrupt you through your daily routine." Kagome said.

"It's fine child. Your training won't be occupying any of my time, only yours." Kaede replied, turning a smile toward the miko.

"So how do I train?"

"Meditation." Was the older miko's simple reply.

Kagome stared at her with green colored eyes. She had worked on her individual training that Midoriko had started her with but now she was slightly lost on where to continue, therefore turning to Kaede for help. "Mediation?"

"Yes, I will teach ye the form and technique but the rest is up to ye." The old woman stated before turning back toward the stew she was preparing for the group's lunch. Kagome introduced the two new kitsune members of their group to Kaede as she helped pass around bowls and call for Inuyasha. He walked in after everyone was settled, still sulking from the incident earlier. His eyes angrily scanned over everyone in the small hut before growling softly when he saw Youko sitting close to Kagome.

"You're worst than the flee bag." The hanyou muttered under his breath.

Youko ignored the grumpy hanyou as Kagome rolled her eyes in irritation. Just as Inuyasha was about to sit near the entrance like he usually did, he placed his bowl on the ground and snarled toward the exit.

"Speak of the damn devil and he shall appear." The hanyou growled before disappearing out the door. Catching on quickly, everyone ditched their food and ran out the door, Youko and Alexis following curiously. They knew there was no danger since no one bothered to grab any of their weapons and instead left them behind in the hut. Youko had felt the demon coming just as Inuyasha had but preferred to stay by Kagome's side and see how the hanyou would handle this. Once he realized that the approaching demon was Kouga, the wolf demon Kagome had warned him about, he immediately positioned himself at the miko's side.

In the distance, a large twister was gliding across the land toward them. Just from the sight of the obnoxious twister, Youko could tell this demon had an oversized ego and prided himself on it. If Kouga wasn't full of himself, he would travel with far more stealth than he currently was. Reaching up, he took Alexis from his shoulder and placed her in Kagome's arms. The miko looked up at him in question and he just smiled, momentarily throwing Kagome's thoughts into circles. Keeping his stance calm, not threatening in any way, he waited for the wolf that staked a claim on his future mate.

Kagome glared up at the stunning kitsune once she was able to resemble her thoughts. She couldn't say that she hated it when he dazzled her like he just did but because she just loved his smile. She enjoyed the fact that his attention was completely on her but she had to admit that there were times that were unnecessary for him to disorientate her. Brushing those thoughts from her mind for the moment, she glanced up at Youko from the corner of her eye. She was quite curious of how this encounter would turn out. Youko seemed to be calm and she hoped this didn't escalate into a fight.

Then again, if Youko didn't think this would result in a fight then he wouldn't have handed Alexis over to her. There was also the possibility that Alexis had requested her uncle to place the kit in her arms, but even though that was likely she doubted that was the reason she now held the kit. Youko probably just gave Alexis to Kagome just in case and for her own protection. He knew that Kouga wouldn't hurt Kagome so would leave Alexis alone as well.

They didn't have to wait long for Kouga to reach them and surprisingly, the wolf didn't dart straight for Kagome. Instead, he ran over Inuyasha, as usual, and stood to the side smirking down at him. "Nice to see your still alive mutt face." Kouga greeted.

Inuyasha leapt up and swung his sword at the wolf, of course missing like he always did, and skid to a stop as he stood between the group and Kouga. The wolf rolled his eyes at how jumpy Inuyasha still was before his eyes searched for Kagome. When he finally found her, he was slightly confused. A tall male kitsune was standing with his arms crossed very close to his Kagome. Further examination revealed that the miko was also holding a kitsune kit in her arms, and it wasn't the little Shippo runt.

Seeing, what Kouga was staring at, when the wolf began to approach Kagome and Youko, Inuyasha stepped aside, a slight smirk on his face. This would be good. Kagome couldn't sit Kouga or Youko, so this fight would be worth watching. And who knows, maybe they would both kill each other and he wouldn't have to deal with them both chasing after Kagome anymore. Damn flee bag… Annoyingly cocky weasel…

Kagome's breathing hitched as she watched Kouga approach slowly, a frown of confusion clouding over his usual cocky smirk. Youko didn't move a muscle and Kagome briefly wondered how he could stay so still. Once he was about 6 feet away, Kouga stopped and turned a growl toward Youko.

"Who the hell are you?"

":Youko Kurama."

"Why are you so close to my woman!"

"Last I checked, there was no claim on her." Youko said casually.

Kouga growled. "I staked a claim on Kagome long before you even met her, so get lost coyote!"

Youko's ears pressed against his skull but that was the only movement they saw. The kitsune remained unmoving, but was now glaring slightly at Kouga. "Tell me wolf; has Kagome ever accepted any of your claims?"

Kouga was silent for a moment before his anger fired up once more. "No but I doubt she would say yes to cat demon!" Kouga smirked.

Sensing that Youko was going to pull something similar to what he had done in front of Inuyasha, Kagome side stepped slightly, glaring half heartedly up at the kitsune from the corner of her eyes. "Will you two stop? Kouga, I've told you time after time that I don't see you that way. I love you as a friend, as a brother. Not as a mate. I'm not your woman."

Youko's tail snaked around Kagome's waist and pulled her back to his side gently. He did nothing more, merely let his tail rest around her waist so Kagome didn't move away again. Kouga's face fell slightly before his trademark grin appeared.

"No worries Kagome, I understand you think it's wrong that I'm pursuing you while I still hold my promise to Ayame. I will compromise with her then I'll be back for you. Don't you worry, I wouldn't leave you with a pathetic kitten for a mate!" he chuckled before dashing off in his twister. Kagome groaned as she turned to return to her lunch, shifting Alexis into her right arm so she could scoop up Shippo in her left and carry them both with her back to the hut.

Everyone followed the miko casually, Youko entering the small hut last. This time instead of sitting near Kagome, he sat against the wall behind the miko. Sitting next to Shippo in Kagome's lap, Alexis climbed up to look over Kagome's shoulder at her uncle. He was sitting against the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He looked to merely be resting but the way Youko's ears were still somewhat laid back told Alexis that he was irritated about something and she had a feeling she knew what it was.

Kitsune's absolutely hated to be called something other than a fox. Uncle Youko was probably beyond irritated by the many names he had been called today. She knew that a week ago, he would have just killed them. Most demons knew who her uncle was because of his reputation and wouldn't think of insulting, even approaching him. She had to admit that she was quite surprised her uncle merely stood where he was and didn't even move to attack Kouga once. Usually no one would walk away unharmed from Youko Kurama after insulting him.

Alexis slid down to sit in Kagome's lap again. She and Shippo were sharing a bowl of soup so she reached over to grab her spoon and take another bite. "I'm Shippo." Hearing the other kit talking, Alexis looked up to smile at him. "Oh, I know. Kagome's told me so much about all of you." Leaning forward, she whispered in her soon to be cousin's ear. "And soon we're going to be cousins." She grinned.

Shippo stared at her with wide eyes. "How do you know?" Alexis rolled her eyes, "I'm sure you can tell that my uncle likes Kagome right?" Shippo nodded with a grin, "And it's obvious that Kagome likes Youko." Alexis nodded as she took another bite. "It's just a matter of time."

Without a word, Youko stood from where he sat and left the hut. Everyone stared after him in confusion and Kagome looked down to the kits in her lap. "Alexis, will you be alright here without me? I'm going to check on your uncle."

"Of course, I have Shippo and Sango to keep me company" she smiled and grinned toward the taijiya. The slayer stared at the kit in surprise. Why did Alexis, one of the new additions to their group feel comfortable with her already? Sango shrugged to herself and merely smiled as both kits moved to sit next to her. Kagome smiled over to her best friend before leaving the hut to search for the kitsune. Staring out into the forest that was slowly darkening, she watched the sun fall behind the mountains in the distance. She groaned to herself; this was going to be harder than she thought.

Spreading out her aura as far as she could, as well as placing a weak barrier around herself in case of emergency, she slowly ventured into the forest. Surprisingly, he wasn't very hard to find. His bright white clothing was hard to miss. Not to mention his white tail that was swinging back and forth below the branch he was sitting on. The leaves did nothing to conceal his pearl white hair either.

"Youko? Are you alright?" she asked, staring up at him.

"Perfectly fine." Was his simple answer.

Kagome sighed as she leaned against the tree he was sitting in. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just exhausted."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are"

"Did you even finish your food?"

"Tell me what's bothering you."

"Go back to the hut, its cold out here."

"Tell me Youko."

"I'm a kitsune."

Kagome turned her gaze to stare up at Youko in confusion. He was glaring ahead of him, but at nothing in particular. "I'm aware of that." She said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear.

"I am not a weasel, a kitten, or any other breed of demon that may come to mind. I am a kitsune." He fumed.

Kagome laughed as she began to understand. "Oh Youko, are your feelings hurt?"

Youko suddenly appeared in front of Kagome, glaring half heartedly down at her. "I don't think you understand how difficult it was for me to not kill your wolf friend."

"I know Kouga can be irritating at times but we just learn to deal with it." Kagome said, stifling her laughter.

"Kitsune's don't take kindly to being called something they're not."

"Why are you letting this get to you? You're a kitsune; everyone knows that and nothing will change that. Kouga was just jealous."

"He called me a kitten." Youko growled.

Kagome stepped forward and draped her arms over his shoulders and hugged him. "He was just trying to get on your nerves. It's what Kouga does when he knows there is no chance of him defeating what stands before him. He either insults them or flees. Don't take it so personal." Kagome said.

Without warning, Kagome suddenly found herself pressed firmly against the tree behind her, Youko's body pinning her in place. She blushed beet red as she turned brown eyes up to him. Apparently, the kitsune had completely forgotten about his recent irritation and now his full attention was on her.

"Do you have even the slightest clue as to what you do to me Kagome?" he asked in a whisper, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Wh…what are you talking about?" she stumbled over her words as she tried to slow her racing heart.

"You don't know how hard it is for me to behave myself." He purred as he hands glided down Kagome's sides to rest on her hips.

"Yo…Youko…"

"Everything about you… attracts me to you and when that _wolf_ challenged my claim on you, it was very difficult for me to merely stand there and do nothing."

"Your claim?" Kagome asked, hoping he meant what she thought was impossible.

"My claim on you Kagome. I placed a claim on you the moment we left my cave."

"What exactly do you mean?" she asked, wanting to hear him say that he wanted her to be with him.

"I told you I loved you and you have yet to respond in anyway to my confession."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat as she stared up at the kitsune with wide golden and purple tinted eyes. So he had said it… it wasn't her imagination. "Youko… I…"

"Kagome! Where are you!? We have an emergency!" Miroku yelled from somewhere in the distance. Kagome heard Youko's groan and smiled softly. Leaning up on her tip toes, she placed a quick kiss on his lips before dashing off toward the village. Youko grinned to himself before darting off to follow the miko back and see what the emergency was.

It was settled then; Kagome did like Youko. The kitsune had that same silly smirk on his face the entire way back to the village. She hadn't admitted she loved him but then again they were interrupted before she had a chance to respond. The kiss was enough for Youko to know she at least held feelings for him to some point. It didn't matter what that damn wolf said now, Kagome was going to be his and there was nothing Kouga could do about it.

Meanwhile, Kagome was doing her best to get rid of the dark blush she could feel on her cheeks but she couldn't seem to concentrate enough to successfully get it to disappear. Her mind continued to repeat the words Youko had said to her. He really had told her he loved her and now she felt like an idiot. The kitsune had put himself out there and admit his feelings for her and she hadn't even responded to him in the slightest.

They finally reached the village and Miroku was helping Sango carry an injured man into Kaede's hut. Kagome rushed over to them and was about to ask the man if he was alright but stopped in her tracks. His eyes were wide open and he looked terrified. He was staring ahead of him repeatedly saying 'The blood…all the blood.'

"What's wrong with him?" Kagome asked once Sango set him down on a mat so Kaede could look him over.

"A demon; there was another man that was with this one but he ran back to his village after he explained everything to us. Apparently Kouga passed by the village on his way back to his pack and the villages asked him for help when he stopped to see what the commotion was all about."

"Kouga told the villagers that we would take care of the demon for them because it's rumored to have a jewel shard." Miroku added in before Sango continued.

"So we're packing up to head to their village and retrieve the jewel as well as save the villagers. From how this guy looks, it seems to be brutal." Sango shuttered, turning her gaze to the traumatized man.

"So are we leaving tonight?" Kagome asked, already making her way over to her bag to begin packing.

"Inuyasha wants to, yes. The village is about a two day walk if we keep a decent pace." The slayer answered as she moved to pack her things as well.

"But before you leave Kagome, I would like to show you the technique to meditate so you can improve your powers during your travels." Kaede announced as Inuyasha reentered the hut.

"Did you find the other villager?"

"Surprisingly no; that guy must have been booking it. He's pretty fast for a human, not to mention he got a head start on me. I didn't want to go too far since we're leaving tonight." The hanyou answered.

"But what about our sleep Inuyasha!" Shippo whined, "There are humans in this group you know!"

Inuyasha smacked him over the head as he snorted. "They'll live, the villagers that are getting slaughtered by this demon aren't."

"Don't hit Shippo! Sit!" Kagome yelled, moving to lift the crying kit into her arms and hug him close to her. Youko chuckled softly at the hanyou's expense and didn't miss the fact that Kagome was quite motherly toward Shippo. She had brought the kit into the group, but had she grown so close to the kit that she actually felt she was his mother? If so, she was far more caring than he had first thought. Kitsune kits are very difficult to care for because of their curiosity and tricks.

Youko was actually quite impressed. Shippo seemed more obedient and well behaved than most other kits his age. Then again, Alexis was brought up to be respectful and good as well. Maybe it was the way kits were raised that determined how difficult it was to care for them. Youko shook his head. No, Kitsune kits were hard to raise, Kagome and his sister were just very good mothers.

He watched as the miko zipped up her bag and pulled it up onto her shoulder while still holding Shippo in one of her arms. Inuyasha, finally free from his subjugation spell, stood grumbling and walked out of the hut. Kagome secured her pack before setting Shippo on the ground gently.

"You don't have to worry about us Shippo, we'll be fine. We'll get a great night's sleep tomorrow night. If you're tired, just tell me and ill carry you ok?" she smiled warmly.

Shippo grinned and nodded happily before trotting out of the hut with Kagome's bow and quiver of arrows dragging behind him. Sango and Miroku left the hut with their things and Youko stepped out as well after grabbing Alexis. He knew Kaede probably wanted some privacy to show Kagome how to meditate correctly so she could improve her skills.

Several minutes later, Kagome walked out with a big smile on her face.

"Are you ready yet wench?!" Inuyasha grumbled.

Kagome was about to sit him once more but stopped when she heard Youko growling at Inuyasha. Uh oh… this could be trouble…

"What are you growling at weasel?!" Inuyasha snarled, turning to glare at Youko.

"A mutt that can't seem to remember a woman's name, much less where he buried his bone." Youko growled.

Sango and Miroku stifled their giggles as Kagome sighed. "Please get along! Inuyasha, be nice or I'll sit you so far into the ground you'll feel the flames from hell. And you!" Kagome glared up at Youko. "Behave or ill make you a subjugation necklace like Inuyasha's!"

"As long as you're lying beneath me when you subdue me." Youko purred. Not able to hold back their laughter any longer, Sango and Miroku burst into laughter as Kagome turned beet red. Youko smirked as he watched Kagome rush toward Inuyasha, demanding him to get going and start leading the way.

For the rest of that night and the day following, the group traveled at a constant pace toward the village. By morning, Youko had taken Kagome's pack when he saw her struggling with both Alexis and Shippo sleeping in her arms. Inuyasha was at the head of the group, leading the way since he was the only one who knew where this village was by following the scent of the man that ran back to his village. Sango and Miroku were behind him with Kirara trotting along at the slayer's side. Youko walked next to Kagome while she carried the sleeping kits at the tail end of the group.

They had taken two breaks already and both times Kagome would sit against a tree and meditate like Kaede had showed her until everyone was ready to continue traveling. While she was meditating, Youko was on full alert. When he first watched her fall into her silent training, he realized she was completely unaware of her surroundings. It was as if she were sleeping. Shippo had even tried asking her if she wanted something to eat and she didn't respond to him in the slightest.

She was completely vulnerable while she meditated and Youko intended on keeping her safe while she was unaware. Though he had to admit the meditation was doing well. Already he could feel her aura becoming stronger. She also seemed to have more energy. He figured that if she meditated, she would become more tired once she was done but every time she awoke from her training, she had a bout of energy that kept her going. While Kagome was still full of energy, Sango and Miroku were starting to tire. There was still several hours until dark and Youko didn't know how the two humans were going to last that long.

Surprisingly, they both made it until nightfall. Once Inuyasha announced they were making camp, both of them collapsed with relief. Miroku fell asleep where he had fallen while Sango managed to get her sleeping bag out and crawl in before crashing as well. Inuyasha leapt up into a tree while Kagome pulled out her sleeping bag and laid it out. She carefully placed the two sleeping kits inside before lying on the ground next to the sleeping bag.

Youko shook his head in disapproval before standing from where he was sitting against the tree closest to the miko and kits. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared down at Kagome who was currently yawning.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to sleep?" Kagome said uncertainly, turning her gaze up to the kitsune.

"Not on the cold ground you're not." Youko growled as he bent down and lifted the miko in his arms. Moving back toward the tree he was leaning against, he sat there once more and placed Kagome in his lap. Kagome blushed slightly but shifted to get comfortable anyway. Resting her head back against his shoulder, Kagome closed her eyes as Youko wrapped his arms around her possessively and draped his tail over her bare legs to keep her warm.

The next morning Kagome woke feeling amazing. There was a warmth growing in the pit of her stomach as she felt something wet and warm nibbling at her ear. Her eyes fluttered open as she felt a pair of strong arms pull her closer and tighter against the body she was lying against. She heard a chuckle and slowly came to her senses.

"Good morning." Youko purred as he nibbled her ear once more.

Kagome blushed as she looked around the camp. Everyone was still sleeping but the sun was high, bright in the sky. She shifted slightly to see exactly where it was to figure out the time and she heard a growl. Shifting again, she tried to move so she could turn her gaze to the kitsune behind her.

"Stop moving around Kagome… please." Youko groaned and Kagome froze where she sat when she felt something hard against her inner thighs. Feeling oddly playful this morning, Kagome smirked as her eyes shifted to a blue color. Moving very slowly, she shifted once more, but this time grinding her backside down from the kitsune's waist to his thighs.

Kagome suddenly found herself pinned to the ground underneath Youko. His golden eyes were clouded over with lust as he held her hands above her head. His entire body was pressed against hers and she felt his hard on directly between her legs. Her surprised eyes stared up at Youko who had his eyes squeezed shut as if he were in pain.

"Kagome… you're making this very hard for me. I'm doing my best to behave and not take you right here and now." He growled.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know it would affect you so." Kagome said softly as Youko pulled away and sat up, straddling the miko's hips. Youko shook his head.

"I don't think you understand how badly my instincts crave your body. You cannot provoke me at this time of the year. Mating season is approaching quickly and you're not making this easy for me Kagome."

Curious, Kagome stared up at him in question. "Is it really that hard?"

"Kagome…. If you had done that during mating season, I probably wouldn't have been able to stop myself." Youko said seriously, standing and moving to make a fire for breakfast. Kagome's calculating eyes watched the kitsune as he gathered some branches around camp and made the fire.

"So your instincts only crave my body? Is that all you see in me?" Kagome whispered softly to herself, forgetting for the moment that demons possessed excellent hearing. Before the tears could form in the miko's eyes, Youko was settled in front of her glaring half heartedly at her.

"Has the hanyou destroyed your confidents that much? Not only has he damaged you emotionally, he has also apparently blinded you and messed with you mentally." Youko huffed. His expression become gentle, he grasped her chin and lifted her face so their gazes met. "What do you not understand about the simple words 'I love you'?"

Kagome sighed and pulled her face from his hold. "I can comprehend those words perfectly fine but _what_ is it about me that you love? _Why_ do you love me?"

"Help! Please help!"

Youko desperately wanted to tear that man to pieces. Every damn time he and Kagome had some alone time to understand each other something or someone would interrupt! Kagome leapt to her feet at the sound of the desperate cry for help while Youko remained where he sat and merely glared at the man that came running into their camp. His yells woke everyone else in the small traveling group and now Sango, Miroku, and Kagome were all tending to the man's wounds and asking him questions.

"You are the group that is coming to help our village right?" the man asked shakily.

"Yes we are. You're from the village that's being attacked? Are we close?" Kagome asked while Sango cleaned his scrapes.

"The village is just a day's walk away. You have to hurry… the women…" the man stuttered.

"What about the woman? What exactly is attacking the village?" Sango asked, trying to collect more information about their opponent.

"It's a bat demon. He only comes and attacks the woman… it's terrible. He kills them right in front of us… He drinks their blood until their sucked completely dry." The man explained in horror.

"If this demon only attacks the women, how have you come to be injured?" Miroku asked.

"If we interfere, he attacks us but he never drinks our blood… only the women…"

Once the man was bandaged up properly, he was able to fall asleep. From the long sleepless travel they had endured the day before, everyone had slept all the way until afternoon. There was only about three hours left of sunlight by the time the man was taken care of and Inuyasha decided they may as well stay where they were and make their way to the village in the morning. Somehow after sleep throughout the entire day, Sango was able to fall asleep several minutes before Kagome while the miko was tucking in the kits.

To avoid another embarrassing morning, Kagome had slipped into the sleeping bag with the kits and were sleeping with them that night. Alexis and Shippo didn't mind much, but Youko held a slight pout as he watched the miko sleeping soundly. Now that the women were asleep, Inuyasha leapt down from his perch and landed next to Youko. Miroku made his way over to them before they moved a little farther from camp just in case someone woke.

"You two thinking what I'm thinking?" Inuyasha asked, temporarily putting aside his irritation for the newest addition to their traveling group.

"If you're thinking this is far too dangerous for Kagome and Sango, then yes I think I can safely state we are on the same page." Miroku nodded.

"I agree but you both know as well as I do that they will not voluntarily stay behind." Youko added.

"Yea, damn wench and slayer would never go with that. I'd get sat to hell for even mentioning them staying behind." Inuyasha complained.

"They are too stubborn to stay behind, even if it is for their own safety. So how are we going to get them away from here but still relieve this village of the demon?" Miroku pondered aloud.

"I refuse to leave them unprotected while we go after the bat." Youko stated, his gaze wandering back toward Kagome.

"I agree, so perhaps one of us should go." Miroku suggested.

"I'll go, I need to take out some pent up anger." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles as if to emphasize his point.

* * *

Kagome woke the next morning once the sun began to rise. She had gained more then enough sleep and was ready for a good battle. Yawning and stretching, she realized the kits were no longer sleeping next to her. Taking a quick look around camp, she found them sitting close to the fire giggling as Shippo was showing off his fox fire. Kagome also realized that Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. Sango was just waking and Miroku entered camp with several fish. Youko was leaning against the tree nearest to Kagome and actually seemed to be in quite a deep sleep.

Slipping out of her sleeping bag, Kagome quietly made her way over to the slumbering kitsune. It was rare to actually see a demon sleep seeing as they were always on guard to survive. Kagome expected his eyes to open as she approached but they remained closed, his breathing still even. Was something wrong with him? It was very unusual for a demon to sleep so soundly. Kneeling in front of the kitsune, Kagome was about to wake him when one of his ears twitched.

Her train of thought was completely lost as she gazed at the tempting, silky, adorable ear that sat atop Youko's head. Unable to resist, Kagome reached up to softly stroke his ears. A soft purring sound rumbled in the kitsune's chest as his eyes fluttered open. Kagome was momentarily caught in his beautiful golden eyes before she blushed and pulled away, linking her hands behind her back.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I would give anything to wake up each morning to see your lovely face and to feel you stroking my ears." He purred, leaning forward closer to her. Kagome's blush darkened as she leaned back on her heels, away from the kitsune. The smirk that adorned his face changed to a slight pout at her rejection. "I can't have a good morning kiss?"

Kagome rolled her eyes to hide her true desire. She wanted so badly for him to kiss her senseless. She wanted to let him have a morning kiss but she was too stubborn to let him think he had any type of power over her. Standing, she turned on her heel and was about to make her way over to the fire to prepare breakfast when she felt something soft but firm slither around her waist. Before her mind could even register what was happening, Youko had spun her around and pressed his lips against hers softly for just a brief moment before parting.

"Good morning." He smirked as his tail unwound from around her waist and he disappeared into the trees. Kagome glared off in the direction he went before huffing out a 'hmph' and starting breakfast. Just as the food was about to be served, Youko returned to camp with Inuyasha at his side. Kagome stood and was about to question his whereabouts this morning when he began to speak.

"This was a waste of our damn time." Inuyasha complained. "That weak bat is already dead and didn't have a shard."

"What do you mean it's already dead?" Sango asked.

"I went to the village last night to just check out what we were up against and the damn thing never showed. So I looked for it and found it dead about a mile away from the village."

"And you're sure there was no shard?" Kagome asked. Youko could hear the suspicion in her voice and began to worry that she may be too intelligent for her own good.

"If it did have one, whatever killed it has it now. And whatever killed it is long gone." The hanyou grumbled.

* * *

A/N:

Hey everyone, that's the end of chapter 7 ^_^ The next chapter will be up soon, no worries and its going to be pretty exciting…dun dun dunnnnn lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. R&R and have a great weekend.

~*Icyfire*~

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Eight: Blood


	8. Blood

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 8: Blood

Kagome followed at the tail end of the group as they made their way back to Kaede's village. The miko wasn't happy to be returning so soon. She had been working so hard with her powers so she could test them out on the bat demon only to find out that it was already destroyed. They had gotten all that sleep to prepare for the upcoming battle and it turned out to be for nothing.

Pouting at the back of the group, Kagome gathered a small amount of her purification into the palm of her hand and stared down at it in boredom. Throwing it up into the air, she caught it and repeated the action. Tossing it back and forth from hand to hand, Kagome stared up at the front of the group. Youko was only a few steps ahead of her, entertaining the kits. Shippo seemed so fascinated with the older kitsune and was always asking him questions. From what Shippo had told her, silver kitsune's were apparently very rare.

Inuyasha was of course at the front of the group while Sango and Miroku walked behind him. Her slayer friend, though, kept turning to glance back at Kagome every once and a while and the miko was wondering why. She sent the taijiya a questioning look and was satisfied when she slowed her pace so she could walk beside her.

"Are you alright Kagome?" she asked softly.

"Never better, why?"

"You just seem…different. You have a lot more energy than usual, you're quieter, and since when have you ever been excited for a battle?" the slayer questioned, pointing out what she saw was weird behavior for the miko.

"I think it's the meditation. After I'm done, I feel so full of energy but at night I become really tired, like all my energy just comes crashing down on me." She explained.

"Maybe Miroku can explain this. He's the expert; Miroku?" Said monk turned to them as he stopped so they could catch up with him.

"Yes? Is there a problem?" he asked, becoming worried.

"Not really. I'm just worried about Kagome. What does meditation do?"

"While in meditation, it's like a form a sleep. As if you're training in your dreams. Your mind creates its own world that you train in. There are no interruptions so the individual can successfully increase their powers with concentration. Once out of the meditation, there is a temporary burst of energy because of the boost your powers have received." He explained, understanding what the worry was about.

"So is that why Kagome is so hyper throughout the day?" Shippo interrupted. He didn't mind that the miko was more active than usual but it was just out of character.

"Most likely, yes. Since she meditates at least three times a day, before the burst of energy she received from her previous meditation can wear out, she meditates again and gains another bout of energy."

"So that's why I'm so exhausted by the time I need to sleep. All the energy builds up and doesn't give my body a chance to rest so I crash when the energy finally wears out." Kagome concluded.

"So that explains the energy, but what about the excitement for battle? Or the quiet?" Alexis chided in.

"Since my powers are increasing, I just want to test out my powers." Kagome explained, looking down at the ball of purification that was still in her hand. "I mean, I can do this… what else can I do?"

Shippo suddenly smirked and leapt from Youko's shoulder to Kagome's, carefully avoiding the purification. He leaned up and whispered in her ear. Kagome laughed softly as she turned her gaze to Inuyasha, who was still walking at the front and didn't seem to be paying any attention to their conversation. Concentrating on the ball in her hand, she pulled majority of the power from it until the sphere looked to be the size of a golf ball. Holding back her giggles, she aimed and threw the ball straight at the hanyou.

Kagome knew the small amount of power wouldn't hurt Inuyasha, it would just shock him. Everyone watched as the ball hit him in the back and he yelped in surprise. He turned to glare at Kagome. "WHAT THE HELL!!!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." She giggled.

"Damn wench." He growled turning back toward the path he was following but in a much more irritated manner. Kagome rolled her eyes and skipped up near him.

"Oh calm down, it didn't hurt that bad." Kagome said as she hugged the hanyou briefly. "I'm sorry ok?"

Inuyasha huffed. "Yea yea, fine." He mumbled.

Youko glared at Inuyasha's back. Why did the hanyou get random hugs and he couldn't even get the miko to voluntarily sit next to him. Maybe he should act angry or irritated and she would come to comfort him. Actually… now that he about it, Kagome did respond to him when he wasn't in a good mood. That time he went to the forest to calm down after Kouga's visit, Kagome had come looking for him.

Youko smirked. That night had turned out quite nicely, besides the interruption of course. That was the night he had actually told her to her face while she was conscious that he loved her. Speaking of interruptions, they were interrupted during their last conversation as well. She had asked him what he loved about her and Youko was ready to pour his entire heart out. Too bad that damn villager had to come across their camp.

His gaze wondered ahead of him toward the miko who was now walking beside Inuyasha, Shippo still in her arms. Youko couldn't stop himself as his eyes drifted downward, traveling down her perfect body. His mouth began to water at he watched those wonderful hips swing as she walked, her well toned legs flexing with each step she took. Gods how he wished he could run his hands over those thighs and…

"Youko!!!" the kitsune's lustful eyes quickly cleared up as they shot up to drink in the angry expression on Kagome's face.

Kagome glared at Youko while doing her best to conceal her blush. "What are you thinking?! That should be kept to yourself! Not said aloud, there are children among us!" she yelled, stomping over to him.

"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything." Youko said, confused.

"I may be human but I'm not _that_ deaf! Keep those thoughts in your mind!" the miko fumed.

"Kagome? Youko didn't say a word." Sango said, beginning to worry about her friend once more.

"Are you sure?" the miko asked.

"Absolutely…" Miroku answered. 'Is she alright? Maybe there is something wrong with Kagome.' Miroku mused to himself.

"No, I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me Miroku." Kagome said, turning to the monk.

Sango stared at the miko in confusion, as did everyone else except Miroku who began laughing. Now everyone was staring at him in question. "What's so funny monk." Inuyasha demanded.

"Kagome's powers really are increasing. She is telepathic." The monk chuckled.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Sango began laughing. "So she can hear our thoughts." She giggled, "Hope no one has dirty thoughts here!"

Youko huffed to himself and crossed his arms over his chest when everyone turned a glance in his direction. "I'm a kitsune, it's in my nature." He growled.

"Kagome, can you read my mind?" Shippo asked in excitement.

The miko shook her head. "I don't know, I don't know how to control it."

"Her telepathy is only just developing. With more meditation and training, she will be able to speak to us only using her mind as well as block out and hear whoever's mind she wishes." Miroku explained.

Kagome grinned. "This could be helpful."

"No shit. If we run into Naraku again, you can find out where the bastard is hiding if you can read his mind." Inuyasha said.

"Well let's get back to Kaede's so Kagome can continue meditating!" Alexis said; irritated with how long it was taking just to get back to the village. She was tired and wanted to sleep in the older miko's warm hut.

The group agreed and continued on their way, no one ever noticing the pair of yellow eyes glaring at their group, a certain kitsune thief's in particular.

* * *

They had finally made it back to the village and Kagome, along with the tired kits, went to sleep that night without any dinner. The miko had been working with her newly developed power the entire way back to the village. She was not only mentally, but also physically tired and Sango was glad her friend would get a good night's sleep to restore her energy.

Speaking of her miko friend, Sango turned her gaze to Youko who was sitting quite close to her while she slept. It was clear that the kitsune had feelings for Kagome and visa versa but what was also obvious was that he didn't understand her completely. From traveling with him and seeing first hand how he acted toward Kagome, Sango decided he was decent enough for her friend.

Standing from where she sat next to Kirara, she cleared her throat and nodded her head in the direction of the door when Youko looked toward her. Turning on her heel, she walked out of the hut, knowing the curious kitsune would follow her. Walking over to a nearby apple tree, she leaned her back against it while she waited for Youko to reach her. Once he was within several feet of her, he was about to speak but she interrupted him.

"How much do you like Kagome." She demanded more than asked.

"I do not see how this is any or your concern." Youko commented, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is my concern because she is my closes friend and very dear to me. And depending on your answer, I may explain to you why you haven't won her over yet."

Youko raised an eyebrow before answering the slayer. "I love her and I have told her so."

Sango nodded and pounded her foot against the tree that stood behind her. It shook slightly and the slayer caught an apple in her hand before it could fall to the ground. Staring at the apple intently, she twirled it in her hand as if she were examining it.

"Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the very top. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along; the one who is smart and brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree."

"Kagome is, of course, an apple at the top of the tree." Youko said without hesitation.

"Yes and she also thinks there are many things wrong with her. She's very insecure and doesn't believe or understand how someone like you could possibly love her." Sango explained.

"That is why she doesn't seem to believe me when I tell her how I feel." Youko mused.

"You need to explain to her what you love about her, why you love her. She doesn't see how special she really is because all she sees in herself is the flaws. If you can make her understand how amazing she is to you, then she'll believe you."

Youko rolled his eyes. "She just has to be stubborn and insecure doesn't she."

"And we love her just the way she is." Sango smiled as she tossed the apple to him and walked back toward the hut. Youko stared at the apple in his hand and smiled. The taijiya was right, Kagome was perfect just the way she was and he wouldn't want her any other way. Jumping up into the apple tree, he sat on the highest branch and decided to think over how he would approach Kagome in the morning.

Miroku and Inuyasha waited for Sango to fall asleep before leaving the hut. Following Youko's scent, Inuyasha found him in the apple tree and called him down.

"Is there a problem?" Youko asked, his ears searching for any sound that might be out of place.

"The bat is still alive." Inuyasha answered simply.

"Inuyasha couldn't find the demon when he went to kill it but he lied said it was already dead anyway, like we had planned. But now we have to go back and destroy the demon." Miroku elaborated.

"We need to take care of this tonight and get it over with. Kagome and Sango should be sleeping for a while tonight so it should give us lots of time." Inuyasha said.

Youko groaned. "Alright, at least their safely back in the village."

"They will be fine here, but I cannot say the same for the women back at the other village. Let us be on our way." Miroku said, whistling sharply. Kirara came running, transforming mid leap and Miroku climbed on. Growling softly, she set off at a quick pace toward the village. If they traveled at demon speed, they could easily reach the village within two hours.

Kagome woke with a start. Her miko powers her pulsing wildly and eventually woke her. Looking around, she only saw Sango, Kaede and the kits were in the hut. Not only that but the kits were awake and sitting in the corning coloring in one of the books Kagome had given Shippo for him to entertain himself with. Kagome slipped out of her sleeping bag and made her way over to Sango. Shaking her awake, she waited for the slayer to sit up completely before questioning her.

"Where are the boys?"

Sango looked around the hut in confusion. "I haven't the slightest clue…"

Both women looked toward the two kits coloring before standing and making their way over to sit near them. "Shippo, Alexis, where are Youko, Miroku, and Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"And Kirara…she's not here either." Sango added.

"They all went to kill the bat demon in that village." Shippo said.

"What are you talking about? The bat demon is dead." Kagome said uncertainly.

Alexis sighed and looked up at Sango and Kagome from her coloring. "Uncle told us not to tell you but Inuyasha lied about the bat being dead. They were all just worried about you because the demon only targets women so they wanted you two and us far from the demon and in a safe place. So now uncle, Miroku, and Inuyasha went to go kill the bat." She explained in one breath.

Kagome and Sango continued to stare at the two kits with blank expression. Slowly, the calm disappeared as their rage began to build. Sango stood and closed her hands into fists as she stomped around the hut. Kagome glared at the wall angrily, muttering to herself about stupid demons that didn't believe they could take care of themselves. Speaking of taking care of themselves, Kagome decided that she would test her telepathy. She had been meditating earlier that day and wanted to see if her new power had grown any since then.

Closing her eyes hard in concentration, Kagome searched for Youko's aura. She almost cheered when she successfully located it. Through his aura, she gained access to his mind and sent him a little message. 'You are in trouble. Enormous trouble. Angry demon bears are going to look _tame_ next to what is waiting for you when you return.'

Kagome smirked when she felt Youko's mind panic for a moment but was pulled from her musings when she heard an unfamiliar voice.

'Now to just find that juicy miko and the taijiya… their blood should taste divine.'

Kagome's heart dropped into her stomach as her eyes widened. She felt as if she couldn't breath. Whose voice had she heard? Was it the bat demon? If it was… why was he looking for them? It had to be the bat demon; he had said that their blood would taste good. Did the bat maybe feel their power when they were near the village he was attacking and came to investigate? A strong woman must possess better tasting blood than a normal woman so that must mean that the bat demon followed them back here… to Kaede's village.

"Kagome, are you alright?" Alexis asked when she noticed how pale the miko was.

Kagome merely shook her head, repeatedly muttering 'no' as she stood quickly. "Sango, we have a problem." The miko stuttered.

"What's the matter?"

"The bat demon is here… he followed us." Kagome said slowly, her heart pounded in her chest.

Sango's eyes widened and she quickly moved to grab Hiraikotsu. "How do you know?"

"I heard his thoughts… He's coming after us." Kagome said, her fearful silver eyes staring at the door as if the demon was going to walk in any second.

"Why is he coming after us!? What did we do?" Shippo cried, becoming scared.

"He wants our blood… we're more powerful than normal human women so our blood must taste better."

"We have to hide, what are we going to do if he finds us?!" Alexis panicked.

"We're going to fight. We need to protect the village." Sango said in a determined voice.

"I agree, who is going to protect the women here if he destroys us? The guys are miles away, we have to stop him." Kagome piped up, pulling herself from her stupor and thinking of the people that needed them.

"Kagome, do you think you can put a barrier around the village to keep everyone safe?" Shippo asked.

"It's probably too late, the bat is most likely already in the village." Sango said.

"I could put a barrier around him though…" Kagome murmured.

Shippo, Alexis and Sango stared at her in confusion. "How would that help us any?"

"No one can enter my barriers, so if I place a barrier around the demon then he can't get to anyone. They will be pushed away."

"Like he's stuck in a big bubble." Shippo grinned.

"Exactly." Kagome smiled, "I just need to find him so I can place the barrier."

Closing her eyes, she spread her aura throughout the village in search of any unfamiliar demons. Once she found it, the miko took a deep breath and used her powers to form a barrier around him. Several seconds after the barrier was placed, they heard a loud scream. Kagome ordered the kits to stay in the hut as both she and Sango ran to the source of the screams.

They weren't surprised to see a woman running from a demon in a large pink bubble. The demon was exactly as they had thought he would look. Long pointed ears, large black wings, dark skinned, black hair. To Kagome; he looked like a vampire… just with bat wings.

Once his yellow colored eyes landed on Kagome and Sango, a sadistic smirk broke out across his face and Kagome shivered. He was creepy looking. She was sure that if she hadn't seen uglier demons that she would have nightmares about this one. Sango gagged in disgust when he licked his lips and slowly began stalking in their direction.

"So you're Youko Kurama's bitch huh? Oh I'm going to enjoy killing that bastard's potential mate." He growled in excitement.

"Who is this Youko Kurama you speak of? We have no acquaintance with such a person." Sango said calmly.

The demon snorted as he lifted his nose toward the air and took a long whiff. "I can smell Youko's disgusting scent all over the miko."

Kagome glared at the demon. Youko's scent was amazing, how dare this demon accuse him of smelling horrible. If he smelt horrible, then she did as well but Kagome knew for a fact that Youko smelt wonderful. Pushing aside her irritation, the miko turned to Sango. "What are we going to do with him?" she whispered.

Before either could think any further, the bat attacked them. He leapt toward Sango and growled in frustration when the slayer was thrown away from him. Turning his angry yellow eyes toward the miko who trapped him in the barrier, he leapt toward her next. Not wanting to be thrown into a hut like Sango had, Kagome did her best to dodge the attacking demon. He was too fast though, and the barrier hit her shoulder…at least it was supposed to hit her shoulder. Instead, Kagome's shoulder went right through the barrier.

* * *

They had been searching for the damn demon for hours now. The village said there hadn't been an attack for some time but he was bound to attack that night. In the distance, there was a large cave that was emitting a demonic aura. It must be the bat demon they were searching for. Suddenly, Kirara stopped in her tracks and turned a snarl toward the south, in the direction of Kaede's village.

The fire neko turn so quickly that Miroku nearly fell off her back. Grabbing a handful of her fur, he centered himself just in time as Kirara dashed off into a sprint faster than she had ever run before. Youko and Inuyasha quickly caught up with the neko and asked the monk what was wrong with her.

"Something must be wrong; Kirara is heading straight back to Kaede's village. The girls must be in trouble."

Kirara roared loudly, as if confirming the monk's suspicions. With that said, Everyone pushed themselves to get back to the village as fast as they possibly could.

* * *

Kagome stared at the bat demon with silver eyes. The bat was currently smirking at her menacingly because he had just found out Kagome could go through her barrier. Kagome could breathe as she mentally cursed her stupidity. She didn't even think of the fact that she was the only one that could enter her barrier. Now she was the only one that was in any real trouble.

"Kagome! Run!" Sango yelled as she threw her Hiraikotsu at the demon that was preparing to charge toward the miko once more. Panicking, Kagome ran for her life. She hoped Sango would be able to hold the demon off long enough for her to get somewhere she could concentrate and send the boys an s.o.s

Knowing that Kaede could help, Kagome ran back to the hut. Dashing threw the door, she ordered the kits to hide somewhere. They immediately ran to the only room that connected to the main room of the hut and hid as they were told. Kagome woke up Kaede and explained what was happening. The older miko assured her she would be able to hold off the demon as long as she could if the need arose.

Nodding, Kagome sat and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down or she wouldn't be able to call for help. Taking another long, deep breath, Kagome searched for any of the guys' auras. She found Miroku's first and was relieved to feel Youko's and Inuyasha's right beside the monk's. Kagome heard a loud crash outside her concentration and did her best to keep calm, but failed miserably. Feeling she was loosing her concentration, Kagome yelled a desperate cry for help at her three friend's auras, hoping it would reach them.

'HELP!! The bat demon! He's here!!'

Kagome was completely pulled from her concentration when she felt someone grab her wrist. Opening her eyes, she was frozen in fear as she stared up into the yellow eyes of the bat that was standing over her. Just as he was going to pull her completely into the barrier, Sango came running and pounded her shoulder into the barrier, effectively throwing the demon into the side wall. The slayer helped Kagome to her feet and shook her lightly.

"Kagome, why haven't you removed the barrier yet?!"

"I can't! If I do then you and everyone else will be in trouble! This way he is only after me, I just have to stay away from him." Kagome argued, refusing to put everyone else in danger. Before either of them could think of what to do while they waited for help to arrive, Sango was suddenly thrown into the opposite wall and rendered unconscious from the force of her impact. Kagome found herself yanked against a hard chest and heart dropped into her stomach as she turned her silver eyes to stare up at the smirking bat.

"I can see why the kitsune chose you; you truly are quite beautiful for a human. Too bad you I have to kill you." he chuckled darkly.

Kagome pushed as much purification as she could into her hands. With her mind in such a panic, she could only pull enough energy give him a strong shock. It was enough to form burn holes in his black clothing and also gave her enough time to escape his grasp. Jumping out of her barrier, she was about to run through the door and lead the bat into Inuyasha's forest, seeing as she knew it like the back of her hand and could possibly lose him, but was stopped in her tracks when she heard a very familiar voice call to her weakly.

"Mama…"

"Shippo, no!"

Kagome turned to see the little orange kit pinned beneath the bottom layer of her barrier, his head barely free and almost covered so he couldn't breath. The bat demon stood over him, crushing him into the ground. Alexis was pounding against the side of the invisible wall, trying to help her new friend.

"Let him go!" Kagome yelled, tears springing to her eyes at the sight of Shippo being hurt by her own barrier.

"I will once you walk your pretty little ass back over here miko." The bat smirked.

One more glance at Shippo and Kagome made up her mind. She made her way back over to the demon until she was standing in front of the barrier.

"Kagome, don't…" Shippo ground out, trying to breathe as best he could. Kagome ignored him and glared at the demon bravely. "Let him go."

"First you step in."

Without a word, Kagome stepped into her barrier, now standing directly in front of the demon and staring death in the eyes. Just as he had said, he released Shippo but before Kagome could escape once more, the bat grabbed her, holding her arms tightly, and sunk his fangs into the jugular vein in her neck.

Youko was the first to spot Kaede's hut, the whole front wall was broken down, leaving an open view of what was happening within. "NO!!" Running as fast as he could, he was about to sever the bat demon's head when he collided with a barrier. Inuyasha and Miroku were at his side in seconds and were now pounding on the barrier, trying to reach Kagome. Youko stared on in horror. The barrier was a pink color… this was Kagome's barrier.

"Kagome!"

Her skin was pale from the loss of blood and she was now limp in the demon's arms. She was slowly dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"The barrier's getting weaker! Keep pounding!" Miroku yelled.

"The barrier is getting weaker because Kagome is. This is her barrier." Youko said softly. He knew there was nothing he could do until the barrier fell. So he intended on waiting until that moment… then he would tear that bastard to pieces.

"Youko, we have to get Kagome help once the barrier drops. We can't waste anytime with this demon." Sango said, suddenly at his side. Youko snarled in her direction. The damn taijiya was right. He would have to kill the bat fast instead of slow and painfully like he would have preferred. Kagome needed help and she was his first priority.

Youko was of course the first to see the barrier fade and in that exact moment, the kitsune's rose whip was already wrapped around the bat's neck. Within the next few seconds and a sharp snap of his wrist, the demon's head was rolling to the floor and he had Kagome in his arms. Kaede, who seemed to just awake from her unconsciousness, made her way to the demon and purified it to dust before rushing to Kagome's aid.

Youko had already torn off his shirt to use as a rag and was pressing it against the miko's neck to stop the bleeding. Her heart was pounding in her chest, strong but slowing, as it tried to pump blood into her veins to keep her alive. Youko knew in his heart there was no way to save her, but he refused to believe that. To his surprise, everyone was in a panicked hurry, gathering random objects and digging through Kagome's pack.

Kaede explained to the confused kitsune that in this time there would be no way to save her with all the blood she lost, but fortunately in Kagome's time, they knew how to rescue an individual in this situation. And apparently Kagome had explained everything to Kaede about what and how to do it. She even had everything she needed for this in her first aid kit.

"This has happened once before with Sango. She was attacked by a bear demon and had lost a lot of blood, but not as much as Kagome though…" Miroku said.

"This may be more difficult than last time… we don't have enough blood. Miroku can't give enough to save Kagome." Kaede said softly, seeming to give up hope.

"Then I will give her blood as well." Youko growled, angry that everyone seemed to give in already.

"Her miko blood will battle with your demon blood and may just purify it or injure her further." Kaede stated.

"Not if Kagome's body recognizes Youko's demonic energy. If Youko were to place a claim on her, then she would be fine, not to mention the demon blood will heal her faster." Sango piped up in excitement.

"But she may turn into a hanyou; will Kagome be alright with that?" Inuyasha asked quickly, a frown on his face.

"As long as she gets a pair of ears like your's or Youko's, she'll be happy as can be." Shippo said, Alexis nodding along side him.

"We don't have time for this! It doesn't matter if she would want to be a hanyou or not! She'll be happy she's alive, now let's get moving here!!" Sango yelled, irritated with how much time they were wasting.

Youko nodded and leaned down toward Kagome. He sighed and placed his fangs against the other side of her neck, the side that hadn't been punctured by the bat demon. 'I'm sorry Kagome… this isn't how I wanted it… I wanted to place a claim on you while you were aware…' with that thought, he pushed his fangs into the skin of her neck, at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Not only did he want to place his claim on the miko with her knowledge, but he also didn't want an audience watching them.

Releasing her, Youko pulled away and looked toward Kaede, who had a large needle in her hand. The needle was connected to a tube looking object which was connected to some kind of bag that Sango was holding. Miroku was rolling up the sleeve of his robes and moved to sit next to Kaede. Everyone watched as Kaede pushed the needle into the vein in the monk's arm and they all watched as blood slowly began to fill the bag.

Once it was a little over half full, Kaede carefully removed the needle and placed a clean rag against Miroku's arm. The monk lifted his arm over his head and moved away so Kaede could clean all of her supplies. Youko moved to sit next the old miko and wrinkled his nose when he smelt what she was washing the needle with. It was strong and smelt of like a foreign alcoholic drink called Vodka that he had tasted in the east. Youko was pulled from his thoughts when Kaede pushed the needle into his arm.

Within seconds, the bag was completely full and Kaede was cleaning the needle once more. With skillfully steady hands, the woman pushed the needle into the vein in Kagome's arm. Bending the tube so that whatever blood she had left wouldn't push out, Sango squeezed the bag that held Miroku and Youko's blood. The red liquid shot into the tube and pushed into Kagome's body. This wasn't a short process but at least they knew it was working.

The miko's color was slowly returning to its normal shade and her heart was beating more evenly, pumping the blood she was receiving through her veins and vital organs. Once all the blood was drained from the bag, Kaede removed the needle and bandaged Kagome's arm before Inuyasha held her limp arm over her head. The old miko cleaned her supplies and returned everything to Kagome's bag before correctly bandaging Youko, Miroku, and Kagome's arms.

"She'll be fine now, she just needs to rest." Kaede announced before leaving the hut.

Youko stood from where he sat and made his way over to Kagome. No one argued with him when he lifted her off the ground and into his arms. He was thankful because he was too exhausted to fight with anyone at the moment, especially Inuyasha. Without a word, Youko left the small hut and walked straight over to the apple tree where he and Sango had spoke. Leaping up into the tree, he sat with his back against the trunk and placed Kagome comfortably in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her small frame, he buried his nose in her hair.

"I will never leave you again… I'll always protect you, I promise."

* * *

A/N:

There's chapter 8 hope you all enjoyed it. R&R

~*Icyfire*~

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Nine: Control


	9. Control

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 9: Control

Youko woke to the delightful feeling of a warm body squirming against him. Groaning softly, the kitsune opened his eyes only to be momentarily confused. There, sitting in his lap was a beautiful hanyou. Her hair had grown a few inches longer and black kitsune ears sat atop her head, twitching slightly at every sound. Kagome hadn't changed much physically and Youko was happy about that. He liked her exactly the way she looked as a human and he was relieved to find the only difference was her ears.

Aside from her physical change, her aura had also changed slightly. It still felt as pure as it had before, but now possessed a tinge of demonic ki. She shifted again and Youko was reminded of why he had woken up in the first place. The kitsune felt blood rush to his lower region as his potential mate once again shifted against him. Mating season was already next week and Youko cursed his terrible luck.

Now that Kagome was a hanyou, she would also feel the effects of mating season and he wasn't sure if the miko turned hanyou would be able to control herself. Seeing as she had no prior practice at resisting such temptations, Youko worried how this would turn out. He knew for a fact that he wanted to at least wait until after mating season until he mated with Kagome… that is if she accepted him as her mate.

His mind wondering to that particular topic, Youko remembered that he had placed his claim on Kagome… without her consent. Of course, it was a life or death situation so he had no choice but if it had been different, Youko would have waited for her to agree before placing his claim mark on her. He now worried what she would think when she woke and not only found out that she was no longer human and had lost her miko powers that she had been working so hard to perfect but also was marked by him as his potential mate.

She shifted again, this time her perfect backside brushing against his crotch and a growl pushed through ground teeth as he did his best not to give in to his instincts. Trying to take his mind off of his urges, Youko thought of how both he and Kagome were going to deal with the next two months. Maybe Kagome could go back to her time for a while.

Now that they knew Kagome had just been dreaming of Naraku killing her family, she would probably be even more at ease to actually see them alive with her own eyes. The herbs he mixed to help her heal just may have had some effect on her. Perhaps it had something to do with her miko abilities. Back to the original train of thought…Kagome had told him there were no demons in her time so she would be safe not only from any threats to her life but also any threats to steal her purity.

Speaking of stealing purity, a snarl rumbled in Youko's chest as he thought of the many other demons in this time that held some kind of feelings for his potential mate. He dreaded the thought of what would happen if Kouga happened to stop by. During mating season, if a demon was attracted to a human, it was a little easier to suppress his urges. Now if the individual they were interested in possessed any demon blood at all, it was far more difficult to resist. If Kouga even _touched_ Kagome…

The growl that rumbled in his chest this time around seemed to rouse Kagome from her sleep. She yawned and stretched, nearly falling off Youko's lap and the branch they were sitting on. Youko wrapped his arms tighter around Kagome and she jumped slightly. The kitsune watched the hanyou in amusement as she looked around in confusion.

Kagome stared down at the ground in confusion. Was she sitting in a tree? Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Kagome moved to lean forward only to be stopped by a pair of strong arms around her waist. A smile grazed her lips as she realized she was also sitting in someone's lap. There was only one person, or should she say demon, that liked her sleeping in his lap and that one demon must be the individual that saved her last night.

Kagome leaned back comfortably against Youko's chest and turned her face up so she could see that ever perfect smirk on his face. His wonderful scent was stronger for some reason but the miko didn't think much of it at the moment. "Good morning."

His smirk faded as his face turned serious. "Don't speak too soon." He said softly.

Kagome stared at him with confused brown eyes. "What do you mean? I'm alive, I'm guessing thanks to you, so how could this not be a good morning?"

Youko frowned as his gaze fell to the ground. "You lost a lot of blood last night Kagome…"

"I'm not surprised, I was sure that I wouldn't wake up this morning."

Youko rolled his eyes at her attempt to joke around with this matter. "This is serious Kagome."

"Ok, I'm sorry. So since I lost so much blood, I'm sure that Kaede used all the supplies I had in my bag to give me blood?"

"Yes, but you had lost so much blood that we didn't have enough to give you. Miroku couldn't give you enough to save you."

Kagome began to worry but was more confused than anything. "So what exactly happened last night? How did you guys save me?"

"I offered to give you some of my blood because I refused to let you die, but Kaede said that your miko blood and my demon blood wouldn't mix correctly and could possibly injure you further." Youko explained.

Kagome nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Sango had said that if I placed a claim on you, then your body would recognize my blood and accept it, therefore we could save you…but at a price." Youko said the last part in a slight whisper and Kagome was surprised she heard him.

"So you think the price for saving my life was to place a claim on me…" Kagome said, her eyes turning to an orange color. Did Youko find it that repulsing to place a claim on her?

Youko growled as he immediately realized she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. "No, that was not the price." He said before reaching up and tweaking one of her ears. Kagome's eyes widened as her hands flew up to the top of her head. She grabbed her new kitsune ears and Youko was relieved to see her eyes shift from a greenish brown to bright golden.

"I have ears!" she grinned in excitement before her face became serious. "So… I'm a hanyou?"

Youko nodded, waiting for her response to that piece of information. A wide smile spread across her beautiful face as she somehow changed her position so that she was sitting facing him and threw her arms around his neck. She was laughing as she hugged him tightly. "This is so awesome! I have the powers of a kitsune hanyou and my miko powers!"

Youko pulled away when he heard that and stared at her in confusion. "How do you know you still have your miko powers?"

"Because I can feel them. They feel more powerful too." She grinned. She suddenly felt a shocking feeling on her neck. It didn't particularly hurt, it instead made her purr in pleasure. Her hand traveled up to her neck and she felt the mark that Youko must have been talking about. Her happy smile turned sad as she avoided looking into the kitsune's eyes.

Youko growled once more as he gently grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. "If you are thinking that I regret placing a claim on you in order to save your life, you better think again. That wasn't how I wanted this to happen. I wanted you to willingly accept my claim before I placed it on you."

Kagome stared at him with hopeful eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"What I've been telling you all this time but you never seemed to believe me. I love you. I love everything about you Kagome, your personality…your body… your amazingly large heart. I want to wake up every morning to see your beautiful face. I love how accepting you are, how forgiving and caring you are to those you don't even know. If it weren't for you, I would have never found Alexis. If it weren't for you… I would have never experienced love. Kagome, I want you to bare my kits… I want you to be my mate for life." Youko said, watching all the emotion that flashed across the miko's face.

She hadn't said anything for some time and he began to worry when a single tear trailed down her cheek. He was about to speak but was stopped when Kagome suddenly threw her arms around him again and pressed her lips against his. Youko stared down at Kagome with wide shocked eyes before chuckling to himself. He had never been caught off guard by a female before but he was happy Kagome finally understood how he felt.

She pulled away from him with a warm smile on her face. "I love you too Youko…" she whispered, staring into his golden eyes that she loved so much.

Not able to resist any longer, Youko wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her firmly against his chest and kissed her softly. When she returned his kiss, he deepened it and they both suddenly realized their current position. Kagome was straddling Youko's lap, their bodies pressed hard against each other. Kagome suddenly felt an unbearable urge to remove her clothing. The miko pulled away from Youko quickly as her face turned cherry red.

Before she could ask him anything, he chuckled and answered her silent question. "Now that you're a demon, mating season is going to affect you like it does me."

"So it's normal that I just felt like taking off all my clothes!" Kagome bellowed, panicking slightly before blushing even darker than before when she realized she had yelled so loudly it echoed through the trees.

Youko chuckled as he felt blood rushing south once more. Just the thought of her removing any clothing made him excited. It was definitely a good idea to send Kagome to her time for a while. She would be safe and could visit her family. Pushing his lust aside, Youko removed his arms from around the miko's waist and gently held her face between his hands.

"Kagome, you should go home during the worst of mating season."

"Why? You don't think ill be able to control myself do you." Kagome glared at him.

Not wanting to argue with her, he shook his head. "It's not you I'm worried about, it's me. I don't know if I'll be able to control myself."

Kagome sighed but nodded. "Alright, it'll be nice to see my family again anyway."

Youko nodded, smiling but Kagome noticed it was strained. That was when she realized they were still in the same position. She blushed crimson and leapt to her feet, surprising herself when she noticed she was now standing perfectly balanced on the branch. She smiled slightly as she looked down toward the ground. They weren't too high but if she were still human, she was positive she would probably break several bones if she fell.

But she wasn't a human anymore… and kitsune's were quite agile. If reckless Inuyasha can do it, then she sure as hell could too. Crouching slightly, she didn't hesitate as she leapt off the branch and flipped in the air before landing perfectly on her feet. She turned a huge grin up to Youko, who just landed next to her, staring down at her in amusement.

"Enjoying yourself?" he smirked.

"Very much so," She smiled. "I can hear everything…smell everything! It's so… refreshing."

Youko chuckled. "So you're not angry to be a hanyou?"

Kagome turned to the kitsune and leaned up on her tip toes as she draped her arms over his shoulders. "The _real_ question here is if you are disappointed to be the potential mate of a hanyou?"

Youko wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist and pulled her flush against his body. Leaning down toward her, he brushed his lips against her ear. "I have never wanted to be with a woman so entirely until I met you and no matter what you are; human, hanyou, or miko, those feelings will never change." He whispered in her ear.

Kagome shivered from the feeling of his hot breath against the sensitive skin of her new kitsune ear. Smiling softly, she kissed Youko quickly before pulling away from his grasp. "I'll race you." the miko challenged in excitement.

Youko rolled his eyes. "You may be faster than you were before, but you are still only _half _demon. Since I'm a full demon, you haven't a chan…"

Before Youko could even finish his gloating, Kagome was gone. No where in sight. Smirking, the kitsune dashed off after his miko. It wasn't too difficult, Youko caught up with her when she was only several feet away from the hut. Feeling playful, whether it was due to the upcoming season or just his nature he wasn't sure, the kitsune tackled Kagome to the ground. Turning so that his back ended up landing on the ground and she was lying on top of him, Youko smirked triumphantly up at the now pouting miko.

"You cheated." She complained.

Youko chuckled. "It was actually you who cheated, love."

A smile grazed her lips at hearing what Youko called her. She liked it. He called her 'love' and it made her heart fill with warmth… acceptance… happiness. Kagome hoped he would call her that more often, and she wasn't even sure why she liked it so much. Maybe it was because she enjoyed the fact that someone loved her for who she was and nothing more. She had never been called anything aside from her name and wench, bitch, or miko.

"Get a room will ya." They heard Inuyasha complain. Kagome rolled her eyes and leapt off of Youko, helping him to his feet once she was standing. She turned to walk into the hut only to see Inuyasha staring at her with wide eyes.

"Yasha, you ok?" Kagome asked, worried.

"You're a kitsune hanyou…"

"Yup, isn't it awesome? Look at my cute ears! Feel them! They're silky soft." She purred happily.

Inuyasha smiled softly. "So you like being a hanyou?"

"Of course, there's nothing wrong with being a hanyou. We are people too Yasha." Kagome smiled.

Inuyasha nodded and Kagome felt the positive energy flooding her hanyou friend's aura. She hugged him quickly before dashing into the hut, muttering about how she couldn't wait to show everyone else. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his best friend's antics before turning a serious look toward Youko.

"She's my best friend. If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"No need to worry Inuyasha. Just be happy the wolf didn't get to her before I did."

Inuyasha snorted in agreement before following his friend into the hut, Youko right behind him. Upon entering the hut, they nearly laughed at the sight before them. Kagome was doing her best to escape her excited friends. Sango, Shippo, and Alexis were trying to catch the miko so they could touch her ears since Inuyasha and Youko would probably bite their heads off if they even got within a foot of their sensitive ears.

"Guys! They hurt, please don't touch them!" Kagome whined and Inuyasha chuckled.

"Now you know how I feel when you yank on my ears wench!"

Kagome pouted as she darted over to Youko. She buried her face against his chest and grinned to herself when she heard sighed of irritation and disappointment. Youko chuckled softly and Kagome turned her grin up to him before placing a quick kiss on his cheek and turning her attention back to her friends.

"I have to go back to my time for the worst of mating season." Kagome informed, blushing slightly at the knowing smirk that spread across Miroku's face.

"Don't think you would be able to control yourself Kagome?" Miroku teased.

Kagome glared at him. "No, I don't think I have the will power. Mating season hasn't even started and I already feel like jumping Youko…" she muttered the last part under her breath even though she was sure everyone heard her.

"But how will it help for you to go back to your time?" Shippo asked.

"Because there aren't any demons in my time. Humans are easier to resist than demons." Kagome explained.

"How long will you be gone?" Alexis asked, hopping up onto the miko's shoulder to hug her.

"At the most a month. That's about how long the strongest of the season will last." Inuyasha answered that question.

Kagome nodded. "When will I need to leave?"

"In about two weeks." Youko informed.

Kagome sighed, "I have to deal with two weeks of this torment?" she murmured and everyone laughed at the miko's expense.

"So I'm going to guess that you accepted Youko's claim?" Miroku asked, curious.

Kagome smiled and nodded as she leaned back against the kitsune's chest, her eyes a deep violet. Sango smiled with longing in her eyes as Youko wrapped his arms around the miko from behind and rested his chin on her head. She glanced toward Miroku for a moment before averting her eyes. Youko caught the glance and made note of it to use to his advantage later when Kagome was gone.

The next few weeks were complete torture for not only Kagome but Youko as well. All of Kagome's continuous attempts to get at him were starting to get to him. She was making it very difficult for him to stay in control. There was one morning that he actually woke up to Kagome straddling his hips and kissing his neck. He had to take a dive in a cold river after that encounter.

The time for Kagome to leave had finally arrived and everyone was surprisingly relieved. No one had ever seen Kagome so frisky and it eventually got so bad that Sango had to actually tie her friend up at night so she wouldn't attack anyone in her blind lust. It was much safer for the miko in her time where she wouldn't be tempted by Youko. Not to mention Youko could have a break to breath for a few weeks.

Everyone was now gathered around the Bone Eaters well and Kagome was pouting at them. They had once again tied her hands behind her back and the miko wasn't happy about it. Sango allowed Youko to kiss her goodbye before she pulled him away. Moving quickly, Miroku unbound her hands and Sango pushed her friend into the well.

Having never seen Kagome go back to her time before, he almost tore the taijiya's head off when she shoved his to be mate into the well. He was at the edge of the well in seconds, looking for Kagome at the bottom only to find it completely empty. He sighed in relief but found it hard to tear his gaze away from the well. He felt an empty feeling begin to overcome his relief and was confused.

"You miss her, that's what the emptiness is." Sango laughed, recognizing his facial expression.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she stared at the roof above her head. A pout slowly formed on her face as her mind immediately wandered to Youko. She missed the kitsune already. Shaking those thought from her head, she climbed up the ladder and skipped into the house.

"Mama, Grandpa, Souta! I'm home!"

Souta came running from no where and slammed into her, hugging his sister fiercely. When he turned his huge grin up to her, his eyes widened as he stared at the abnormal ears on top her head. Excitement filled her little brother as he bounced up and down talking a mile a minute.

"You're a demon!! That's so cool! What happened? How'd it happen? Did you almost die?! What kind of demon are you! Can I be a demon?! Sis come one come on! Tell me tell me!!!"

Kagome laughed as she placed her hands on his shoulders to hold him still. "I'm a kitsune half demon, yes I almost died and a kitsune friend of mine gave me blood to save me. Since he was full kitsune, it made me hanyou. No you cannot be a demon because I said so and don't even think about pouting or asking mom."

Souta grumbled under his breath as he disappeared into the kitchen to tell their mother the news about Kagome. Her mother came running into the hall, pure excitement on her face. She was in front of Kagome within seconds and was rubbing her daughter's ears.

"So does this mean my grandchildren will have adorable ears like these!?" she squealed in joy.

Kagome rolled her eyes at her mother's antics. Escaping her mother, the miko ran to her room to shower and make some plans for that night with her friends she hadn't seen for months.

* * *

'I don't know how Yusuke possibly convinced us to come along tonight.' Kurama complained as he sunk deeper into his chair.

'Don't ask me, you're the imbecile that agreed. This is going to be boring for us.'

'Remind me to never come along to one of Yusuke's dates again.' Kurama muttered. Yusuke had somehow got him to accompany him on his date with Keiko to the movies. Even more surprising was that he got Kuwabara _and_ Hiei to come along too. Kuwabara had brought Yukina with him and unfortunately…Kurama had allowed one of his fan girls to tag along with him. She was currently locked onto his arm and her face was buried in the sleeve of his shirt.

'I don't know what possessed you to actually allow that disgusting human to come along.' Hiei chuckled.

Kurama turned a deadly glare over to his friend. 'I don't want to hear a word from you.'

The lights began to dim as the last of the audience entered the theatre. A group of girls quickly grabbed a few seats several rows in front of them. Kurama internally groaned. That was probably more of his fan club. Just wonderful.

* * *

Kagome was so proud of herself when she finally perfected her illusion. She was able to completely conceal her ears. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do about her eyes. She just hoped no one would notice any color changes. It had taken the miko some time to get her illusion down and it ended up making them late to their movie. Thankfully though, they arrived at their theatre just as the previews were beginning.

Just as Kagome sat in her seat, she felt something familiar brush against her senses. Since she had arrived to her time, it was much easier for her to manage her mating season urges. For some reason, at the moment she entered the theatre, she felt her urges kick up again. Thinking it was just excitement for the movie, she pushed it aside, ignoring it the best she could.

Almost half way through the movie, she couldn't resist the nagging feeling any longer and allowed her senses to locate the exact aura she was craving. She nearly fell out of her seat when she found and recognized the aura that her miko senses found. Smiling toward her friend next to her, she excused herself, saying she needed to use the bathroom.

Her friends were so into the movie that they didn't even notice that Kagome had walked up the stair toward the top instead of down to the exit. Kagome's enhanced eyesight found a handsome redhead that housed the aura she had felt. She had no doubt that her senses were correct. That had to be him; he was just using an illusion.

Feeling her urges kick up a notch, she made her way toward the red head with a smirk on her face.

* * *

Hiei watched wearily as a female with an odd aura slowly made her way up the stairs toward their row. He was about to inform Kurama but realized he was already staring at the girl in curiosity. She seemed to be looking for someone. She was quite beautiful for a human and for some reason Kurama felt like ditching his current date for the oddly familiar looking girl that had now stopped at their row.

Her eyes landed in him but before he could see if she was truly looking at him, the girl he had brought with him to the movie had placed his face between her hands and turned his face to look at her. She smiled and was saying something along the lines of her being happy she was there with him but Kurama wasn't paying attention. He was trying to turn his gaze back to the beautiful human looking for someone.

Suddenly Kurama felt someone straddle his lap and a pair of arms drape over his shoulders. He pulled his face from the shocked girl that was now staring at the person in his lap and looked up to see the searching female.

"Hello Youko." She purred before pressing her lips against his. Kurama stared at the girl with wide eyes.

'It's Kagome!' Kurama heard his counterpart yell before the girl suddenly disappeared. He looked around for her only to find that Hiei was gone and Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, and his date were staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Leaping out of his chair, he searched out Hiei's aura. Locating it, he found Hiei outside the theatre glaring down at the girl who had attacked him. He had her pinned against a wall in the alley behind the theatre.

"How do you know Youko." He snarled down at her.

'Get him off her! NOW!' Youko suddenly snarled in anger and Kurama didn't know what to do. The smell of arousal quickly filled the air and both Hiei and Kurama stared at the girl with lust.

Not able to concentrate any longer, Kagome's illusion fell and her ears were now visible. The amazingly good looking demon that had her pinned against the wall was turning her on and she didn't know what to do. She sensed Youko once more and turned her purple eyes toward the red head that was staring at her.

"Youko…Please get him off me… I don't know if I can control myself much longer." She whined, doing her best to resist tackling the demon that had her pinned.

Youko pushed forward through his restrains in order to talk through Kurama. "Hiei, release Kagome please." He requested calmly.

Once she was free, Kagome tackled Kurama to the ground, kissing him lustfully. Kurama found it hard to resist her, but with Youko's help he was able to separate himself from the hanyou.

Youko sighed as he stared at the miko who was trying to catch her breath. 'This is Kagome. She is my mate 500 years in the past.'

'I'm confused.' Kurama sighed as he allowed Youko to talk through him.

"Kagome…I send you to your time in order to separate you from me and somehow you find me in your time as well." He chuckled. "Trouble magnet."

"It's not my fault you happened to live this long! I thought demons didn't exist in my time." She defended herself.

"I think it might be safer for you to return to the past. All we need is for you to be gallivanting through the human realm raping every demon you find."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't rape anyone."

"Looks like you were trying to rape Kurama in the theatre!" Kagome turned to see a boy in black hair smirking toward them.

Kurama sighed as he glared toward his companion. "Yusuke, stay out of this please."

"So you want me to go back to the feudal ear? I officially hate mating season." Kagome groaned.

"It would be far more safe for you there. Explain to me that you found my future self and I ordered you to return. I'll understand." Youko explained. It was weird telling his mate to give his past self a message from his future self. Technically, he was talking to himself…

Kagome nodded and took a deep breath before closing her eyes. Her ears disappeared and she turned her gaze back to him. "Hope you can control yourself better in the past than I can…" she muttered before darting off.

There was a long silence before Yusuke began laughing. "Dude! That girl was hot! Man, your date is pissed." He chuckled

* * *

Kagome leapt out of the well only to find Youko standing in front of her before she even landed completely.

"What are you doing back." He demanded.

"I found you in the future and almost raped you." Kagome grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

* * *

A/N:

There's the end of chapter nine! Hope you all enjoyed it. Next chapter will be up before you know it R&R

~*Icyfire*~

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Ten: Promise


	10. Promise

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 10: Promise

Mating season was finally over. Of course, it wasn't easy but Sango and Miroku found it quite entertaining when the miko had returned the same day she had left for her time only to explain that she almost raped Youko in the future. Sango demanded that Youko and Kagome were not to see each other for the entire month so there wouldn't be any problems. In order to be sure that the two kept their distance from each other, Sango and Miroku held Kagome captive.

Alexis and Shippo stayed with Youko to keep him in check. It wasn't hard to watch over him seeing as every time he stood to go anywhere, Alexis would always mention how much it would mean to Kagome if he was able to resist and take her when she was ready. This, of course, irritated Youko beyond belief. He wanted to make Kagome happy but it was so hard to resist. His mate to be was just minutes away and willing…

He continued to tell himself it was a fact of mind over matter. As long as he continued to think of how he could keep Kagome happy, he was able to overcome his urge to hunt her down and pin her to the ground, listening to her scream his name all night long. Speaking of making Kagome happy, while they were separated Youko took it upon himself to build a surprise for Kagome as well as Sango.

With Miroku and Inuyasha's help, they were able to build two small houses just outside the village. The houses weren't very close to each other but were visible from the front door. One had two rooms while the other had three. There was a small kitchen in each and a family type room like the area everyone gathered in at Kaede's hut. Over the month they were separated, Youko was able to find out what Kagome desired most.

Since Sango was the individual that told him such a secret, he decided that the slayer would have a surprise as well seeing as she deserved it just as much as Kagome. He had long ago gotten the monk to admit his love for Sango and even succeeded in getting the monk to tell him he planned to propose to the taijiya after the final battle. This brought on yet another hobby after the houses were built.

Soon, mating season was over and everyone could breathe easily. After not seeing each other for a month, once Kagome saw Youko, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. A week before the torment was over; Kaede had informed everyone that there was rumor that all the jewel shards had been collected. If that were true then the final battle was approaching quickly.

With the battle against Naraku putting everyone on edge, Youko and Miroku agreed to give their woman something to look forward to after the battle… something to help their will to live, to give them a reason to survive through this battle. Both men were very uncomfortable with Kagome and Sango assisting in the battle but they knew they would need all the help they could get. Not to mention Kagome was the only one who could locate the jewel and fuse it together.

So once they were all reunited again, Youko, Inuyasha, and Miroku dragged the girls outside of the village. Alexis sitting on Kagome's shoulder covering her eyes while Shippo covered Sango's, they were lead to their future homes. Once they reached their destination, Youko moved to Kagome's side, wrapping his arm around her waist while Miroku stood in front of Sango, holding her hands in his.

Both kits leapt from Kagome and Sango's shoulders to stand near Inuyasha as they watched the reactions with excitement. Kagome was staring at the beautiful home with wide eyes. A huge smile splashed across her face before she squealed in joy and leapt up to hug Youko fiercely. Sango's expression was of complete confusion. Her gaze switched from Miroku, to the house behind him, to Kagome and Youko, then back to Miroku several times.

"I'm… confused." She muttered.

Miroku smiled and bent down on one knee as Kagome and Youko turned to watch the scene. Sango stared down at the monk in shock as he revealed a small box from his robes and held it gently in his hands. Tears flooded the taijiya's eyes as Miroku smiled up at her.

"Sango… I have loved you for longer than you can even imagine and I would be honored if you would be my wife."

Sango laughed as tears streamed down her cheeks and she fell to her knees. She threw her arms around the monk and hugged him tightly, repeatedly yelling 'yes'. Kagome smiled happily and leaned back against Youko's chest when she felt him wrap his arms around her. Feeling something slide onto her finger, Kagome glanced down briefly to see a ring. For some reason her mind didn't register the fact that she never wore rings or that the ring she was wearing looked extremely expensive.

After glancing at the ring, she had turned her smile back to Sango and Miroku to see them staring at her with barely contained amusement. Suddenly the miko's eyes widened and she took a double take at the ring that was on her finger. She squealed once more in excitement and turned to kiss Youko intensely.

"How did you know?" she asked after catching her breath.

"I did my research. Sango told me that you always dreamed of having a human marriage and I want you to be happy." Youko smiled, kissing her softly.

The miko hugged him tightly. "You don't have to marry me to make me happy Youko."

"Oh then I can return the ring?" he smirked when Kagome pulled her hand to her stomach as if to keep it out of his reach.

Rolling her eyes, she rephrased what she had meant. "What I mean is that I'm happy with the fact that I get to be with you. You didn't have to use all the money to get this ring… it looks so expensive." She muttered, gazing at the large diamond that now adorned her finger.

"Who said anything about him buying the ring?" Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome stared up at Youko disapprovingly. "Please don't tell me you stole the ring."

Youko turned a glare toward Inuyasha briefly. "No I did not steal the ring."

"It's a family heirloom. Well the diamond was anyway. Uncle just had a demon named Totosai make it into a ring for you." Alexis grinned.

Kagome turned a suspicious glare to the kitsune now. "Why Totosai? Why not just a human blacksmith?" Kagome asked.

"You know Totosai?" Youko asked wearily.

"He made Inuyasha's sword." Miroku informed, doing his best to help his friend out of a stinky situation.

"Just tell her, she won't be too mad." Sango demanded, tired of everyone beating around the bush.

Youko sighed. "The band is made of a combination of both metal and one of my canines. The ring holds extra protective powers in case you may need them at any time."

Kagome smiled softly. "You know I can protect myself…but thank you for worrying."

Youko stared down at her, holding her close to him. "Kagome, I promise you that once the final battle is over, we'll get married. I promise that I'll survive the battle as long as you do… but if you do not, I will follow closely behind you… wherever you may go."

Kagome smiled teary eyed up at her kitsune as she brushed her thumb across his cheek softly.

"Alright, enough of all the mushy crap. I'm getting sick of it." Inuyasha grumbled.

Kagome smirked as she nodded. She had a mushy plan in mind for her best friend in the near future… if she lived long enough to give him her gift.

* * *

The dark aura was looming closer to Kaede's village and everyone was beginning to panic. Kagome didn't want the final battle anywhere near the new home Youko had built for them once this was over but Inuyasha insisted that it would be easier if they fought nearby since they would recognize the turf. Everyone was finally able to convince Inuyasha that it was best to get as far away from the village as possible because of how destructive their battles turned out.

It was decided that Shippo and Alexis were to be left with Kaede for their own safety. Both kits made Youko and Kagome promise to come back for them or else they would never forgive them. Kagome did her best to hold back her tears as she hugged the kits before she was dragged off with everyone to face the ultimate evil… their arch enemy; Naraku.

After only traveling for half an hour, Kagome could already feel the large piece of the jewel the evil hanyou possessed. As they grew closer, the miko could feel that the shards were not located in one particular place, but rather in several different locations among Naraku's army. The individuals that held chunks of the jewel held far more power than the lower level demons that made up majority of Naraku's army.

Kagura, Kana, and any other detachments that he may have created in the time before this battle obviously held the small collections of jewel shards. She guessed that Naraku himself possessed majority of the shards but he needed several other strong allies seeing as Kouga, Youko, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, a skilled taijiya, a monk, and a powerful miko made up his enemy line.

Kagome could feel Kouga approaching them at light speed. He would be joining them in mere moments and from the pinned down position of Inuyasha's ears, the scent of fresh rain belonged to his half brother, who was nearly upon them. Kouga appeared at Kagome side that wasn't occupied by Youko. Though now that her senses were heightened, she actually saw the wolf approaching her.

Before Kouga even reached Kagome's side, Youko was already growling his disapproval. Kagome rolled her eyes and grabbed the kitsune's hand, lacing her fingers through his. 'You know I only have eyes for you Youko, so why are you being so unfriendly?'

'It does not matter how you feel. He still desires you and therefore is no friend of mine.' He growled inwardly, knowing Kagome would hear his thoughts.

'Do you not trust me?'

At hearing this, Youko's golden eyes traveled down to see Kagome pouting up at him. He rolled his eyes. 'Of course I do, why would you even ask such a pointless question.'

Kagome grinned inwardly. 'Then you will trust me to handle this right? You'll trust me to explain this all to Kouga _my_ way?'

Youko rolled his eyes once more and removed his hand from the miko's grasp so he could cross his arms over his chest stubbornly. Kagome grinned as she turned to smile at Kouga, who was now smiling down at her.

"How's my woman doing?"

"Your 'woman' is engaged." Inuyasha chuckled.

Kagome glared up at the hanyou leading the group. She may have gotten Youko to keep his mouth shut but she had completely forgotten about Inuyasha. She wanted to explain this to him slowly so she didn't hurt him… even though she said time after time that she wasn't his woman.

"Engaged? Kagome what's mutt face talking about?" Kouga asked, turning his confused expression to the miko.

Kagome sighed as she thought of how she would explain. "Ok here's the deal. No matter what happens or what I tell you, you'll still be my friend and help us fight against Naraku right?"

"Of course I will. I wouldn't abandon you Kagome."

"And you won't start any fights with _any_one in this group no matter what?" she continued, hoping he would agree to that as well.

"If that'll make you happy, sure you have my word." The wolf promised.

Kagome smiled in relief. "Ok well you see Kouga… I'm engaged to Youko."

Kouga turned a glare toward Youko, who was already glaring daggers at the wolf, daring him to protest against his claim. "Since when are you engaged to the weasel?"

"Since this morning and I would appreciate it if you didn't call my future mate a weasel. He's a kitsune demon and looks nothing like that ugly rodent." Kagome complained.

A smug grin replaced Youko's hard glare when he heard Kagome defend his race. Just to irritate the wolf even further, Youko moved to wrap his arm around his miko's waist and pulled her closer to his side. Kouga growled softly but remained were he was. He would keep to his word and not harm anyone in the group as Kagome had requested. It didn't matter anyway because a new distraction was now brought to everyone's attention.

Sesshomaru, the lord of the west, had now graced their presence. The tall deadly looking demon's glare passed across each individual of their group before landing on a particular kitsune. A smirk spread across his handsome face as he approached the thief. "It's been some time Kurama."

Youko nodded, smirking at the name the lord addressed him by. Sesshomaru was the only being that called him by his last name. Then again, Youko was the only being to address the lord by the nickname he had come up with and live to tell the tale. "Far too long Fluffy."

Sesshomaru glared halfheartedly at the kitsune before his static mask replaced his expressions once more. "I will let that one slide Kitsune. You know I do not enjoy being addressed by such a name."

"You'll live." Youko smirked. As a conversation between the kitsune and Inuyasha's half brother began, the tension within the group slowly dissipated slightly. No one had expected that Youko would know Sesshomaru so well and were quite relieved. If Youko had not joined them, they were sure Inuyasha and his brother would be fighting by now.

Kagome was glad they had so many powerful allies but the problem was that she wasn't sure how well they would all fight together. If Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could work together for once, she knew they would be a force to be reckoned with. She hoped that everyone could fight as a team and not try to kill each other off during the battle.

Aside from the upcoming battle, Kagome was also slightly uncomfortable with the look Sesshomaru was sending in her direction. She was briefly listening to what Youko and the lord were talking about but her attention was completely focused on the conversation when she heard him mention their wedding. After explaining that to the inu demon, he seemed to be staring at Kagome oddly… as if he were trying to determine what had captured Youko's interest.

Everyone's attention was quickly brought to the front of the group when they heard a loud screeching sound. It sounded like war cries. It must be Naraku's army preparing for battle. Kagome took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Youko's silky soft tail wrapped around her waist in a comforting manner as his eyes scanned their surroundings, searching for any sign of danger.

There were no attacking demons, so that must mean that Naraku was waiting for them. Finally, they exited the forest they were traveling through and came upon a large flat meadow. The meadow was beautiful aside from the fact that Naraku and his army were standing on the opposite end of it that they were.

Naraku's cold blood red gaze traveled directly to Kagome as a sick smirk shadowed across his face. His gaze sent shivers of disgust down the miko's spine as she glared at the hanyou in hatred. She could hear the rumbling sound of Youko's growling as he examined the army.

"They may be weak but they have large numbers. That will not only slow us down but tire us out as well. Try not to use too much energy killing off the lower demons. Concentrate mainly on the more powerful individuals." Sesshomaru announced softly so that only their side could hear.

"Kagura's mine." Kouga snarled as he stepped forward to bare his fangs toward the wind witch who stood at Naraku's side.

"I'll take Kanna. I'm the only one that can." Kagome spoke up and Youko nearly protested until Sango shook her head, signaling to him that she could handle it.

"We'll take care of the minions. They should be easy, and once we're done, we'll assist wherever we can." Sango spoke for herself and her fiancé.

"Alright then Youko, Inuyasha, and I will take on Naraku." Sesshomaru stated, and everyone prepared for battle.

* * *

It was a long and hard battle. Everyone was exhausted and injured in some way. It had taken Kouga some time, but he was finally able to avenge his fallen tribe. With Kagura out of the rankings, the wolf moved on to help Sango and Miroku annihilate the weak army of demons. Only problem was there were hundreds of them. After killing a few dozen, hundreds more seemed to replace the fallen ones.

Kagome had trouble defeating Kanna. The albino demon seemed to have become more powerful since the last time she encountered her. After watching half the arrows in her quiver disappear into the void demon's mirror, Kagome finally figured out how to win. Pretending to mistakenly fall victim to Kanna's soul eating mirror, the miko allowed the mirror to take up enough so that the mirror was almost full.

Kanna's eyes had widened in realization before fear set into her face as her gaze slowly turned down to her mirror that was beginning to crack. Using as much energy as she could with majority of her soul stolen, Kagome shot one last arrow at the mirror before watching it shatter to pieces. The albino demon shattered to millions of pieces along with her magical mirror. That was the first time Kagome witnessed any form of emotion on the demon child's face.

The part of her soul that was stolen from the mirror was returned to Kagome's body and she was reenergized. With her new energy, she sprang forth to assist in killing off the last of Naraku's army that was now fading quickly. Once all the demons were destroyed, everyone's attention was turned to Naraku and those who were currently fighting him.

Kagome immediately noticed the many injuries they had gained. Youko seemed to be in the best shape, to Kagome's relief. He didn't have any major injuries, just minor cuts. Inuyasha on the other hand had several gashes. She rolled her eyes at how reckless her friend was in battle. Sesshomaru held only one injury, though it seemed painful. From the way he was moving, Kagome could tell his leg was probably broken.

Fighting with only one arm and now only one leg seemed difficult. But Sesshomaru still looked as graceful as ever. It was obvious that Naraku was mainly targeting the demon lord first seeing as he was the greatest danger. Obviously Naraku didn't know Youko very well because if he did, he would have been keeping the same amount of attention on the kitsune as he was on the inu lord.

While Naraku was occupied with attacking Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, Youko was able to place a seed in the ground to grow roots. Pushing his energy into the roots, he worked on tying Naraku down to the ground. It wasn't very difficult and the hanyou was pinned to the ground in mere seconds. He now held the look of fear that he might just lose.

As Kouga, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Youko closed in for the finishing blow, Sango was watching Naraku closely. She, Miroku and Kirara were on the opposite side of Kagome. Naraku was standing between them but that didn't block what Sango saw. Her heart dropped out of her chest as her body froze where she stood.

"Youko!! He's going after Kagome!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Youko wasn't about to waste time wondering what made the slayer think Naraku was going to attack Kagome or how the hanyou would go about attacking her in the first place. Instead, he dashed to her… reaching her just in time. Youko had leapt in front of Kagome in the nick of time. The tentacle had pushed out from the ground just as the kitsune reached her and he was able to throw himself in front of the attack.

Kagome stared down at Youko in complete horror. The tentacle that was aimed for her heart was now plunged into the kitsune's shoulder. Without thinking twice, she sliced the disgusting appendix in half before gently pulling it from Youko's shoulder. Grinding his teeth together and growling softly at the pain, he fell to his knees holding his wounded and heavily bleeding shoulder.

Kagome turned fire red eyes toward Naraku who had just escaped Youko's bindings now that he was weakened. "You destroy Sango's family…" she snarled for the first time with her new demonic vocal cords as she stomped closer toward the now cowering Naraku.

"You curse Miroku, ruin Inuyasha's life, kill off Kouga's tribe, and now you attempt to kill my mate!" As Kagome approached Naraku, her purifying aura flared around her like a burning flame. The jewel shards around her neck were glowing bright pink and jingling around wildly in the small jar that held them in place.

"You will live no more! You're destruction ends here!" Kagome yelled as her powers burst. The shards that Naraku had in the place were his heart should been flashed with a bright pink light and Naraku suddenly roared in agony. Kagome's powers purified the shards he possessed and purified him from the inside out. Just as the last traces of Naraku were being purified, a large deafening explosion blew across the meadow.

Kagome had squeezed her eyes shut when she saw the explosion coming her way but oddly felt nothing. Opening her eyes, she was satisfied to see a bright golden barrier around her. Her gaze traveling down to her right hand, she smiled when she saw her wedding ring glowing brightly. Youko's ring had kept her safe from the explosion… but what about everyone else?

Turning quickly, Kagome was horrified to see no one in the clearing with her. They must have been blown away by the explosion. Were they all ok? Before her mind drifted too far on that subject, she rushed over to Naraku's remains and collected the last of the jewel and placed all of it in her pocket. She would know if she dropped a piece because she would feel a shard fading away behind wherever she was going to be headed.

Now that the jewel was taken care of, Kagome thought hard about exactly where everyone was standing. Picturing everyone's positions in her head before the explosion, she remembered that Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were all standing together. That was relieving because that meant they were together, therefore she didn't need to worry about them too much.

She also didn't need to worry about Sesshomaru because she knew the demon lord could care for himself, not to mention she spotted Ah-Un flying in the sky toward the direction he had been thrown. She worried most about Youko. He was the only one fatally injured besides maybe Inuyasha but he should be used to dealing with so many injuries. His injuries weren't as severe as Youko's anyway.

Trying to remember exactly where her fiancé was positioned, she realized that Kouga was thrown in the same general direction as Inuyasha because they were standing near each other. As for Youko, he was somewhere in the direction straight ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, Kagome used her new speed to find her kitsune.

She had been traveling for hours and still had yet to find him. He couldn't have been thrown too far so Kagome didn't search beyond what she thought he would have reached. She couldn't sense his aura anywhere and that worried her. If she couldn't sense his aura or even an ounce of his power, that meant he was…

Shaking those thoughts from her head, the miko continued her search, calling out for her lost love. He couldn't die. He promised he wouldn't if she survived and she didn't even get the chance to tell him how she felt yet. She had yet to tell the kitsune how much she loved him and she refused to believe he was dead.

The gaping hole in his shoulder was quite large… and was bleeding profusely. Not to mention he had several other smaller injuries, so there was the possibility that he was just unconscious. Or died of blood loss… NO! Kagome shook her negative thoughts away once more and thought of where he could be and how she could possibly find him.

Just as she was going to give up in the direction she was headed, Kagome spotted a lump of silver in the distance. Her breath catching in her throat, she dashed over to the body to find a small fox. It was whimpering in pain and couldn't move. Kagome almost burst into tears when it lifted its head weakly to stare at her with bright golden eyes.

"Youko…" she desperately wanted to lift him off the ground and hold him tight in her arms but she knew that would only hurt him more. Without a second thought, she closed her eyes and placed her hands very gently against Youko's stomach. She heard him begin to growl before it was cut off by a pained whine. Kagome wanted to stop his pain. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have been hurt in the first place.

Concentrating hard on her healing powers, Kagome pushed all her power into the little fox's body. Her energy was quickly fading and Kagome could feel her healing powers shift to feed off her life energy. Waiting for the weak feeling to hit her, the miko was surprised to feel no difference in her energy. Instead, she felt her energy being restored.

Opening her eyes slightly but still keeping her concentration, she smiled in relief when she saw the bright golden glow emitting from her ring. That's twice that Youko's ring saved her; it really did come in handy. Good thing she didn't complain about it too much. Of course Kagome would never admit aloud how helpful the ring was. She would only confess that she liked the fact that it signified their union.

Finally, Kagome felt he was fully healed and opened her eyes with a smile. Looking down at her adorable kitsune mate to be, she checked to make sure his wounds were healed for sure before scooping him up into her arms and hugging him tightly. He was quite large for a fox but she managed. Youko was purring loudly, his face buried in her hair and his nose pressed against her neck.

Kagome's breath hitched when she felt something firm but soft press against her inner thighs. She was so distracted that she didn't realize Youko had reverted to his humanoid form and now had her pinned to the ground. His silky soft tail was brushing against the smooth skin of her thighs and it was driving Kagome insane. Youko could smell her scent spike with her arousal and immediately became excited. She wasn't stopping him, so maybe she was ready…

Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her neck softly. Nipping and gliding his tongue along her skin, he was satisfied when her heartbeat quickened and her breathing became heavier. Smirking against her skin, he dipped his tail to brush against her through her panties. She sucked in a quick breath and shivered beneath him.

"Youko please…" she murmured.

This had to be a dream. Youko had dreamt countless times of how he wished to see Kagome beneath him begging him to take her. This couldn't be real. He fantasized of the miko moaning his name as he drove her to her peak. He even imagined Kagome pregnant with his kit. There was a sudden pleasant feeling that brought his thoughts back to reality. Kagome was now rubbing his ears softly as she wrapped her perfect legs around his waist.

"Are you sure Kagome? There's no going back…" he muttered, leaning down to nibble softly on one of her ears.

Kagome removed her hands from his ears and placed them on his cheeks. Moving his face so her violet eyes were staring straight up into his golden orbs, she smiled. "I love you more than anything."

A true smile spread across his lips as she declared her undying love for him for the second time. She loved him… there was no doubt about it now… and she wanted to be his mate… _right_ now. Smirking, he pressed his lips against hers roughly as he slide her panties down her toned legs. Kagome's shy, inexperienced hands traced the rim of his pants. Not able to wait any longer for her to finally be his, he threw his pants off before she could even get them down his hips.

Keeping in mind that she was new to this, Youko helped her along. He placed her hands above her head and pinned them there with one hand as he lifted her legs to wrap around his hips once more. Positioning himself, Youko plunged himself into her, knowing it was the easiest method for her to overcome the pain of her first time. As he buried himself completely inside of her, he sunk his fangs into the junction of her neck and shoulder, placing his mating mark. To completely claim her as his, all he had to do was place his mark on her inner thigh as well and she'd be his forever.

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A/N:

Alrighty! That's chapter 10! Hope you all enjoyed. I just got sick… terrible cold and coughing. It sucks… but I can't really type cause I get real dizzy so the next chapter might take a while. ANDDD the next chapter wont be very long because… it's the last chapter of this fic!!! Awww . I wont take too long to post it tho, so no worries. R&R

~*Icyfire*~

Here are the eye colors that are for each of Kagome's emotion:

Golden – Happy, joy, excitement

Orange – Sadness, depression, guilt

Blue – Playful

Red – Anger, disappointment, irritation, frustration

Green – Curiosity

Brown – Confusion

Silver – Fear

Pink – Embarrassment

Purple – Love, passion, pleasure

Next Chapter – Chapter Eleven: Stars


	11. Stars

**Sweet Temptation**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho… Unfortunately

Chapter 11: Stars

The next several months were quite eventful. Now that Naraku was dead and Kagome had the jewel, she fused it together and held onto it until she decided on the perfect wish to make. She was originally going to give it to Inuyasha like they had planned but the hanyou was sure Kagome could come up with a better wish than he could, so left it in her hands.

Kagome knew that her friend still loved Kikyou so that was what she based her wish on. Once she had it worded correctly in her mind, she called everyone together so the wish could be made. Once Midoriko was summoned, Kagome wished that Kikyou would receive another chance at life and that Kohaku would be revived with no memories of his killings.

Kagome was of course aware that the wish was selfish and was prepared for her punishment. At least she thought she was. Her punishment was to be stuck in the past. The well was destroyed. She was to never see her family in the future again unless she lived long enough to see them once more. That was hard for the miko to accept but she had no choice.

Kikyou was given a new soul and Kagome received the half the recently dead miko once stole from her. With her new, not so hateful soul, Kikyou was a great person to be around. According to Inuyasha, she had the same personality that she had before Naraku came along and they were all happy for that.

Kohaku was revived and Sango almost never let the poor kid out of her site. He, of course, had no idea why his sister was being so over protective and had asked where their father and tribe were. Sango explained that they were all killed by an evil demon but he didn't have to worry because she and everyone had defeated the demon and avenged their family's deaths.

A few weeks after the final battle and the wish, Kagome and Sango had a double wedding. Kaede was their priestess, Inuyasha the best man, Kikyou the maid of honor, and the kits as the ring bearers. It was the most memorable time of their lives. Never before had anyone in the past heard of a double marriage because it was only done in the future.

There was an after party of course. Surprisingly, everyone got drunk and both Kagome and Sango enjoyed their honeymoons. Sango surprisingly found out that Miroku was a virgin. She couldn't stop laughing when she told Kagome. The monk was so perverted; they expected him to have plenty of experience! Guess they were wrong there. He was one of those all talk no action kinda guys apparently.

It wasn't long before Kikyou and Inuyasha mated. Kagome wasn't surprised that the miko finally accepted him for the hanyou he was because she realized how much she truly loved the idiot. What did surprise her though was when the newly mated couple randomly disappeared. Youko had reassured her that they were fine. Inuyasha was too stubborn to die is what the kitsune had said, relaxing her nerves.

Soon they heard word that Inuyasha had returned to the west and Sesshomaru had allowed his half brother to take his rightful place and rule half the western lands. Kagome was happy to know the brothers finally came to an agreement and weren't always at each other's throats. Inuyasha and even Sesshomaru had invited both Youko and Kagome along with Sango and Miroku to several dinners.

They decided to settle in for a while before deciding to travel once more. Kagome decided she rather enjoyed living in a home she called her own. It was her home with her mate and her niece and adopted son. She and Youko shared the largest room while Alexis and Shippo were in the other two open rooms.

The next surprise was when Youko realized his mate was pregnant. They were both thrilled and couldn't wait to spread the news. Deciding they wanted to tell everyone at once and in person, Kagome and Youko decided to attend a dinner in the western palace. Sango and Miroku joined them as well as Kouga and his new mate Ayame.

Kagome announced her pregnancy and was shocked when both Kikyou _and_ Sango screamed that they were pregnant too. They figured out that they were all due at around the same time. Different days but for sure in the same month. Sesshomaru felt pity for Youko, Inuyasha, and Miroku. Three pregnant, mood swinging, woman was a lot to deal with. Especially since all three of them decided that they wanted to be together when they delivered…

This event sure as hell wasn't going to happen in _his_ castle! He wasn't able to deal with a handful of pregnant woman. He would lend a hand and search out several midwives but that was the farthest he would go with assisting. Maybe supply them with food, seeing as pregnant females ate a lot.

The night they returned from the western castle, Kagome sat in the grass in front of their little home. Alexis and Shippo had joined her once they realized she was sitting by herself and took to sitting either next to or on her. Youko soon joined as well and lay down next to his mate. Sighing in contentment, Kagome leaned back and stared up at the bright stars.

Her family was all there. She was pregnant with Youko's child. They had an adorable little house of their own that was right next to Sango and Miroku. Naraku was gone and the jewel was at peace. After making the wish, it disappeared, never to be seen again. Youko loved her with all his heart and that's all she could ever ask for. Could life get any better?

Youko randomly began chuckling to himself. "Apples on trees. Wow."

Kagome turned to look at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"It's nothing, just this odd saying Sango had told me so I would understand you better."

"Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the very top. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along; the one who is smart and brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree. As for men… men are like fine wine. They begin as grapes and it's up to the woman to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with." Kagome quoted as if she had heard it a billion times.

Youko chuckled. "She never said the last part about men."

"Probably because she was trying to make a point." Kagome laughed.

Youko smiled to himself as he stared up at the stars with his mate. "I never imagined I would ever have a family of my own, not to mention find the perfect mate."

Kagome smiled and rolled over so she was half laying on Youko before she kissed him lovingly. "I love you too."

~*The End*~

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A/N:

And that's the end of this fic! Told you this chapter would be short! Well I didn't think it would be _this_ short but I want to end it right there. That's how I like it so did you all enjoy this fic? Hope ya did ^_^ R&R

See you next time… with my next fic! Actually, I'll be finishing/continuing Future Girls and A Heart So Pure. Can't have those two fics discontinued or unfinished! So check in on those, cause that's where I'm headed next! Luv you guys! Thanks for all your support. Could do this without you

~*Icyfire*~


	12. Ending Author's Note

A/N:

So that's the end of my newest fic Sweet Temptation ^_^ I'm thinking of writing a sequel but if I do I won't start working on it until I finish all of my other unfinished fics lol. It also somewhat depends on if you all enjoyed this fic enough to read a sequel. So R&R and let me know what your opinion is of a sequel. Thanks for all of your support! I seriously couldn't do all this without all of my readers

Much thanks and love,

Icyfire


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