A/n: I was cruel last week and didn’t update this story… but that’s because I wanted to update it this week and give Honor and Glory a weekish off. My sister’s wedding was this weekend, and my final exams are this week… so I’ve been getting absolutely zippo writing done. Hahahah…

I will admit, some of the characters in this story I didn’t actually see… I just sorta guessed how to write them thanks to previous things I’ve heard. Also, my feelings towards Kikyo are well known during this chapter. (Cough Kikyo basher cough)

Thank you to all of my darling reviewers! I print them off and stuff them in my drawers so I can randomly read them! :D

Right, as for calling this story tJYVftA… that is just way too random and hard for you guys to remember. SO it’ll be the Yodeling Vet story.

The Japanese Yodeling Veterinarian from the Alps

Working Wednesday

Kagome practically danced down to Purrfect Pets Supply Store on Wednesday morning. She was ecstatic. She had purposely cleared her schedule so she started later than normal, and then her first two appointments of the day had called in to cancel.

(Which was quite fortuitous because Kanna had asked for the morning off in order to attend school. Kanna’s strange school schedule always caused Kagome to raise an eyebrow, but she knew the moonlight blonde haired girl was getting credit for apprenticing with her.)

Either way Kagome’s morning was open, and Buyo badly needed a new brush. The majority of the bristles on his current brush had fallen out. Plus looking at the senior cat food wouldn’t hurt. Buyo was getting up there in his years, soon she would have to think about giving him a nutrient supplement.

So Kagome filled her morning by merrily skipping to the nearest Dunkin Donuts to buy a toasted coconut donut to go before she hopped the extra three blocks down to Purrfect Pets Supply Store for Buyo’s brush.

Kagome smiled as she waltzed into the store. “Welcome to Purrfect pets,” the store clerk smiled. “Can I help you with anything Dr. Kagome?” the clerk continued. She was used to the frequent visits Kagome made for her pampered cat.

“No thank you, just getting Buyo another brush,” Kagome said before confidentially moving towards her desired aisle, tucking her carry out Dunkin Donuts bag into her handbag. She screeched to a halt by one of the two aisles dedicated to dogs. There, standing at the far end of the aisle between the dog biscuits and the tanks full of brilliantly colored fish, was Mr. Taishio with his perfectly clipped silver hair and black Armani suit.

“Mr. Taishio?” Kagome blinked, not quite believing her eyes. It was 8:30. Surely the man was supposed to be in his office by now!

Mr. Taishio turned on his heels and looked, dare Kagome say it, surprised. His beautiful golden eyes were widened ever so slightly and his mouth was slightly open in shock. It took him less than a second to settle into his usual lofty personality.

“Kagome, what a surprise to see you here,” he said in his chocolatey-rich voice. “I believe I’ve told you before, please call me Sesshoumaru. What are you doing here?”

“Buyo needs a new brush,” Kagome bluntly said.

“Buyo?”

“My cat.”

Mr. Taishio arched a single silver eyebrow. “I see. No appointments this morning?”

“Nope. My first one is scheduled for 10:30,” Kagome gleefully clapped.

“I see,” Mr. Taishio repeated as he looked down at his watch. His tone was so disinterested and his mannerisms were so impatient that Kagome laughed sheepishly and began to creep away. His next words made Kagome drop her handbag. “Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me then? You have time.”

“I-I-I,” Kagome stammered, reminding herself a lot of Nurse Naraku. “I..I… Don’t you have to go to work?”

Mr. Taishio tilted his head back, an arrogant smirk drawing across his lips. “I manage my own schedule and follow whatever whim I so choose.”

Kagome grimaced slightly at the blatant shut down. “Um… No thank you. Wouldn’t be professional,” Kagome laughed.

“Oh come now. I have heard on many occasions how you will occasionally deign to grace Inuyasha with your presence. Surely I am no different than that runt,” Mr. Taishio mildly chastised.

“Erm,” was Kagome’s ever-so-intelligent response.

“It’s just as well. I was thinking about stopping by the Starbucks just up the street to get a white chocolate frappe,” Mr. Taishio said, moving up the aisle.

In a second Kagome was gripping his elbow. “Wait,” she ordered him in a husky voice. She retreated down the aisle for a moment and darted up the next before returning moments later with a blue cat brush. “I’m coming,” she meekly said.

Twenty minutes later Kagome sat across from Mr. Taishio, toting her toasted coconut donut, a white chocolate frappe, and Buyo’s blue brush. (Mysteriously and unaccountably Mr. Taishio somehow managed to buy Buyo’s brush for Kagome. Kagome was still trying to puzzle that one out.)

Since they sat down and sipped at their drinks Mr. Taishio had said not one word to Kagome. Kagome would have been furious if she was not strangely placated with Buyo’s brush and her white chocolate frappe. (Kagome had managed to rush ahead of the businessman and buy it before he could offer. Thankfully, he hadn’t pushed to her allow him to.)

Kagome was trying to think of the most elegant way to bow out of the whole situation as Mr. Taishio went through his emails on his blackberry.

Just as Kagome resolved to bid him good day, Mr. Taishio set his blackberry aside and turned to Kagome. “One of my associates, a Mr. Totosai, has informed me he is going to schedule an appointment with you today.”

Kagome nodded. “That is quite possible. Did you give him my name?”

“Yes,” Mr. Taishio acknowledged.

The pair was silent for another few awkward moments. Kagome was grateful when her cell phone rang.

“Hello?”

“D-d-d-d-d-,” Kagome could recognize those stutters a mile away. “d-d-d-d-“

“What is it Nurse Naraku?” Kagome asked.

“Dr. Kagome? There’s an emergency here at the clinic,” Naraku nervously said.

“Oh. Do you need me to come over?” Kagome asked, tilting her head.

“Please,” Naraku groveled.

“What is it?” Kagome asked, sipping at her icy drink through a straw.

“It’s, for the love of God I already told you, no! That thing can’t come in the front door!” Naraku screamed before the line went dead.

“Hmm,” Kagome said before snapping her cell phone shut.

“Work?” Mr. Taishio asked.

“Yep,” Kagome said, hopping off her stool. “Thanks for Buyo’s brush, Sesshoumaru. I’ll probably see you soon?”

The silver haired businessman looked incredibly smug at that moment, and for the life of her Kagome couldn’t figure out why.

“Yes,” Mr. Taishio said, a grin quite evident in his voice.

Kagome blinked and shrugged before she hurried from the coffee shop. It wasn’t until she was already two blocks down the street that she realized, with a lot of cursing, that she had finally slipped and called Mr. Taishio, Sesshoumaru to his face.

Kagome arrived at her office to a wailing Naraku and an apathetic Kanna, who was busily typing away behind the safety of her desk.

In the door way was a large brown…ox. The animal was trying to get through the door, but its horns kept catching on the door frame, keeping the ox out of the clinic. Behind the ox was a man who was mostly bald with a patch of gray hair. He had the biggest eyes Kagome ever saw, and his nose was hawkish and pointed.

“Come on Momo,” the man grunted, pushing against the ox’s rear. “Suck it in old boy!”

“Sir I already told you, we don’t allow large animals inside the clinic!” Naraku wailed, practically in hysterics as he flapped his arms.

Kagome put a comforting hand on Naraku’s shoulder. The man looked upset and simultaneously shamed. “I tried to tell him Dr. Kagome, we don’t allow large domesticated animals. He wouldn’t listen!” Naraku insisted.

“It’s fine Naraku. What’s the client’s name?” Kagome asked.

“Totosai. A retired CEO of a famous weapons production company. He now mostly collects antique swords and forges his own swords to sell,” Kanna said, handing over a manilla file.

“Did he tell you that?” Kagome curiously asked.

“No.”

“Alright then,” Kagome said, quickly moving on. She was never one to question Kanna’s information network. “Let’s take care of this, shall we?” Kagome said, striding over to the door. She leaned out past the head of the patient ox that sat in the doorway. “Mr. Totosai? Mr. Totosai, I’m Dr. Kagome.”

“Who?” Totosai asked, straightening up from his pushing position.

“Dr. Kagome,” Kagome clearly repeated. “The vet? You told my assistant Nurse Naraku that your animal needed an appointment with me.”

“I did?” Totosai asked.

“Yes, you did. I believe Sesshoumaru Taishio referred you to me,” Kagome continued, light patting the ox’s forehead.

“Ohhh! Sesshoumaru! Right, right! Who are you?”

“He’s also quite absent minded,” Kanna added from behind her desk while Kagome sighed.

“Dr. Kagome,” Kagome supplied again with a lake full of patience.

“Ohh! You’re that gal Sesshoumaru’s eyeing! Right, he told me you might be able to help good ol’ Momo here,” Totosai said, patting the oxen’s butt.

“Right. Well what exactly is wrong with Momo?” Kagome asked.

“I don’t know, I’m not the vet, you are,” Totosai prompted.

Kagome sighed and dropped her head for a millisecond before smiling at her newest client. “Why don’t we take Momo out onto the lawn where I can get a better look at him.”

“Shouldn’t you do that in the treatment room?” Totosai asked.

“I normally would, but Momo isn’t going to fit through the door,” Kagome said.

“Oh,” was Totosai’s response. “Who are you?”

“Thanks again Dr. Kagome,” a miss Tohru Honda said with a smile as she put a leash on her completely black dog whom she apparently so elegantly named Spot.

“No problem Tohru. I’m sorry Spot was fooling you into thinking he was sick again,” Kagome said with a smile as the black dog giddily licked Tohru, who was crouched down at face level with him.

The black dog was constantly faking sickness to garner attention from the poor high school student. Kagome didn’t know why she bothered bringing the dog anymore; he had yet to really be sick. Occasionally Tohru brought along an orange cat or a small gray mouse with her on these various appointments, but the rodent and feline were never sick either. Instead they usually beat the tar out of the dog, who bore it all with an unnatural patience.

Plus Kagome couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but there was something perverted about that dog. He seemed almost too happy whenever Tohru hugged him.

Kagome watched the overly happy Spot disappear through the clinic door with Tohru Honda. “Whose next Kanna?” Kagome asked.

“Miss Kikyo Higuyashi,” Kanna replied. Her usual blank tone was actually edged with something akin to dislike.

Kagome felt the pit of her stomach lurch and kept herself from groaning out loud at the mere name. Kikyo Higuyashi.

Kikyo was Inuyasha’s bitter ex-girlfriend whom Sango and Miroku morosely referred to as “the porcelain doll.” The woman made Kanna look like a virtual clown. The only emotions she demonstrated besides indifference were bitterness and hatred.

What was worse yet, before she lost her license, Kikyo was a veterinarian herself. For some inexplicable reason, Kikyo claimed that Inuyasha destroyed her practice, making her be striped of her medical license. For reasons unknown to everyone involved, Kikyo insisted on bringing her dragon-like lizards (whom she merely referred to as Soul Collectors. Supposedly it was after her favorite band.) to Kagome for regular checkups.

Kagome hissed under her breath as Nurse Naraku exited the newly sterilized and cleaned treatment room. “You can take Miss Kikyo in Dr. Kagome,” Naraku said, glancing sideways at Kikyo. Like Kanna, Naraku was wary of Kikyo for the mere reason that she appeared to be out to get Kagome.

“Miss Kikyo, if you would please bring your lizards back into the treatment room,” Kagome said as warmly as possible.

Kikyo stiffly stood, her long, black, silky hair swishing with the movement. Kikyo turned and picked up a metal cage. She walked across the waiting room and entered the treatment room, depositing the cage down on the counter.

Inside the cage were four lizards. Kagome affectionately referred to them as: White, Whitey, Whiter, and Whitest. The lizards were iguanas but they had some of the strangest features Kagome ever saw. Instead of being the familiar green they were all albinos with white skin and blue eyes. Additionally their facial structures almost looked dragon-like, and their skin was…wispy.

Kagome flipped through the lizards files. “It says you’re here for the six month checkup, but it’s been barely five months since I last saw your Soul Collectors,” Kagome said.

“During the spring months it is especially important for lizards to have their check ups completed because of the change of temperatures and seasons,” Kikyo said in a hollow tone.

Kagome glanced over at the one-time vet. “Right,” she said. It was the same excuse Kikyo had used five months ago when she brought her lizards in at the four month mark, only then it was because it was changing from fall to winter.

Kagome picked up Whitey (she was impressed with herself that she could tell them all apart.) and set him on the scale.

“Did you reset the scale? You’re supposed to reset the scale before using it,” Kikyo darkly said.

“Nurse Naraku always resets the scale when he cleans the room before I bring in the next patient,” Kagome said, taking note of the lizard’s weight.

“How can you be sure?” Kikyo sullenly asked.

“Because I know Nurse Naraku. He may be a coward and he might be easily frightened, but he is always absolutely through,” Kagome said unaffectedly.

Kagome moved onto inspecting Whitey. She twisted around to take a needle and syringe off a side counter and was about to open her mouth to ask Kikyo a question when the girl spoke herself.

“You do know that iguanas do not need vaccinations, don’t you?” she scoffed.

Kagome took a breath and counted until ten. “Yes, I do know that Kikyo. And I had hoped that because you were once a vet you would notice that this is not a vaccination, but rather a syringe to gather blood. I was about to ask you if you wanted me to run blood work on all of your Soul Collectors again, even though they had their blood tested last visit as well.”

“Iguanas don’t show weakness or diseases until they are almost dead. The blood work makes sure they’re fine,” Kikyo defended.

“I know that Kikyo. However, it’s advised that you get the blood work done every other year, or annually. Not every four months,” Kagome growled.

It was like this every time. Kikyo second guessed and questioned Kagome so much; Kagome had to wonder why on earth Kikyo even bothered to bring her iguanas in.

Kagome was thoroughly exhausted when she finally managed to shove Kikyo out the door. (She was always tired after the ex vet visited. Her confidence could hold out only so long after every movement and gesture was second guessed by a client.)

Kagome groaned as she leaned against the wall, covering her eyes with an arm. She was barely aware of Naraku padding past her to clean the treatment room.

“Long day?” asked a smooth voice.

“You have no idea,” Kagome groaned. Kagome suddenly registered that someone was talking to her. She abruptly removed her arm and twisted to stare into the golden eyes of Mr. Sesshoumaru Taishio.

“Hello?” Kagome bewilderedly said.

“Good afternoon,” Mr. Sesshoumaru Taishio said with a smug smirk.

“Can I help you?” Kagome asked.

Mr. Taishio motioned to Rin who was chattering away to Kanna. “My charge declared the desire to schedule another appointment. Are you doing well?”

Kagome blinked very slowly. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

Mr. Taishio reached out to lightly grasp her chin. “Because you appear to be very pale.”

“I’m fine,” Kagome said, brushing him off. “But thank you for your concern, Mr. Taishio.”

Mr. Taishio’s smirk from that morning reappeared. “Come now Kagome, you call me Sesshoumaru in public but in your office you insist on calling me Mr. Taishio?”

“That was a mistake,” Kagome defended.

“Hardly. Please, continue to call me Sesshoumaru, Dr. Kagome, I insist,” Sesshoumaru smoothly uttered.

Kagome muttered under her breath before speaking. “Fine. What animal have you brought this time, Sesshoumaru?”

Rin skipped up Kagome and Sesshoumaru. “It’s Black Beauty! Can I go get Black Beauty, Sesshoumaru?” Rin asked her guardian, who tossed her his car keys.

Kagome turned white. “Uh, Rin, uh wait?” she called but the little girl was already out of the door. Kagome turned on Sesshoumaru. “Sesshoumaru, I’ve told you before, we don’t allow large domesticated animals on the premise of my clinic!”

“I recall that rule, yes. What of it?” Sesshoumaru smoothly asked.

“This morning that Mr. Totosai of yours made me check his cow out on my lawn! I will not be extending the same courtesy to you and whatever horse or pony Rin has dragged here,” Kagome snarled.

“Who said anything about a horse?” Sesshoumaru asked, sounding most amused.

“Black Beauty!” Kagome cited.

“Is a guinea pig,” Sesshoumaru blankly replied.

“I’ve got him!” Rin called out, reentering the clinic. She held a small cage above her head. Sure enough, Kagome could see a fuzzy, black little guinea pig peeping at her.

Kagome sagged back against the wall, visibly defeated. “I give up,” she groaned.

The checkup went by quickly. Black Beauty was fat and fine. Rin had worried for the small pet because the previous night she had accidentally dropped him while trying to hand him over to Sesshoumaru.

It only took a quick yodel and a reassuring smile to comfort Rin. Within eight minutes the girl was skipping out of the door, holding her black guinea pig over her head. Sesshoumaru did not follow her and instead dawdled as Kanna possessed his credit card.

“Why do you not perform check ups on large animals?” he asked.

Kagome thoughtfully frowned as she considered his words. “Specialization mostly. Truthfully in college I did specialize in equines, but I wanted to live in Tokyo and there aren’t many stables here. Additionally the people who do have horses are not really the kind of people I want as clients. I want normal, average people with normal, average pets.”

“So you do know medical science about large domesticated animals?” Sesshoumaru asked.

“To an extent, yes. There’s not much of a demand for it, but I know the basics and perhaps even an intermediate level,” Kagome chattered, not realizing she was digging herself a big hole.

“Excellent. Then would you mind accompanying me tomorrow evening? I’m considering buying a pony named Aoi for Rin. I would like a vet’s opinion on the animal before I purchase it,” Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome shook her head. “You would be better off getting an expert’s opinion on it.”

“I will. But you know Rin and I trust your judgment when it comes to animals. Tessaiga is a testimony to that,” Sesshoumaru smoothly said.

Kagome frowned, still not completely convinced. “I don’t know…” she said.

“Think about it. You have my business card. I’ll call you tomorrow,” Sesshoumaru said before taking his credit card from Kanna and sweeping out of the door.

Kagome was slightly shocked by Sesshoumaru’s proposition, but she was even more shocked by her secretary’s comment. “Sounds like a date. You should go. He’s hott,” the girl said, never removing her eyes from her computer screen. “Your schedule is open for any time after 5:00 pm,” she added.

Kagome stared at the high school student before her assistant also shocked her to her wits. “He’s scrambling for a reason to interact with you. First over feeding Ah and Un, then allowing Rin to drop Black Beauty, and now pretending to buy Rin a pony,” Naraku said, his voice didn’t quiver for once.

“What do you mean?” Kagome asked.

“Rin would have been walking on air and telling everything that breathed if she thought she was getting a pony. She obviously didn’t know,” Naraku observed.

“Maybe it’s going to be a surprise?” Kagome suggested.

Kanna snorted. “Sesshoumaru giving anyone a surprise? That has about the same possibility as Inuyasha turning into a cross dresser.”

Kagome had to agree with the secretary’s statement.

“Kakashi Hatake and his pack of eight dogs are here,” Naraku said, peeping out the front window.

“Oh gosh, does he still dress them up in those dorky sweater vests?” Kagome groaned.

“Yeah,” Naraku said as Kanna started digging through the files. “Why does he own so many?”

“He hunts. They’re his tracking dogs,” Kanna said as she set the files aside.

“Does he really need eight of them?” Naraku asked. “In the middle of Tokyo no less.”

“Whatever floats his boat. I don’t care, he didn’t bring his students with him this time did he? That Naruto kid nearly decimated my X-ray machine when he started fighting with the black haired brat,” Kagome complained.

“It appears that he left them behind this time,” Naraku noted.

“Finally, something is going my way,” Kagome breathed.

Later that night Kagome pet Buyo as she watched TV, occasionally glancing down at the blue brush that sat on the couch next to her. She was oddly unwilling to use it. It still puzzled her why on earth Sesshoumaru bought it for her.

Miles away, a smug Sesshoumaru reclined in his couch, his charge already neatly tucked in bed with her zoo of animals.

Sesshoumaru could hardly believe his good luck when he came across Kagome this morning. Things would be proceeding nicely if he was able to lure her out of the clinic. He could only inflict inconsequential injuries on Rin’s pets for so long before the vet would catch on.

If Kagome reacted as she hoped, right now she would be wracking her brain for a reason why Sesshoumaru bought her that stupid brush. Sesshoumaru had known the girl would only allow him to treat her to one item. A frappe was easily forgotten, but a brush that would lie around the house for the months to come would be a physical reminder to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru smirked and leaned further back into his chair. Yes, things were going quite nicely.

A/N: I never really addressed this but I suppose it’s time to fess up: I am NOT a vet student. No no no no no. I do try to be at least slightly accurate. All of the details listed in this story are either from visits to the vet I’ve made with my pets, or from some shallow research. Kikyo’s and Kagome’s conversation about the iguanas is true, but I haven’t really bothered to look up a lot of information regarding veterinary school. Because this is a Fanfiction I don’t really care if everything is 100 percent correct, so please bear with it if there are any errors.

Kagome’s clinic is based off a veterinary clinic I took my pets to as a little kid. (Yes it really was attached to the vet’s house.)

I tried doing research to better grasp Totosai’s character… but I couldn’t really find much of anything about him, so I took some artistic liberties.

It must be pretty obvious that I hate Kikyo, or at least intensely dislike. Sorry, I can never find it in myself to make her a nice person. She just doesn’t seem nice or even remotely likeable.

Finally, Thank you for reading my story, and now I beg you on my knees, groveling, please review! Pretty please? I love you so much!! I promise!