Just a Little Rivalry

Chapter 19: Deck the Halls

Inu Yasha knew by Naraku’s scent that he was not too far behind them. He just needed to turn around and see and then his mate the hell out of there-without her knowing why. That was the last thing that he wanted to happen. She seemed so happy that it would be a pity to upset her that way.

He stretched the side of his body that was away from her and turned his head to see not Naraku but rather the woman and child sitting about 4 rows behind them.

He was puzzled. This just could not be right. He remembered seeing them in the park, but their smell was his scent.

This enigma was getting to him, and he couldn’t afford to remain ignorant as to why they smelled so much like his prey. Oh yes, Naraku and Muso were his prey. He was going to hunt them down still and make them pay.

His revenge would leave them with no doubt as to their wrongdoing.

He was contemplating what to do and how to find out more about those two. He could always call his dad and have them investigated.

He jumped when he felt a small hand on his left arm. He looked over to see the little girl that was sitting next to the woman that had him puzzled.

“Excuse me mister. Some of my money rolled under your chair when my purse fell down.” She was rocking on her feet and studying him in wide-eyed innocence.

Kagome smiled at her and stood up as she prodded Inu Yasha into doing the same.

“Of course, hon. Here, let me help you,” his mate offered sweetly.

“Thank you,” came the gleeful reply.

“What is your name? I’m Kagome.”

“My name is Kanna, and that is my mom, Kagura.”

Inu Yasha listened. He now had first names at least. He knew that name Kagura from somewhere. He resolved to call Sesshomaru and Koga later as well as Miroku to ask them about it.

For some reason, he began to feel calmer as he snuggled Kagome close under his chin and enjoyed the rest of the movie peacefully.

He grinned to himself when he noticed that she had fallen asleep part way through it. He would get her home and enjoy the rest of the day. It was good to take her out and was glad that he had opted to do it during the day.

~~*~~

Kagura had listened to the silver-haired half demon as he and his mate talked to her daughter. The woman, she knew, was the one that Naraku had violated.

She was thankful that he and the other rough member of those three boys were nowhere in sight or sense.

Onigumo was still around, but she wasn’t worried about him. He just wasn’t like the other two. He was almost timid and could be a rather decent person.

She patted Kanna on the head as she reported their names.

She knew that the younger Takahashi brother was now curious about her. The older one already knew about her and the reasons behind her scent.

She also knew that he and Koga were the ones checking her and Kanna out at the park a few weeks back.

~~*~~

Inu Yasha woke the dozing Kagome as the movie ended.

She smiled up at him and stretched. He kissed her forehead tenderly and helped her stand.

“Are you ready to go home? We still have a house to decorate, and you have found a bunch of them as well as gifts.” He grinned when she nodded enthusiastically.

He would call his brother first. He had been seeing a Kagura as well as a Yura on and off since high school. He wasn’t sure if it could be the same one. He doubted it, but who knew.


He stood the tree up that was delivered to their front door while Kagome baked some gingerbread. She had insisted by saying that it just wasn’t right to decorate for Christmas without gingerbread or popcorn.

He laughed and shook his head.

It was a good thing that she wasn’t in here to hear how fluently he could cuss. This should have been easy, but should have been and reality were two completely separate worlds.

He finally got it to stand up straight and tall in the front living room in front of the window and across from the fireplace.

He dashed to the kitchen when he heard and loud “Shit” coming from there.

He looked at Kagome, who was studying her wrist. He picked up her hand and studied the burn from the oven. She blushed. She had been thinking about her mate rather than paying attention to what she was doing.

Her breath caught in her throat as he kissed and licked the throbbing burn.

He smirked at her. “Be more careful. You don’t have to injure yourself to get my attention; I assure you.”

Her glare was comical as she picked up a cookie and proceeded to put it into his mouth.

“Thanks. Now go on. I will be in there in a few minutes.” He munched on the treat and continued to smirk at her.

He went into the living room and sat down on the couch and pulled held the handset to the phone up while he dialed his brother’s office number.

“Hello. This is Inu Yasha. I need to speak with Sesshomaru Takahashi.”

He was put through to his brother fast. Apparently he had said something to his secretary.

“Hello.”

“Hey. I met someone named Kagura and Kanna who both held Naraku’s scent. What do you know about them? Koga and I saw them at the park for the first time not too far from Naraku’s house. Kagome and I met Kanna this afternoon at the movies.”

Sesshomaru took a minute before he answered.

“Kagura and I used to be intimate before Naraku forced her to mate with him. Kanna is the offspring from that one mating. He abandoned them; although, Kagura is more than happy that he did. Leave her alone. She wouldn’t know much about his movements. If she did, she would have told me.”

“Alright. I will tell Koga about her though. He didn’t even recognize her. We are going to find those bastards those and make them pay.”

“I will see you this weekend.” With that, Sesshomaru ended the call.

Inu Yasha looked at the phone while he contemplated what he had just found out.

It was true that he and his brother had never been too fond of each other, but he had had no clue what had happened to his former lover. Come to think of that, he had never really met her.

He shook his head and thought about how much their relationship had changed ever since he had mated Kagome. Had she brought these changes?

He was just about to dial Koga’s cell number when Kagome came into the room. Her chipper voice was calling out to him in her excitement of the promised time together having fun and getting ready for the upcoming holiday.

“Let’s pull out the decorations.”

He grinned at her high spirits.

Two hours later, nothing had been put on the tree, but every available area around the room held a different assortment of lights, ornaments, and other types of décor.

Inu Yasha had finally decided that it was time to call in the troops.

He dialed Miroku’s number, then Sango’s and finally Koga’s.

Miroku and Sango said that they would be back in about an hour. Koga had promised to be there right away.

When Koga got in, he just opened the front door with the key that Kagome insisted he should have and walked. He bit back his laughs since he knew he would soon resemble Inu Yasha.

Inu Yasha stood in the middle of the room and appeared to be fighting with a strand of lights. Kagome was watching him and grinning while putting the wires into the ornaments.

Koga walked straight up to the hanyou and began to help him untangle them and put them on the tree.

“Hey Koga. There’re gingerbread cookies over there if you are hungry. Thanks for coming.” Kagome kept working on her little bit merrily in the corner after greeting her friend.

“You remember that woman and little girl from the park?” Inu Yasha was taking this opportunity to talk to him while his mate was distracted.

“The ones that smelt like Naraku?”

“Yeah. Well, I asked Sesshomaru about them.”

“What’d he say?”

“That was Kagura. And, she was forced into being Naraku’s mate. Kanna is his.”

Koga nearly swallowed his tongue. That was Kagura? Damn, she must have had really hard. She had changed so much. He remembered her being carefree and humorous. That woman had looked sad and tired.

He shook his head and went back to work.

“So, why wasn’t Naraku anywhere near her?”

“He’s abandoned them.”

Koga could only nod at that. He really needed to talk to Sesshomaru it seemed. They grew apart when he had decided to travel rather than start college. Although, he was grateful that he had waited. It gave him the chance to know Kagome.

The piles were steadily dwindling once the lights had been completed.

By the time Sango and Miroku had come in, the tree was nearing completion.

“You guys missed the tree, but I also have those cool ice cycle lights to hung outside. How about you guys work on that while Sango and I finish putting out the wall decorations and trim in here? Sound good? We’ll order pizza after that.”

The guys merely nodded while Sango and Kagome began to plot out their strategy. They loved to do it this way. It was exciting to talk like they were going into war with the house and their only ammo was the holly, candles and stockings amongst the other little knick-knacks.

The girls finished a whole hour and a half before the guys and opted to bake more cookies. Soon, the house was filled with the aroma of melting chocolate and other types of cookies.

That was the smell that his Sesshomaru when he first walked in.

He had planned to stay with his parents for the remainder of the weekend since he had to go into the office today, but plans change.

He had gotten a phone call concerning someone he had never expected to hear about again.

He grinned to himself at the sight of the house. He had seen his brother, Koga and Miroku struggling with ladders and some lights plus nails, hammers and a staple gun. The sight was so humorous that he almost wished that he had a camcorder with him to catch it on film.

Inside was a whole different matter.

It was polished and tasteful while still festive. The feeling it gave was one of being warm and inviting. The smells were mouthwatering and tantalizing.

“Hello Kagome, Sango.” He grinned when they jumped.

He walked over and picked up one of the still warm chocolate chip cookies and bit into it.

“How did your day at work go? Sit down. We decided that we should decorate for Christmas. What do you think?”

He grinned at her enthusiasm. “It’s excellent. As is this cookie.”

After another hour, the boys from outside came in and flopped onto the chairs.

A/N: Hey all. I hope you all are still enjoying my story. Here is the 19th chapter. Yes, I am still amazed. My NINETEENTH CHAPTER!!!!! Wow. I am proud of my first fic. going so far.

Well, please keep enjoying my story. And, please review. I love to hear what you all think about it.

Thanks so much to Danny's Girl, madmiko and Lord of the Flames. You guys are the best. Smiles at my loyal and sweet reviewers and holds out the fresh chocolate chip cookies that my son talked me into letting him help bake.

Take care until next time.