Disclaimers: Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho belong respectively to Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihiro Togashi.

A/N:  -blushes and giggles richly-  Wow... you guys are so sweet that I can hardly believe it!  Granted this may just be me buttering up to escape being ravenously devoured by the end of the chapter. –rubs head and looks slightly nervous- I already planned ahead to escape from the wrath of Kazusa, but then again, I was going to cut this chapter off a few pages early.  Buuut... I decided not to.

To all of my reviewers, you're fabulous and beautiful and amazing and I adore you.  From FF.N and MM.O, you all make my day much more full of giggles and entertainment.  And I've had questions asking me if I minded having other people plug my story, and I don't see any reason to say I would.  If you really feel an urge to tell others about it, go nuts!  ^__^  LOL, after all, this is just for fun.

Ahhh!  Enough rambling!  I know you'd rather read, so have at it!

~*~*~*~

By Any Other Name

~Depth Perception in Minor Key~

            Hiei turned to stare dispassionately at the three kunai embedded in a vertical line in the tree beside his head, inwardly smirking as his eyes moved away from the dark weapons to the kitsune boy glaring up at him from him place on the ground, hand still poised from the warning throw, Well that got his attention.

            "You're following me," Shippou accused him in a low voice, forcefully resisting the urge to look over his shoulder back towards the Urameshi house to be certain Kagome was out of sight.  This youkai wouldn't be able to feel her presence, but if he couldn't get him away before he caught a glimpse, there could be trouble, At least it's only the one... I'm not sure I'd be able to distract him and a spirit kitsune as old as that other guy.

            Hiei's eyebrow kicked up slightly, more than irritated that the empty feeling was back around this youkai as well and unable to pinpoint just how someone this immature had mastered such a difficult technique, "I'm following you?  Your kitsune brain is distorting the facts just like you creatures always do."

            Shippou's brows lowered, growling angrily at the insult, "Asshole!  You're the one putting your fucking nose where it doesn't belong, so don't try to pass this off on me."

            "Then why is it that you're the one hiding something?" Hiei accused in an even softer tone, crouching down on the branch as his eyes narrowed.  "And what are you doing this close to the Urameshi house when I'm willing to bet you know why I'm here, investigator."

            You don't know the half of it, you obnoxious runt, Shippou's hands clenched, ducking down just slightly in preparation to run this youkai off.  "You have no idea what I know, but you're the one who's trespassing.  The only reason you're still alive is that we decided to let you stay that way for now."

            Hiei smirked at the way he felt the kitsune's youki spike, unable to prevent the rippling of his own muscles in answering challenge, the chance to have some real exercise in the Ningenkai without Koenma breathing down his neck about it, What type is he, Kurama?  I want to know what I'm dealing with before I get into this, and I can't read into him any more than I can read into the girl.

            Pisses you off, doesn't it? Kurama snickered into the hybrid's mind, much more relaxed than he'd felt in what seemed like ages to finally have his chosen lover so very close at hand.  I'd have to get a better look at him, but off just how he looks, I'd say he's a mountain or a forest.  Whatever he is, be careful.  His illusions are perfect and he's got a lot of control of his foxfire for a modern youkai, and that probably means he's older than he looks.

            Hiei swore under his breath, watching as the boy's eyes began to glow bright sky blue, inhumanly bright as the color expanded to devour the pupil, I hate kitsunes.

            'Don't be so melodramatic, Hiei, you know you love us,' Youko's voice took on a particularly taunting quality, almost sing-song as he purposely grated along his nerves in his attempt to get the insolent kit's ass kicked for his earlier interference.  'Who knows?  Maybe he'll agree to be your lover since we'll be busy with ours now.'

            "Don't tune me out after you've gone to so much trouble to make yourself my opponent," Shippou's mouth twisted in distaste at the vague look that had entered the youkai's eyes, taking in the tightening around his lips and his ever darkening scowl.  Something about this short youkai was reminding him of Sesshoumaru, and it was putting him on edge at the thought of him getting any closer to Kagome, "You know the rules even if you're ignoring them.  I'm in my rights to kill you now that you're on our lands."

            "Your lands?" Hiei couldn't keep the growl out of his voice, furiously snarling at Youko for his suggestion that he would ever consider such a thing while he kept his attention on this impatient kitsune.  "In case you missed your history, brat, you're the ones who are trespassing.  Youkai do not belong in Ningenkai."

            "We've been here longer than you've been alive," Shippou's lip curled up off his fangs, the deep-throated growl vibrating through his chest at the insinuating he was the one out of place.  "But I suppose that answers that question... why you're hanging around someone with Rekai's pulse in every part of his body."

            Ah, then they're aware of the barriers, but they figured out a way around them, Hiei felt a sense of satisfaction as he shared that information with Kurama.

            He's suggesting they existed before the barrier? Kurama found himself frowning at the thought that they could possibly be old enough to even give him troubles, but shook it off as inconsequential to his current goal. 

            Youko still wasn't quite finished digging the other kitsune's grave, sending a distinct impression of a wicked grin to Hiei before he pressed in just a little deeper, 'You should ask him when he was born... if he's existed since before the barrier, that would make him older than you.  Although that would work, wouldn't it?  You have a thing for older kitsunes.'

            Didn't I beat your head in well enough yesterday, you fucking pervert? Hiei hissed back at him.

            'That was Kurama,' Youko chirped back gleefully, absolutely delighted to be able to push so many of his buttons in such a short amount of time.

            Any response Hiei would have made was cut off when Shippou finally got tired of waiting for the other youkai to attack, leaping forward and swearing darkly when the hybrid proved fast enough to escape with only a glancing slice across his arm, So that's why he reminds me of Big Dog, how irritating.

            Hiei turned cold eyes down where the kitsune had his hand up in front of his face, his blood smeared down the claws of his leading hand, "You're going to regret that, kitsune."

            That's it... get angry, chase me, Shippou flashed him his most arrogant smirk and turned to race off in the opposite direction, away from Kagome and the Urameshi house once he was absolutely positive the shorter youkai was on his tail.  I can keep you occupied long enough for Kagome to finish up and get the hell out of there before you can tell your friend where she's at. 

            He cut me, Hiei informed Kurama in a particularly irritated growl, but he still couldn't fully hide that touch of excitement underneath his words.  That little upstart kitsune was fast enough to take him by surprise, and fast enough now to be forcing him to exert a bit of effort to keep up.  After the lazy times they'd been having lately, he was more than ready to take him on to give his friend the time to get this miko girl in a position to answer their questions.

            Kurama let out a heavy sigh, Try not to kill him, Hiei.  She introduced him as her little brother, and that suggests she holds him in some affection.

            That's not my problem, Hiei informed him loftily.  If you wanted assurances of his health, you should be the one in my place while I get the miko.

            'Not a fucking chance,' Youko scoffed at the very idea.  'This is our lover, Hiei, and we're not going to let your brilliant skills of conversation and sparkling personality convince her to stay isolated in the house of this youkai lord rather than practically gift-wrapped on Yuusuke's lawn.'

            Hiei rolled his eyes, studying the ease of movement in this kitsune as he bounded up over the roofs of the sparse houses and through trees, his youki twisting and fluctuating to blur himself against the threat of detection, They worked just fine to get the kitsune away from her.

            Think about what you just said, Kurama chuckled softly.  You're much better at convincing someone to attack you than you are at getting them to open up and divulge interesting secrets.

            You're paranoid about letting her spend time alone with another male, Hiei snorted in disgust.

            'We'll think about it after she adores us,' Youko didn't even bother to deny the accusation, giving the impression of turning up his nose.

            What makes you think this inu won't come looking for you the second he realizes his miko is being openly pursued by a kitsune? Hiei inquired absently, making sure to gain just enough to make Shippou nervous and keep him from getting suspicious to their real intentions.

            'He already knows, this brat's reaction to her being here says that,' Youko snickered in glee.  'He was trying to drag her away, remember?  So!  One piece of the puzzle in place, that Takeharuka person has to be the youkai.  And this brat knows he fucked up letting her come where his boss has seen us.'

            Not our problem, Hiei let his lips curve upwards in a wicked smile.  Besides, why wouldn't they know?  This miko knew Yuusuke and Keiko's names, so why wouldn't he have known where they were coming and put a stop to it?

            She must not have told him, Kurama made a faint sound of contemplation at why she would have done something like that.  I wonder why...?

            'Stop getting distracted,' Youko interrupted in frustration.  'We have much more important questions to ask our lover, Kurama, without reminding her of the youkai that are already trying to take places in her life.  We don't want her thinking of others until we have our answers.'

            I'll leave you two alone, since you're obviously thinking of such 'important things,' Hiei made sure to put enough sarcasm into his emphasis that Kurama couldn't mistake his remark for anything other than the taunt he intended it to be.  Besides... I have a kitsune to beat into the ground.

            'No killing,' Youko reiterated sharply to reinforce Kurama's earlier instruction.  'We may still need him, and we can't alienate our lover by unnecessarily hurting someone she claims as family.  That's just poor taste.'

            All right, Fox, I'll try not to kill him, happy? Hiei reluctantly promised after he felt the "lean" Youko and Kurama were putting behind their words, silently agreeing that the miko was less likely to answer their questions if the kitsune disappeared.

            Good, Kurama nodded in satisfaction, eyes flashing as he looked down through the leaves and branches into Yuusuke's yard, and softening when they studied the miko interacting with the boys.  Keep him busy, Hiei.

            Don't screw this up, Kurama, Hiei shot back, tensing when he noticed they'd veered off the populated stretch of road and were moving through the woods towards the mountain.  You aren't the only one with questions.

            'We're just the ones with the important ones,' Youko smirked and took over long enough to completely tune out the hybrid, much more interested in the girl who'd just gotten herself tackled again.  'The ones that will involve what she's going to be to us.'

            Hiei blew out a particularly frustrated sigh when his friend's thoughts clicked out of his mind to leave him completely focused on his chase through the trees, watching the way the stiff line of his back relaxed the farther they moved away from human auras.  A slow smirk made its way across his face, increasing his speed as his hand curved over the hilt of his katana, If nothing else, this should be good exercise.

~*~*~*~

            The moment Kagome's foot touched the grass of the Urameshis' backyard she felt a pulse of youki rush through her body so strongly it nearly buckled her knees.  Her chest expanded on the gasp of surprise, eyes opening wide and glazing before they flashed just enough that Ryou turned to look up at her with a confused frown, "Oi, you okay?  Your eyes did something funny for a second."

            "Are you sick?" Toushi added, head cocking to one side when a ripple seemed to go through the grass around her feet, blinking in surprise and bending down to pat at it curiously.  "Whoa, Ryou, check this out!  The ground's being all weird for the fake miko."

            Kagome's brow drew together slightly as she tried to pinpoint what about the sensation was so strange, inhaling deeply to take in the feel and taste of the air the way Inuyasha had taught her so long ago-  That thought suddenly brought everything into focus with crystal clarity, shoulders going lax and expression completely wiped into utter amazement at how such a simple answer had eluded her, "It's... clean?"

            "Clean?" Ryou and Toushi repeated and looked up at her in concern.

            She slowly crouched down, kneeling in the grass and splaying her fingers wide to rest in the grass and feel it against bare skin instead of dampened by her socks, It's... how is this possible?  How is this one house surrounded by this kind of energy when humans have been here for generations?  This feels like... like the grass in Sengoku Jidai!

            "It's just grass," Ryou set his hands on his hips and leaned over to peer at her face, grinning triumphantly when she blinked and obviously refocused on his face.  "But can ya tell Kaa-san our grass is 'clean?'  She makes us get in the tub whenever we've been out here in it."

            Kagome could feel herself blushing even as she started to laugh when the words actually connected with her scattered thought processes.  It was an effort to restrain the urge to search out the source of what had done that to the ground and the grass, the silky smooth warmth that wound itself up into her soul so familiarly...  She shook herself mentally before her mind could wander again, reaching out to ruffle his hair and stick out her tongue when he batted at her, "There's different kinds of clean, Ryou-chan, but nice try."

            He shrugged, the smile taking on more of a mischievous twist as he shared a look with his little brother, "Yeah well, can't say I ain't the creative type, right?  Besides, you're easier to get at in this position."

            "Easier to-?  Oophf!" Kagome rocked back from the weight that had just come crashing against her chest, narrowing her focus in a rush as her muscles snapped taut to hold her upright.

            Kagome's mind flashed backwards before she could stop it, moving on a habit deeply ingrained and long denied as she pretended to lean back under that playful assault.  She'd done this before, a million times with her own children while Miroku and Sango watched over them, calling out "suggestions" to the boys over the best way to take down a miko until they'd all ended up in a gasping pile in the grass listening to their father's laughter and praise.

She was barely aware of what she was doing, laughing openly as she let out a mock gasp and accused them, "Ah!  Dirty fighting!"

            That was all it took for Toushi to let out a squeal and tackle her other side, hooking his arms around her own and trying to go limp to drag her down, but giggling too much to be effective, "Banzai!"

            "Ha!  She's stronger than she looks!" Ryou clambered around to her back, hanging off her neck and trying to wrap his legs around her ribs as far as they could go to squeeze her that way.  "Get her hands, Toushi!" he called out to his brother, absolutely delighted that this 'examination' was with a girl who just wanted to play in the grass with them.

            Kagome let out a squeak and toppled over onto her open side, careful not to squish or twist any of the limbs now rather effectively tangled with her own, too distracted by her own thoughts and the strange feel of the ground beneath her to notice the green-gold eyes staring down at her with unblinking intensity from the tree line.

            'She'll be perfect,' Youko purred in smug satisfaction, absently making the grass around her softer, thicker to cushion against the rolling and dropping as she let Yuusuke's sons throw their weight into her rather petite frame.  'Matter of fact, she'll be easier to train than you.  She already likes to "roll around" outside in plants, and did you see her face?  She could feel us in the grass, what we did to it to clean out all that human filth.'

            Why though? Kurama lifted his hand to absently rest on one of the concealing branches beside his head, finally admitting to Youko that feeling the energy pour through him from the natural vegetation was absolutely invigorating.  She can't possibly be old enough to know what it felt like before there were humans everywhere.

            'Hell if I know,' Youko mentally shrugged, the sense of predatory anticipation in him bubbling over to Kurama to heighten his reflexes and narrow his focus down to their target.  'That's sexy... those hands being so easy and silly with the human boys.  You're in luck, Kurama, I picked a playful one with a nurturing side.  She might be our most fun lover yet.'

            You're just saying that because it's never taken this long to track one down, Kurama smiled indulgently, crouching down on the branch as his eyes were drawn right where Youko had seen fit to point out.  But he was right... there was something that warmed inside him to watch the controlled motion of her hands and her body, like watching a dancer who knew the exact extent of their strengths and weaknesses.  He shook his head when he realized he'd been zoning out while Youko tried to unobtrusively nudge him back and take over, Nice try, Youko, but no.

            'But she likes kitsune,' he pouted.  'If she can stand that little bastard punk, then she'll adore me!'

            Us.

            'Same thing,' Youko snorted and rolled his eyes, but obediently backed down to stare at her again, murmuring a few choice words to himself when he saw first hand what Keiko had meant about her eyes practically glowing.  'I've stolen jewelry that didn't shine this much...'

            That is the single cheesiest thing I've ever heard coming out of your mouth, Kurama had to bite back a laugh at the distracted remark.

            'What?  It's true,' he protested at being accused of such a thing.  'Really look at her, Kurama, at the way the light hits her.  The littler boy was right about her skin.'

            His name's Toushi, not "littler boy," Youko, you know that, Kurama scolded.  Or are you still annoyed that Hiei won't stop reminding you Yuusuke succeeded before we did?

            'Our sons will be more attractive and refined,' Youko promised rather than actually addressing that charge.  'And our lover will not be so hung-up on silly human tradition.'

            You're making a lot of assumptions for a human girl, Youko, calm down, Kurama frowned slightly when he noticed the obsession seemed to be settling deeper in his more obviously kitsune side.  Weren't you the one who said we'd convince her to breed, give us the baby, and go our separate ways?

            'If there are powerful youkai willing to try and steal her out from under us, I am less inclined to allow her to leave so quickly,' Youko's voice took on a serious edge that had Kurama's brow kicking up.  'Now I want her to defy them for us, and give us the adoration I can see in her eyes for them.  That's what I'm going to steal and keep in my personal collection.  This human's heart and soul.'

            You're taking this a lot more seriously than you were before.

            'Before she had not been stolen from us.'

In the silence following that grave declaration, Kurama turned their eyes back down to watch over their unsuspecting target, lingering on her hands and the uncommon color of her eyes that he could see shining from even this distance.  When her lips spread in a dazzling smile for the boys yet again, he was unable to stop himself from reaching out and taking their manipulation with the grass one step further.  Whatever it was motivating his reaction, he reached out with his energy to encourage the grass to mimic the movement of his fingers in a subtle caress up the leg pressed to the ground and all the way over her side to trail whisper soft across her palm. 

She's sensitive, his eyes filled with satisfaction when she paused and looked at the ground again, Ryou and Toushi perched on top of her other side and making their victory sounds when she stopped the token struggles in favor of pulling up the offending hand to stare at it suspiciously.

            Her brows had drawn together slightly again in concentration, reaching down to skim her hand through the grass as the boys finally let go and stood in front of her with smug grins that had her helplessly chuckling, "All right, all right, you win.  But-!" she held up a finger to stop them when they squealed and started to rush her again, deciding to ignore the odd issues with the ground for the moment to get herself back on track.

            "But?" Ryou's brows lifted in surprise, tilting his head when he noticed her eyes were almost doing that weird thing again.

            "New game," Kagome pushed herself back to a casual seated position, drawing one knee into her chest and propping her arm across it.  One corner of her lips kicked up when they groaned, making a tsking sound and leaning back, "Don't you even want to hear it?"

            "It's going to be a grown-up thing, isn't it?" Toushi deflated slightly, scuffing his foot on the ground with obvious reluctance to end their fun.

            "Maybe," Kagome pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, tapping a finger to her lip while her silent watcher followed the move intensely.  "But then... what if I told you... that your mother wanted me to find out if either of you has magic in you?"

            Ryou and Toushi shared a look again before giving her skeptical frowns and repeating, "Magic?"

            "Don't believe in it?" she challenged, shrugging before she folded her arms behind her head and closed her eyes with a sigh.  "Ah well, and here I thought you could see things too-"

            "We can so see weird things!" Ryou protested, scowling as he took a step closer and eyed her with as much seriousness as his mind could produce.  "You mean... you know about that stuff?"

            Kagome peeked one eye open to regard the uncertain expression on his face, "I'm from a shrine family, you know.  A very old and respectable one."

            "But they ain't seeing the real ones," Ryou protested.  "We met a monk once, but he was a prick, kept telling us we had over-active imaginations."

            "Too caught up in fantasy?  Youkai and all that?" Kagome chuckled when she thought of how her grandfather would have reacted to their "imagination" if they'd met with him.  He probably would have cried to have someone listen to his stories.

            Ryou relaxed suddenly and grinned, nodding vigorously, "Yeah!  Damn, you're the best fake miko lady ever!  How do you know about all that?  Do you work with Tou-san?"

            Work with-? Kagome almost frowned, but stopped herself before she made that telling action and instead picked a vague enough answer, "People ask mikos to exorcise evil youkai, even fake ones."

            "Cool, so you are like Tou-san!" his eyes flashed with pride as he and Toushi suddenly formed their hands as though about to break into a play gun-battle, raising her brows at the ki gathering slightly at their fingertips.  "What's your special attack?"

            Kagome blinked and laughed, wondering what they would say if she actually told the truth but instead waving her hands to dispel any notions of extra skills, "I'm a background person in a real fight, an archer.  My... family doesn't like it when I get too close to being in danger."

            Kurama nearly fell out of the tree when he looked down and saw what the boys were doing, but before he could react, the other kitsune went streaking out the front door and snapped the miko's head around to follow his retreat.  That alone brought a smile to his lips that slowly grew into something that would have probably sent chills down any of his companions spines if they had a chance to see it, Took you long enough, Hiei.

            Kiss my ass, Fox, I didn't want him to have the chance to get her out, the remark came back with a wealth of irritation.

            I said get his attention and distract him, not draw him out for a battle in the middle of the day, Kurama sighed and rubbed his aching head, silently promising that if the hybrid messed this up that he would just simply have to kill him this time.

            In the yard, Kagome rose to her feet, stepping in between the boys and the street as she sent a wave of her own aura out to search for what had taken Shippou's attention so completely that he would up and vanish after all that lecturing about the danger in the Urameshi house.  She held out an arm almost distractedly when Ryou and Toushi decided to climb her, standing motionless against the added weight until the echo of youki snapped back at her and widened her eyes, That mixed youkai!  Why that little-!  That's why he didn't want me here!

            Ryou was swinging lazily on her arm, amazed at how strong this girl was considering she was little, but then again... Hiei-nii-san had taught him that sometimes size didn't mean shit, "Are you old?"

            Kagome turned to look down at him, a little surprised at his position but covering it up with a smile as she pulled her energy back and through both boys before it completely reabsorbed and left her with the information she'd promised to get, "It depends on who you ask."

            "That's a weird answer," he made a face and tried to drag her back down to play some more.  She was a girl and she was pretty small, but she knew about youkai and she wasn't treating them like babies.  A shrewd look entered his eyes as he regarded her, wondering if he and Toushi could figure out a way to convince their parents to get her back when they went out instead of the irritating girl who watched them now.  That girl would whine if they ran into her too hard and this Kagome miko was willing to wrestle in the grass just as rough as their dad, not to mention she wouldn't think it was stupid if they tried to tell her stories about youkai.

            "I'm probably younger than your mother," Kagome thought about it for a moment and shrugged, letting them haul her back down to sit while Toushi took up the position on her back and Ryou sprawled out over her lap, still lost in his plotting.  "I don't remember any Urameshi names going to school, but then again, I was in another district-"

            "I have no idea what you're talking about," Ryou cut her off with a snort, folding his arms behind his head and squirming to get comfortable.  "But your voice is nice, and I'm kinda tired all of a sudden, so I guess you can keep talking."

            She blinked at the imperious tone and shook her head, lifting an arm when Toushi slid around to take up the rest of the space on her lap with a yawn, "You guess I can keep talking?"

            "Yep," he waved a hand distractedly, closing his eyes and relaxing while Toushi's breathing evened out.

            Hopefully I haven't freaked out Yuusuke and Keiko by practically knocking out their kids, Kagome winced, annoyed with herself for not dampening her sweep enough to leave their energy completely intact, but also more than a little impressed at their resilience for lasting that long against a search she generally reserved for adults.  "Wouldn't you rather go inside if you're tired enough to sleep?" she tilted her head, sliding her fingers through Ryou's hair, winding her other arm around Toushi to lift him up into a better position.

            "Smells better outside," he yawned widely, voice already going vague to signal his waning consciousness.  "And you're comfortable."

            "Is that so?" Kagome's smile softened, voice lowered to a soft murmur as she had a flash of memory almost painfully snap through her head, superimposing another time and place over her senses.  Miroku's voice echoed in her mind, drowning out the sounds around her as the words ran together into an indecipherable jumble until a hand came down lightly on her shoulder and banished the daze in a rush that left her hollow and disjointed.

            Kagome's own hand had snapped up, wrapping around the wrist and twisting to put the person in an awkward hold on reflex alone until the disorientation cleared from her mind and she found herself blinking up at a rather surprised Yuusuke, "Oi... you okay?"

            She dropped his hand in a hurry, raking it through her hair in a nervous gesture as she looked down at his boys blatantly snoring in her lap, "I-I... I'm sorry.  I guess I didn't get as much sleep last night as I thought."

            "No problem," he touched his wrist curiously, impressed at her reaction while he flexed his fingers to dispel the strange numbness that had flushed the appendage under her hold.  He hid his concern at the weakness under a smile and a nod down at the pair, "That's about a goddamn miracle, I should tell you.  Sleeping in the middle of the day on top of a total stranger?"

            "Maybe they didn't get enough either then," Kagome smiled indulgently, leaning back when Yuusuke bent down and scooped up first one then the other without the slightest hint of effort.

            "You kidding?" he snorted and shook his head as she rubbed her hands up her thighs to get the blood flowing freely again.  "These two could run for at least a week on nothing but fumes, Higurashi.  This must be something about you."

            "Kagome, please," she tucked her knees up to her chest and loosely wound her arms around them.  "When you call me Higurashi, all I can think of is this guy who used to bring me the most ridiculous gifts because my grandfather is... creative with excuses."

            "Bad liar?"

            "Incomparably so."

            Yuusuke chuckled and shook his head, "All right then, Kagome it is.  I ain't much on formalities anyhow.  Waste of time."

            "Sometimes," she nodded her agreement before slanting a calm look up at him.  "But then, human formalities have always been more about empty politics, haven't they?  Not nearly as efficient as... other societies."

            Yuusuke's eyes briefly went to the trees before he looked back at her face and frowned, "So you are more of a miko than you said you were."

            "I'm not going to purify you if that's what has you worried," Kagome let out a deep sigh and looked up at the cloudless sky.  "Just because I know about more than some people, it doesn't make me a good miko, Urameshi-san.  It just means that I had my eyes opened to more than most people ever see and I decided not to close them again."

            "How?" he couldn't resist asking, even feeling the weight of Kurama's glare resting on him and the ground trying to tilt him towards the house in an obvious "suggestion" to make himself scarce.

            "A long time ago," she waved that off casually.  "A hanyou saved my life when I was a silly little girl, and it pretty much went downhill from there."

            Yuusuke's brows rose at the tender smile on her face as she straightened her spine with a faint pop but didn't offer any further insight to her knowledge of youkai or her lack of fear, "So then... what are you intending now that you're here?"

            "Just what I said," Kagome blinked and stretched her arms out behind her to brace her weight up.  "They both have a lot of potential, very defined auras for their age, but with how bright they are, I'm sure you had some idea of it already.  Still if they aren't properly taught to control themselves and their abilities, you could end up with more than one less than pleasant phone call."

            He wasn't quite sure what to say, staring down at her profile and trying to convince himself to put her face with the personality he'd imagined mikos to have from the moment he'd first read about them and failing miserably.  They weren't supposed to sit as calmly as if they were discussing the weather and warn a guy that his kids would get into trouble with their youkai blood unless they had training.  She just... Yuusuke cut his mental rambling off, shaking his head while he couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly at his own stupidity, I had an easier time thinking of Hiei as a friend than I'm having thinking of her as a miko.  What the fuck is wrong with me?

            "Try to keep them out of the doctor's office until you find the right one, hn?" Kagome continued on, if not totally oblivious to his distress, choosing to ignore it and let him handle his thoughts on his own.  "I'm not a pathologist or anything, but I'm willing to bet there are enough abnormalities to raise questions, and they don't need that kind of poking and prodding any more than you do."

            Yuusuke could actually feel his cheeks heat at the censure in her tone, shifting his weight and muttering by way of explanation, "Keiko worries."

            She tilted her head back, focusing on him with a slight smile, "That's just a mother thing, but remind her that their blood won't react the same way to chemicals that a human will.  Little things and medicine are okay, but don't give them anything more serious without seeing someone who knows what they're dealing with."

            "You're talking like you've had experience," he lifted Toushi up on his shoulder without ever taking his eyes off her.

            "Maybe I've just heard the lecture enough to repeat it on command," she winked at him with a cheeky grin and he couldn't help but laugh.  That's a better explanation than the truth until I know what in the world I'm dealing with here.

            "Shit, Kagome, you're a strange person," Yuusuke drawled out as he blew out a sigh and relaxed, giving up on trying to find something threatening in the faint aura he could finally feel when he was standing this close to her.  She might not have enough power to set off his senses, but she was smart, and anyone who could survive his sons had to have something more than ordinary, "Let me put the kids down and I'll take you to lunch."

            Kagome blinked at the unexpected offer, lifting a surprised look up at him, "Lunch?"

            "It's the least I can do for making my morning this easy," he nodded and turned back to the house.  "And don't worry about your little brother, he already said he'd just meet up with you later.  He had an errand or something that he'd forgotten."

            That doesn't sound like Shippou, she frowned slightly, but then again... he hadn't been honest with her about why he didn't want her to be here, or that they already knew about those two youkai.  I know he left to do something with that other youkai, the fast one...  Damn, why didn't he tell me how he knows them?

            She heard the door to the house close and blew out a heavy breath, folding her arms behind her head and dropping back onto her back in the grass to think on just what the hell was going on around here, and what it had to do with Sesshoumaru, And why don't they want me anywhere near them?  They didn't feel dangerous or crazed when I read into them before, just... she broke off with a shiver at the memory of just what she had felt when that beautiful kitsune had touched her, scolding herself for letting her thoughts get distracted so quickly when she had serious things to mull over.

            But...I should be thinking of that too, shouldn't I?  I have to know why that made me feel so- she trailed off and let her eyes slip closed, chewing on her lip as her soul took great pleasure in replaying the memory for her.  Particularly the look in his eyes as they locked onto her own.  Oh gods, I spent way too many years married to a hardcore pervert, she swallowed hard when her imagination readily supplied her with a much different picture, one without so many spectators and even less clothing...

Kagome made a face, grinding the heels of her hands against her eyes to try and stave off the little Miroku-side that was apparently alive and well inside her, shifting against the grass to soak up the warmth of ki winding around her sinuously the longer she stayed in that position.

And that's really not helping, she almost groaned, letting her body go completely lax and trying to push down the enthusiastic energy before she embarrassed herself by letting herself have a fantasy about a kitsune she didn't even know.  Why did Miroku have to be right about this part?

            Kagome was so focused on getting her wayward imagination under control that she barely realized she was no longer alone, at least until the shadow fell across her face to obstruct the warmth of sunlight.  Figures, she felt a rush of self-disgust, raking her hands through her bangs as he crouched down beside her, I can focus on everything in a ten mile radius if it involves death and destruction, but I start having one little fantasy and my concentration goes all to hell.

When he continued to rest beside her silently, she wondered if he might have thought she'd fallen asleep and decided to reassure him it was all right to speak more, "You're lucky to have a house with this kind of yard, Urameshi-san, but how you got it to feel so amazing is beyond me."
            "There's a certain... trick to it, Kagome, but it's good to know my efforts are so deeply appreciated."

            Kagome went perfectly still with a sinking sense of foreboding when that velvet-smooth voice wrapped around her senses, caressing her from the inside out as she recognized just who that voice belonged to, Well, fuck in a bucket.

            Kurama could feel his lips curving up in a lazy smile as he stared down at her, listening to the way her heartbeat skipped and picked up just enough to verify she remembered his voice in a very nice way, "You have to know just how to touch it if you want the right response."

            "If you stand up now and walk back to wherever you were before, I don't think either of us will get into too much trouble," Kagome informed him with a hopeful note in her voice without opening her eyes.  Half afraid of what she would do if she found herself looking at him in such a private situation, especially if he left that hair free-flowing, she tried instead to focus on just how angry a certain taiyoukai was going to be, Sesshoumaru is going to be absolutely pissed.

            'Not a chance in all the layers of hell,' Youko scoffed at the very idea, reaching out and running the tip of his finger slowly along her exposed forearm where her sleeve had pushed up.

            Kagome drew in a gasp and abruptly twisted away from him, rolling up onto her knees just out of his reach and frowning when she saw the smirk on his face, "You did that on purpose."

            She's a quick little thing, isn't she? Kurama tried to affect an innocent expression but gave up at the look she sent him and chuckled as he shrugged instead.  "I couldn't think of a better way to get your attention, and I would prefer it if my girlfriend looked at me when I was trying to have a conversation."

            Girlfriend? Oh hell, not again, she leaned back when he reached up towards her face and shook her head in a rush.  "Ah, I-I'm... I'm not available."

            'Not anymore anyway,' Youko smirked when his search of her exposed skin suggested there had been no family markings to show ownership.

            "Then we do understand each other," he caught both her hands in his before she could back herself up any farther, pulling gently to stop her panicked retreat and to get her to really look at him.  Don't get carried away, Youko, we're being charming and irresistible, remember?

            'Are you forgetting who you're talking to?'

            Kagome blinked, muscles relaxing again when she met those amused emerald eyes staring so very intensely into her, that same heavy tingle spreading down her arms where their hands connected, "I have to go-"  This is bad... I don't even know who this person is.

            'She doesn't want to,' Youko whispered to Kurama, encouraging him to tighten his hold and draw her even closer.  'Look in her eyes, you can see that we got to her the last time.  Push her a little, be sexy and she won't tell us no.'

            I am capable of speaking to her, Youko, and I'm not blind, you know, Kurama felt like throttling his other half for a moment, but pushed it aside when he felt her trying to stand up and ultimately escape.  "You can't run away, Kagome.  You haven't given me an answer yet," he reminded her, rolling to his feet gracefully and using his hold on her hands to help her up as well.

            Kagome's mouth closed on whatever she'd been about to say, brows furrowed and head cocking to one side as she stared up at him and repeated in a perplexed tone, "An answer?"

            Youko let out a choked sound of disbelief, 'She forgot?!'

            "You forgot?" Kurama couldn't help but repeat in amazement, trying to push down the way his pride tweaked at the thought of her passing him off as just another face in the crowd.

            'Oh fuck that.'       

Wait, not yet-!

Kagome watched something deep and dangerous flash through those vivid eyes, but rather than stirring her defensive reflexes, she found her jaw going slack just enough for her lips to part and a pulse of heat stealing what was left of her strength when she felt his hands move.  She might have made a sound, she wasn't exactly sure, but with his fingers shoving into her hair and snapping the tie as though it never existed to bring her own hair spilling down heavily around her shoulders, her thoughts had pretty well scattered to the four winds.

All except one last overwhelming feeling that if she didn't get away from this youkai right at this second something essential to her soul was going to shift and change...

            She pressed her palm to his chest, eyes wide and body tensed to flee as she summoned up enough energy to jolt him back without really hurting him.  But just as she spread her fingers to release it, his eyes flashed golden and startled her enough that her arm simply folded between them when he stepped forward and lifted her face.

            "Maybe you'll remember this," Youko purred out just before he closed his mouth hard over her own.