Across the Ages

Sorry it has been awhile. I will be updating one if not both the stories later this evening. I have to work *Blegh* Please read and review, you know I love the comments you all have :)


Chapter Twenty Five

Sesshoumaru growled at the sun as it appeared above the mountains. It was past dawn and they'd not returned. He was angry, and something told him that everything was not alright. A pain in his shoulder drew his attention. There was no blood, no wound. His eyes went wide as the only logical conclusion was reached. Ayeka!

He spun to face the mirror, even as the glass began to pulse and glow. He barely dodged the large crate and bags that shot from it and then he saw the rope pull taut half in, half out. Grasping the rope, he tugged. He pulled again and again and then he saw them. Inuyasha holding tight to a limp pale form.

He roared as he ripped them from the grasp of the mirror. Inuyasha and Ayeka landed in a jumbled, bloody heap at his feet. The scent of blood was overwhelming. His mate's blood to be exact. Ayeka, barely concious knew one thing. He'd kill the people he thought responsible. That was something she could allow to happen. She'd be damned if she lost him to this. So, using the last vestiges of her flagging strength, she kicked out at the mirror.

It rocked precariously on it's clawed feet for a moment and before the youkai could react, it teetered and crashed to the floor. The cursed glass shattering upwards and out. Shimmering shards rained down on the stone floor and the two forms huddled there. Inuyasha threw his arm up, shielding the woman as best he could.

Sesshoumaru knew exactly why she had done this. He was torn between anger at being denied his revenge, concern for his mate and relief that the means of her escape was gone forever. Her blood called to him, sang to him. Kneeling he gathered her against his chest, her head flopped back into the crook of his arm. Her moment of lucidity passed.

"Inuyasha!" he snarled, "What is the meaning of this?" His brother stood, detached the rope from himself. "Her people did this, not me. She needs help now. Get Kagome." he replied, his voice calm and devoid of emotion. Inside he was seething. He was supposed to be stronger than this, he should have been able to protect her... he hadn't.

The strange popping sounds had echoed through that snowy night and Inuyasha had been out of the car and on his way back in when suddenly she was there, pale, smelling of sweet blood and some hot chemical. The same scent that had clung to the racked rifles. Inuyasha's clever mind snapping pieces together. She'd been shot! "Sesshoumaru!" he called.

Sesshoumaru was already gone, racing down the stairs, cradling his small wife carefully."Damnable woman." he muttered at the top of her head. The pain in his own shoulder had dimmed to near nothingness. That he had felt it all meant that she had to have suffered greatly. Luckily this side effect of mating was one sided. His claws tightened on her reflexively as he felt the warmth of her blood well up against his flesh.

In that short space of time that it took Inuyasha to find Kagome, Sesshoumaru had deposited his mate on the large table of the library. Sango and Miroku were already milling about gathering clean water, bandages, herbs to dull the pain. They worked in silent synchronization.

Kagome rushed down the hall to pause at the large doors. The sight was not one she had been prepared for. Inuyasha just behind her, steadied her with a hand to her shoulder. Sango and Miroku stood, faces tight and pale with worry. Just beyond them, a red eyed Sesshoumaru stood over the prone form of Ayeka.

Kagome saw the woman, flat against the table. On silent but swift feet she stepped inside. Facing the demon in his lair. Would he be as dangerous and volatile as Inuyasha like this? Sesshoumaru caught her scent even as he sensed her powers. "Jaken, take the others and go. Miko, come here." His voice was cool and calm, collected as ever. Kagome knew better. She hurried forward as the demon lord slashed through the rough clothing covering the small form.

Kagome eyed the injury but couldn't tell what it was. It was too bloody. With careful hands she cleaned the blood away with a damp cloth, exposing that ugly truth of the matter. Inuyasha had been correct. "She's been shot!" Kagome exclaimed. Sesshoumaru stared at her, "Explain this to me."

Kagome gave him the down and dirty version of modern weaponry as she worked. Rifles were slowly making their presence known here in this time. These ones, that she knew of were nearly perfect. "There should be an entrance wound and a larger exit wound," Kagome told him, "If there isn't one... then the bullet is still inside and will have to be removed."

Kagome surely hoped that was not the case. She had no experience in that. Sesshoumaru lifted his wife and Kagome peered at the bleeding wound. There was an exit wound, but as Kagome cleaned the area, her heart sank. "I can see something." she said quietly.

A small jagged bit of metal was firmly lodged in the muscle beneath Ayeka's arm. The arm was surprisingly in tact. Kagome could feel no broken bones. "It looks like the bullet hit her shoulder, below the bone in the meaty area here, under her arm. It's come out the other side but I can see metal. It has to come out Sesshoumaru."

Kagome looked around frantically, "I need something sharp, something that can I can use precisely to get this out." she told him, meeting now golden eyes. The demon lord stared at the wound and then down at his own hand. "Like these." he stated. Kagome's gaze flew to the deadly tips of his claws. Sharp like razors and no one could possibly be more exact than he. She nodded, "Yes, like those."

It was perhaps not the most hygenic operation to be sure. Kagome bade him wash his hands and come back to the table. She had managed to turn Ayeka onto her side and she noticed with some satisfaction that the bleeding was beginning to slow. She hoped that removing this object would not reverse that. A small groan drew her attention and she looked to Ayeka's face.

A light sheen of sweat covered the woman who lay slightly trembling under her hands. "You're awake." Kagome said softly. Sesshoumaru's head snapped up. He knew without a doubt that this would cause her pain. He didn't want that but it had to be done.

Kagome knelt near Ayeka, tears pooled in those green eyes. "I didn't make it back before dawn" she breathed. Kagome looked slightly confused. Ayeka grasped her hand tightly, "I didn't leave him. Tell him I didn't". Kagome lifted her head to look at Sesshoumaru. Here she was shot, injured, bleeding, hurting and she worried about his feelings.

Sesshoumaru gently stroked her hip. "Ayeka, I know." he said simply. Her body seemed to relax under his voice. Kagome thought that perhaps she would pass out again. "You have a bit of bullet in your shoulder. He's going to take it out." she hurried to explain.

Ayeka nodded, and tried to push herself up from the table. Kagome felt her own eyes mist over. It was like watching a wounded animal. Ayeka lacked the strength to push herself up, with one arm and her other arm was not useful to her at the moment.

After a third pitiful attempt, Sesshoumaru lifted her. It chafed him to see one so proud and strong brought so low. "What are you doing?" he asked. She met his eyes, blinked and tried to focus. "I want to be up when you do it, I..." she paused for breath, "I am not...weak.". Her grip om his said otherwise but her spirit pleased him. "No you are not. This will hurt." he told her quietly.

Fire filled green orbs lifted to him again, "No shit." she whispered dryly. He sighed, "A lady of your station should not speak so." he chided. She leaned her head against him. "Just do it. The sooner you start the sooner it's done.". There it was, the sensibility. Kagome steeled herself against the screams that were sure to come. He braced h8o9imself for her tears.

He let her lean against Kagome, while he surveyed the wound. Perhaps he didn't need to use his claws at all. He recalled pulling the black pearl from Inuyasha's eye. He'd used his youkai to do it. He could do it again. He slid one hand to her shoulder to steady her. Youkai used in this manner hurt. He knew.

He focused on the little dark speck that polluted his mate's body and then his fingertips began to glow. Slowly, he let his power seep into the wound, targeting and surrounding that foreign matter and began to lift. Ayeka stiffened, her breath was sucked in, a harsh hiss in the silent room.

Kagome rubbed her arm soothingly and watched sesshoumaru work. From the glow, she had guessed what his intention was. Perhaps the use of claws might have been easier. She held her tongue, they'd already started and there was no sense in taking issue now. Sesshoumaru loved Ayeka and she knew that he would always do his best to spare her the worst of things.

Ayeka squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the nausea threaten to overtake her. Her tiny hand gripped the table as she felt the swirling, twisting burn in her shoulder. She sucked in ragged breaths, reduced to panting now. What was he doing to her? She wanted to scream but she wouldn't. No, she refused to let this beat her. Reaching up, she covered his large hand at her shoulder and squeezed.

Sesshoumaru said nothing as she tugged his hand over her heart, the rapid beat fluttering against his fingers. He laced his fingers through hers, giving her the power to clench his large taloned hand almost painfully. Her little hands shaking.

Sesshoumaru wanted to howl in victory when at last the jagged fragment ripped free of her. He stared at it for a moment. Such a small thing, to cause so much pain. This was the world she'd lived in. This was what she fought so hard for. For her people to use such things against one another. It was a horrid world, not fit for her. She belonged here in this time, this simpler world with him. Where he could protect her from such things. He flung the scrap across the room. His growl loud and ominous.

Kagome took over then, as Sesshoumaru's eyes were lined with pink. His beast dangerously cloe to the surface. He'd spun to stare out the window. Obviously allowing himself time to calm. She supposed that he was angry that he'd let her go in the first place. With a shuddering breath she realized that this could have been Inuyasha and this could have been so much worse.

Ayeka was soaked with sweat, and shivering now. Her reserves of strength at an end. Kagome cleaned her up and wrapped her with bandages. She worked silently, quickly. Sesshoumaru turned in time to see her secure the ends of the bandage. It was too late to tell her that they weren't needed. He would tend to Ayeka shortly.

"My thanks Kagome. I am certain that you wish to see Inuyasha now." he said softly. A clear dismissal but she didn't mind. She nodded, "If you need anything." she said, leaving the statement unfinished. He nodded and waved her away. She wanted to go and throw her arms around the hanyou he supposed. He'd not keep her from it.

He gathered Ayeka against his chest and kicked the door open. He strode down the hall and to the larger chambers that they shared. Ayeka was slipping in and out of sleep. His firm chest and strong hold keeping her still enough. He layed her on the bed as he divested her of the rest of her tattered, soiled clothing. This would not be cleaned or mended, this would be burned. That life was over.

She was barely aware of the world around her when he gathered her once more. He was nude as she was and he took her into the warmth of the bathing chamber. Slowly, he walked in to the water up to his waist and propped himself against the ledge there.

With careful hands he bathed her. His claws snipped through bandages and slowly he cupped the water over her. She moaned when the hot water touched her wound. She opened her eyes as he slowly submerged her, watching the thin tendrils of red stream from the wound and into the steaming waters. "Ouch." she muttered as he drew her up against him.

He said nothing, he knew what to do about the wounds. He knew what would heal them faster than the miko's care and salves. He pressed a kiss to her jaw, and her head fell back against his shoulder. "Do you remember how your hands were scarred?" he asked softly and she nodded. The wires she had used to slay the panther demon. "They bled so much." she whispered, her eyes narrowed in concentration, "You... you licked them...clean".

He leaned her forward over his arm, as he lowered his head and lapped near the wound. His tongue slightly rough. He worked in circles until he touched the edges of the wound. His tongue swept over her then, tasting her sweet blood. She flinched at the slight sting of his saliva.

Sesshoumaru laved the wound over and over, his saliva healing, sealing. When he had licked it to his satisfaction, he gently turned her to do the same to the point of entry. She weakly held his shoulders as he tended to her. The action inhuman and utterly tender. His inner beast soothing her with low growls and long, slow laps of his tongue.

The world was growing dim, as her pain slowly receeded. She was so tired. Her body no longer a tearing field of flame. "I.... came ... back" she whispered against his ear. He raised his head to meet her gaze. She looked fragile to him and in that moment his every instinct was to guard and protect, to nurture and love. He swept her unruly bangs from her face, "I know koi, I know." he told her.

She smiled softly, sadly, "You doubted me though." He tightened his hold on her, he couldn't deny it. He had doubted her. He would not lie. "I won't Koi, not ever again." His answer seemed to please her, even though a small tear traced a glimmering path over her snowy cheek as her lashes fell.

Sesshoumaru finished his tender bathing of her and then dried her carefully. Her wound was closed now. In three days time, with his continued care she would be whole. Scarred but whole. Not bothering with her sleeping robes, he tucked her into bed and then climbed in beside her. His arms wrapped around her and his head rested atop hers.

She was hurt, she would live. She was home, she was safe now, she had shattered the mirror. He could not kill the one who'd done this. She could not leave him. She'd made the choice. She'd chosen him. He'd been afraid and he'd not be admitting that anytime soon. He loved her.