Puppy From the Past by Sunset Miko

Pound Puppy

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

Written for IyCaptions Week 9 Image.

Kagome winced slightly as the barking that echoed around her rang loudly in her ears while she followed a man in khaki shorts and a matching shirt down a long concrete hallway. She frowned as she looked in the chain link fenced pens one by one. They all looked so sad and lonely and she wished she could bring them all home with her but she could only take one and it had to be the right one.

She carefully studied a Rottweiler that was in for biting the mailman, or so the clipboard hanging from the fencing warned. She looked closely at a basset hound with the most pitiful look on its droopy face that howled at her when she continued past it. She stuck her hand through the chain link and was thoroughly licked by a beautiful looking golden mutt who wagged her tail so hard looked like it was ready to fly off. They were all sweethearts, even the biter. Her shoulders slumped and Kagome continued her search for the perfect dog.

When she reached the end of the hallway she looked around and then turned to face the employee that was her guide through the sad world that was the dog pound. "Don't you have any that are... bigger? I'm looking for a big dog."

The man looked hesitant as he answered. "Well, we've only got one big one that isn't in here and you don't want him, miss."

"And why not?" she asked in a frustrated tone. She hated it when men tried to tell her what she did or didn't want or what she could or couldn't do. She wasn't a breakable china doll and she wasn't a stupid little girl either! "I want to see him."

He shook his head and reached for the large ring of keys hanging from his belt while leading her to a door marked 'Caution'. "I really don't think he's for you, but if you wanna see him so bad... He's a nasty one. It took five of us to bring him in and three of the guys needed stitches afterwards. If you're going to pick him you'll have to sign a waiver stating that you know the dog's dangerous and will not hold us responsible if he injures you or your friends or family members."

Kagome sighed. "Just open the door." He did and she followed him down a narrow hall that opened into a medium sized room that was split into four larger pens obviously meant for the very large or very dangerous dogs considering the thickness of the fencing compared to the plain old chain link in the other room.

"He's been sitting back in that corner since we got him in there. If anyone even gets close to the gate he starts snarling. I really don't think he's what you're looking for, miss."

"He's beautiful," she whispered to herself and walked towards the front of the large silvery-white dog's pen.

The pound employee warned her against getting too close but she ignored him. He watched nervously as the vicious canine approached the front, stopping to stand right in front of the girl he now considered an absolute idiot. She reached out a hand and slipped it through the metal keeping the monstrous nightmare of a dog in and everyone on the other side safe. He was ready to run for help. He was ready to grab a broom and hit the thing until it let go of her. He was ready to explain to the EMTs that her hand was probably somewhere in the dog's stomach. He wasn't ready for the dog to wag its tail and lick the palm of her hand while staring into her eyes. No, he wasn't ready for that in the slightest.

"I'll take him. He's not so bad. Poor guy's probably a big softie inside, just misunderstood."

Shaking his head the man led her back to the front to fill out a stack of legal adoption forms and by the time she was done her hand was sore from all the signing. He went back to get the dog for her but ended up coming back to get her instead. The dog still wouldn't let anyone near it and there was no way in hell he was opening the gate while it was snarling at him like that.

Kagome sighed again and took the collar and leash from the shaking hand of the pound employee, waiting until he managed to unlock the gate before he ran to the other side of the room like he was facing down a tiger instead of a dog. She opened it and the large white furry 'monster' trotted right up to her and stood perfectly still while she locked the collar in place and took hold of the other end of the leash. "Let's go, big guy," she said as she led him to the front and out the door. When she opened the passenger side door he hopped in and made himself comfortable, sitting regally in the front seat like he belonged there.

"I swear I've never met such a scaredy-cat in my whole life. And you! Why did you bite them? Of course they were afraid of you! You're lucky I came along before they tried to euthanize you or label you unadoptable!"

She glanced at the canine in the seat next to her like she expected an answer before starting the car and pulling out of the pound parking lot. "You know, one of these days I'm not going to come bail you out, Sesshoumaru! You've got to stop running around town in your true form! The shrine grounds are huge! Why do you think you need to leave them?" She glanced at her passenger again and a smile pulled at her lips.

"You will always come for me. It is not the fault of this Sesshoumaru that the idiotic humans can not recognize a demon when they see one."

Kagome sighed and shook her head, stopping at a red light and turning to glare at him. "I told you! People in my time don't think demons exist!" Her eyes trailed over the bare muscled chest and arms of her half dressed mate and gave a tug on the leash she still held in her hand, pulling him in for a kiss. "You have to be more careful!"

Sesshoumaru smirked at her. "It is they who should be more careful. And this Sesshoumaru is not a 'big softie'," he said with distaste before nibbling gently at the curve of her neck, careful of his fangs.

"If you say so."