Piece Three

Why was it always her?  It never failed, every time things went wrong, it was always her stuck right in the middle.  Hadn't she been kidnapped and held hostage enough?

Okay so she hadn't technically been kidnapped this time but so freaking what.  Didn't having your graduation party plans crashed by assholes with guns count?  Ug, she was so tired of this, and she knew Inuyasha was going to have a total fit.  She also knew that this needed to be taken care of before the cops were called.

She so didn't want to answer questions about her rampaging hanyou, after he tore through them to get to her.

As she looked around the gym assessing her options she really wished she hadn't let Eri drag her into this little project.  Honestly why did they have to be the ones to plan this stupid thing.  She sighed and patted her whimpering friends.  And quickly came to the conclusion there was nothing she could do to get eight teenagers past six armed men.

She looked at the group of four boys huddled together about ten feet away, Hojo in the midst of them.  She sighed again; they would never learn that she didn't care about him.  She shook her head and noticed that the boys, though sitting close together, weren't actually touching each other.  Whereas she had Ayumi pressed against one side, Yuka the other, and Eri was nearly in her lap.

"How long are they going to keep us here?"  Eri whispered.

"They're going to wait till someone comes looking for us then make any demands."  Kagome answered her.

"How do you know that?"  Yuka asked.

"I overheard them talking."

"How, they're all over there?"  Ayumi looked at where their captors were standing thirty feet away.

"I've got really good hearing.  And I pay attention."

"How can you be so calm?"  Eri's voice trembled and she curled against Kagome's leg tighter.  She ran her fingers through her scared friend's hair.

"This isn't the first time I've been in this situation.  And frankly I'm getting sick and freaking tired of it." 

As they all looked at her with wide eyes she put her hand under the neck of her shirt.  She really hated pulling Inuyasha into this.  He was supposed to be resting.  They had had a rough couple of days.  But she knew he would be helping her grandpa around the shrine.  So he most likely needed a break and to blow off steam.  She just hoped he didn't thrash the school.

She ran her fingers over the mark on her shoulder.  The first thing she sent was frustration.  She got a questioning feeling back.  It took her a couple of minutes but she got through to him that, yes she was in trouble, no she wasn't hurt, and she was ticked off. 

She knew he was worried because she was in danger, yet also relieved that she was okay.  She was really glad the girls had stayed quiet.  It was hard to get things across clearly through feeling alone.

As she felt her mate get closer she sighed, again, and leaned against the wall. 

"Kagome," Ayumi's questioning whisper caused her to open one eye.

"Don't worry help is coming."

"How do you know," she patted Yuka's hand.

"Maybe one day I'll explain it.  Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay."  And they all pressed closer, if that was possible.

She knew Inuyasha was practically flying to get to her it would be interesting when he did.  These guys were toast.

"You girl come here."  The lead guy shouted.

She opened one sleepy eye.

"Are you talking to me," she asked him.

"Yeah, you all calm and relaxed, come here."  He took a few steps forward.

She slowly stood and disengaged herself from her clinging friends.  After brushing off her jeans she took a step.

"Kagome don't," Yuka pleaded.

"Don't worry everything will be fine, I promise," she gave them a bright smile and continued her way to the demanding jerk.

"You called," her tone was lazy.  He couldn't believe her nerve.

"Don't you even have sense enough to be scared?"

"Scared of what, a bunch of bullies with guns, I've seen things a lot scarier then you guys."

"Really," her sarcasm was pissing him off. 

She looked at him like he was dirt.

"I've seen things that would make you piss yourself in fear."

Her head snapped to the side when his hand connected with her cheek.  Her friends gasped and the boys wished they had her guts. 

Kagome looked back at the fool and spat blood onto the floor just as she felt Inuyasha outside the door.

"You'll regret that," she turned and ran to her friends.  She knew what was coming. 

Just as the man was going after her the doors were ripped from the hinges.

And there stood her snarling Hanyou, wearing only his hakama and his beads, and sporting several half healed wounds from two days before.

He took a deep breath as he padded in on silent feet.

"I smell your blood wench, you alright," his voice was a menacing growl.

"I'm fine my love.  Would you take care of these guys?  I'm tired of playing and want to go home."

"Gladly," his knuckles cracked as he looked at the men.

"Who the hell are you?"  The leader asked.

 "Someone you don't want to know."  He surged forward.

The first mistake they made, they didn't spread out, the second they didn't even try to run.

Two pulled their guns before he was in the middle of them.  He tore the weapons from their hands before they knew what happened.  He knocked their heads together dropping them where they stood.  The next three he took out with a few well placed punches.  Next he had the leader off his feet by the throat.

"You're lucky I don't gut you, bastard," he snarled, "for striking my mate."  He pressed harder digging his claws in a bit.  He kept his hold until the man passed out then dropped him.

Kagome stood as he came towards her.

"Damn it Kagome can't you stay out of trouble?"  His angry voice reverberated through the gym.

"What would be the fun in that?  Of course I can stay out of trouble it just seems to find me."  She looked up at him as he stepped close to her, "though I am getting really tired of the whole kidnapping and hostage bit.  Why is it always me?"

"You're a tempting target wench."  He smirked at her.

"Where are your juban and haori?"

"Your mother was changing my bandages when you called.  I didn't take the time to grab them."

"Or to get your bandages replaced either."

"No way," he brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers.  "You needed me; there was no way in hell I was going to wait."

"You're still healing.  I would have been fine for another five minutes."

"Don't give a damn," he hooked his finger under her chin, lifted her face, and kissed her soundly.

When she pulled back for air she smiled at him.

"Come over here and let me see if you re-opened anything.  Then I'll bandage you back up and we can go."  She slipped her small hand into his large one.

"Keh, I'll be fine till we get back."

"Inuyasha," at her tone and glare he flinched and buried his ears deeper into his hair.  "You're not going to carry me home without your wounds attended to.  Now stop being stubborn."

"Keh."

She ignored the shocked looks her friends sported as she headed for her bag.  She was really glad that she had listened to her gut this morning and put a smaller first aid kit into it.

"Alright arms up," she said as she let go of him and reached for the purple back pack.

He snorted as he lifted his arms and rested them on top of his head.

"Just make it quick wench, I want to get back, I'm hungry, the old man still needs my damn help, and Souta wants me to play that veedo game with him."

"It's video Inuyasha."

"Keh whatever, I hate it, my claws get in the way of pushing the buttons, so the kid always wins."

 "You like spending time with him," she ran her hands over his belly and stepped to his side.  "I knew it, you're bleeding again," she shook her head.  "I wish you would be a bit more careful."  She started wrapping a long white bandage around him.

He stood there silent as she wrapped and her friends looked on in awe.  This had to be the guy she always talked about.  They had always wondered what he looked like.   Whenever they had asked she always said he was tall with long hair.  They were not prepared for the reality, the reality of ass length silver hair on a guy more than six feet tall with fiery amber eyes.

They weren't prepared for the sheer violence he was capable of inflicting so quickly, nor with the fact that Kagome could make him flinch with a look. 

They were snapped out of their musings at the sound of soft footsteps and a vicious snarl from Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry," Hojo gasped as he took a step back. 

The hanyou glared at him.

"Stay back," he growled as Kagome tied his bandage.

"I just wished to see if Higurashi needed any help."

"Not likely," he took a deep breath and snarled again.  "You're that little bastard who won't take a fucking hint."

"Whatever do you mean?"  His eyebrows went up along with his voice.

"You keep chasing my mate, giving her gifts, and trying to take her places."

"Mate," he was confused.

"Inuyasha, don't fight with Hojo, he's a nice boy who's my friend.  Also I think his mother would like him to come home in one piece."

"I'll leave him alone as long as he backs off."  He dropped his arms and rolled his shoulders.

"Can you move alright?  I had to wrap you pretty tightly to stop the bleeding."

"Keh, it's fine, you always get it right."

"Thank you," she gave him a smile than looked around.  "Hey Hojo where'd your friends go," the other boys were missing.

"They ran off while I was still strangling that bastard."  Inuyasha turned and looked at the unconscious men.  "We'll tie these morons up and leave'm for someone to find. "

"You can't do that," Hojo said.  "We have to call the police and everyone has to tell them what happened."

"Fuck that, I don't answer to anyone, ‘cept Kagome.  Not even to my high and mighty, bastard brother."  She laid her hand on his arm.

"Calm down Inuyasha, besides you and Sesshoumaru haven't tried to kill each other in over a year."

"Keh, it's only cause he doesn't want me to cut off his other fucking arm."

"Stop it," she slapped his arm, "I think you're scaring them."  She looked at her wide eyed friends.

"Don't care," his brow furrowed, "you got a bandana in that pack of yours?"

"No," she shook her head, "I don't, why?"

"My head is starting to fucking hurt.  I didn't grab the damn hat before I left."

She looked at her shocked but quiet friends, made a decision, and laid her hand on his arm.

"They've handled everything really well so far.  I think we can trust them a little further."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Good, keeping them pinned like that hurts," his ears lifted out of his thick mane and he shook his head.

"Poor baby, let me rub them for you."  She stepped in front of him and raised her arms.

"Keh," he dropped his head and she ran her fingers into his hair to the base of his ears.

After a full minute of this Yuka finally broke.

"Kagome what's going on?  And why does he have dog ears?"  Her voice was a little shrill.  Inuyasha flinched at the sharp sound.

"Not so loud, it hurts his ears," her hands had stilled.  He pushed against her.

"Don't stop wench," as her fingers moved again a contented rumble rose from his chest.

"Which question should I answer first?"

"I want to know about his ears too."  Ayumi said.

"Well," she gently tweaked an ear tip, "he has these cute ears because he's an Inu Hanyou."  He jerked away.

"I'm not cute!"  He backed up.  "There isn't anything cute about them, about me.  All my stupid ears show is I'm a worthless half-breed."

"Inuyasha," her voice was low, angry, and a bit sad.  His ears went back at the sound.  "We've talked about this.  You're not worthless."  She took a step toward him.  "You're strong, brave, incredibly reckless, over protective, and jealous.  You're also sweet, lovable, and beautiful.  You protect us and provide for us even at your own expense."  She laid her finger tips on his jaw.  "You've shed blood for me and nearly given your life for me."  She grabbed his hair and pulled him down forcing him to meet her eyes.  "You are not worthless; if you were I wouldn't have taken that arrow in the back for you or become your mate.  My world revolves around you, my hanyou.  I love you."  She pushed up on her toes and kissed him.

With a growl he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet.

"I don't deserve you, but I'm a selfish bastard and I'm keeping you."  She laughed and smiled at him.

"Let's finish up here my love.  Then we'll take my confused friends back to Mama's and explain everything."

"Keh, fine, as long as the idiot over there understands that you're mine," he nuzzled her neck.

"I'm sure he does," she hugged him tightly.

It was a few hours later when the janitor discovered the men, hanging from the gym rafters in a net.  Lying in a pile on the floor below them where their guns.  Next to the weapons was a note.  It wasn't signed.  It explained how the writer had come across the men outside while they were plotting, and had resolved the matter.  They also apologized for the door.