Reborn

By: Discord

A/N: Welcome all non-canon Kouga/Kagome shippers. This is my humble tribute to a couple deserving more attention than they get. Enjoy!

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PART ONE – A SECOND CHANCE

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Her feet lost purchase from the cliff edge and she fell. Air rushed her face, streaking tears back to her ears. A choked sob slipped out, lost in the roar of water and mist and height and death.

She was going to die. And she was alone.

A curse sounded above and she jerked in surprise. Someone fell with her. Looking up, dark hair swept about her neck, whipping across watered eyes.

The swish of a thick ponytail. Flash of blue eyes. Glint of fangs. Long arms reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to a warm chest. A voice in her ear, soft, strong. Filled with love. Breath at her jaw, an exhale that drowned out the winds swallowing her.

"I won't… let you die alone Kagome…."

The ground was almost upon them.

"Kouga…," the name passed her lips.

And she wasn't afraid anymore. Let it end. She closed eyes and accepted oblivion.

A deafening crack….

And darkness thick enough to suffocate took her.

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She was on her back, convinced these were the moments before death. Body numb, senses mute, she floated - suspended in a hazy gray of languid half-awareness.

Seconds… minutes… hours… she had no idea how long she drifted until a deep moan pierced the nothingness. As if by beacon, her hand tingled into being and responded to the call. Flopping forward, she felt her wrist hit wet mud. Felt… truly felt. The darkness grew lighter at the revelation. Fingers splayed, she grazed air, stopping abruptly as they fell to something warm. Alive.

Another moan accompanied her discovery, courted by the distinct sound of shifting weight. Instead of the barest touch, her hand was suddenly full of strong, corded chest.

A person lay next to her.

Before she could absorb the shock, more movement… and then protective warmth surrounded her. A thick masculine smell, of wolves and sea and pine, blanketed her coming-to-life senses. Someone had rolled towards her.

She forced her limp hand to rise, spurred by concern and curiosity for her neighbor. Her touch trailed chest, fur and neck and its slow journey caused another groan.

Silence. And then a rumble of raw, weary voice.

"Okay?"

Tears leaked from her still dark eyes and she nodded, relief choking up her throat.

An urgent grunt responded and the smell of pine grew stronger. A wave of tangible worry radiated from the person and she realized their sight was probably as useless as hers.

Before she could force her mouth to birth a gravelly reply, the heat grew and a heavy arm moved clumsily towards her. She could feel it fill the air. Thick, calloused fingers bumped her knee and after a moment, with great effort, heaved themselves up to grab her thigh.

The arm pulled her forward and suddenly it was her face, not hand, filled with chest.

"O-Okay?" The voice came again, open fear trembling the syllables.

She nodded, this time against a decidedly male torso and felt its owner immediately relax. The arm at her thigh moved to her waist and clutched protectively.

Instinctively, she moved her own hands and wrapped them behind his neck, huddling close as a gust of wind bore down on her bare skin. Somewhere in the back of consciousness, she gathered her clothes were in tatters and did little to cover her for the sake of modesty, but another harsh chill quickly pushed the thought away.

The man at her side bent his head over hers, resting a cheek atop wet hair. Tightening hold, he pulled away the space between them until her shivering body was pressed against his.

"I protect," he managed, though she heard how the words ground against his throat.

She made a soft shushing sound through chattering teeth and nudged her face up under a receptive chin. Her lips brushed against strong heartbeat and the arms holding her jumped as her nose nestled its way up neck and jaw-line to rest behind a pointed ear.

"We protect," she mumbled thickly, feeling herself begin to warm against his body.

He increased the grip on her waist and rumbled agreement from deep in his chest. She understood the sound as if he'd spoken aloud. There was something familiar and readable about him. He was pleased. Even in their predicament, of vulnerability and weakness, both wet, cold and barely alive, he was pleased.

And she found herself smiling for it.

She tried to find her voice, to express the contentment welling in her as his other hand slid to the small of her back. To explain the curious butterflies flitting in her stomach when his Adam's apple moved with a swallow. Her body hurt and she couldn't remember who she was or how she'd gotten in the middle of a muddy riverbed, but she knew she wanted this man, a stranger she somehow knew, to hold her all day.

But all day only lasted another breath. The abrupt sound of voices in the distance broke their quiet.

The man heard them first. He tensed and his ears perked.

Her body asked the question her voice couldn't.

"Approach…," he answered. "People… band… ten…."

She twined fingers behind his neck, hugging herself closer. Dread filled her with alarming speed and strength and she gasped back a tremble.

After a few moments, she heard them too. Snapping twigs, rustling brush. They walked without fear and, to her chagrin, she whimpered.

He heard her distress and tilted his face to the side, planting a gentle kiss above her ear. The touch spoke of reassurance, affection and casual ease. It doused her anxiety like water to flame. Cracked lips brushed her lobe and the gaining footsteps seemed to lose power.

"We'll be okay…," his mouth moved against her skin. "Stay with me."

His sentences were coming easier and she nodded into his neck. She trusted him.

The footsteps and voices grew louder and she could pick out individual words.

"Over here!"

"Those two we saw!"

"They're by the riverbed Eichiro!"

"Quick!"

A shudder ran through her as the exclamations broke from the trees. Heavy breathing and shocked gasps followed and she buried her face, tightening hold of the man's neck.

"Don't lose me," she whispered.

"I won't—," he echoed her movements. Their bodies taut against each other, they lay there, waiting for the worst.

The surprised silence around them broke as a deep voice boomed out orders.

"All right! Don't just stand there! She needs our help! Move!"

Scrambling legs came to life, rushing forward. She felt hands on her arm and a cry of protest slipped out.

"No!!"

"Get her away from the demon, men! Pry his grip off!"

More hands grabbed her and she felt herself being lifted. The man at her side grunted as his fingers were roughly pulled from her waist. Stark cold punched the breath from her lungs and her eyes flew open.

Vision blurry and disoriented, she managed to make out four men holding down a fifth beginning to thrash. Long, dark hair splayed wildly, mouth opened in a fang-reveling snarl, the bound man reached a hand towards her.

He roared in rebellion and wide-eyed, his sight came to life.

His gaze, brilliantly blue and desperate, met hers and they each stilled, lost in a moment of recognition.

The arms holding her took advantage of the lulled resistance and pulled her back. The movement doused her awake and she reached for her senses, thrusting a hand out to take hold of his.

She screamed and tears sprung to her eyes.

"KOUGA!" His name ripped from her throat of its own accord, issuing from a murky well of memory and knowledge.

"KAGOME!" His cry, coarse with emotion, mirrored hers and filled the air with palpable anguish.

They strained, trying to grab onto each other.

She knew him. Kouga. She couldn't remember how, or from where, but she was certain he was someone close to her. And she wasn't about to give him up.

"Let me go!!" Her words broke in a sob and she pounded against the arms.

The man, seeing her tears, renewed his struggle against his captors. "She needs me you bastards! She needs me!!"

"What should we do Eichiro?" asked a young male voice off to the side. It was obvious their distress did not sit well.

"Get them both Hiro," a deep answer, fraught with tension and effort, called across the riverbed. Its large owner was helping hold down Kouga. "None of us can keep this up much longer."

Quick footsteps approached, and before the girl had time to register new danger or see a clear face, a wet, foul-smelling leaf was pressed over her mouth and nose. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the obstruction, but the hand holding it was firm.

The world blinked out of focus almost immediately and she realized with terror she was being drugged.

Her vision swam and the strength ebbed from her body. Lolling her head back, the last sound she heard was Kouga, screaming her name over and over.

And once again, darkness claimed her.

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