Ex Umbra by Aurora Antheia Raine

Something Old, Something New (For Rowdy - Part 1 of 3)

Ex Umbra - Latin for "From the Shadows"

Rowdy's Guilty Pleasure: Strong, intelligent Kagome. Determined Sesshoumaru. Lots of laughter.

Author's Note: Not sure how I faired on the humor (it's pretty non-existent), but there is a strong, intelligent Kagome and a very determined Sesshoumaru. This will be my collection of stories written for Naq and Cakey's Dokuga Mod Appreciation Month 2012. All stories can be read as one-shots or the entirety can be read for a long, multi-chaptered story. Both will make sense. This particular story, dedicated to Rowdy for all her awesomeness, will be told in three parts. This is part one.

- o0o -

He stared incredulously at the tiny slip of a woman standing in front of him, dressed in a black suit jacket with a red top underneath, black dress pants, and heels. Heels. Did she think she had applied for a desk job? However likely that notion may be, Toga's statement could not be mistaken and even Sesshoumaru would not be so brazen as to ask if his precinct captain had lost every ounce of his sanity.

"As of today, Detective Higurashi Kagome will be your new partner."

Sesshoumaru mentally scoffed, his lips curled in disdain. He continued to examine her slowly from head to toe, pinpointing each of her flaws and creating a list of why she would be unsuitable for the job - why she would not last here.

His previous partner, a burly man by the name of Ginkotsu, had been a firm wall of steel, both mentally and physically - until a murder case two weeks in had broken him and he had fled faster than the jury could convict the prime suspect guilty.

Some of the cases they received were downright brutal and it took someone with an iron stomach to remain unfazed by the amount of violence they were sometimes forced to deal with. It wasn't sexism or stereotype that had Sesshoumaru doubting his new partner, Detective Higurashi Kagome, but... how could a lithe woman, standing no taller than five foot seven, and that was in heels, tolerate the amount of violence that Ginkotsu had not been able to?

She was, Sesshoumaru deduced, a fraud. Either that, or this was her first opportunity at a field based career and did not realize what the position entailed. He knew her type well - she was the kind of woman who thought they were headstrong, intelligent, and confident, but in reality, when faced with the dangers that came with the job, became a useless mass of quivering flesh. She was the type of fragile woman who needed protecting, but Sesshoumaru was no babysitter.

He made his instant dislike for the woman apparent on his face and her ocean blue eyes immediately flickered in response - a subtle realization that while he had been mentally sizing her up, she had been doing the same to him. He quirked an eyebrow at her and Kagome responded by slightly angling her chin up defiantly, meeting his gaze square on. The corners of his lips curved, but the smile was anything but welcoming. It was mocking - taunting.

Blue eyes narrowed and red lips pursed in displeasure as tension leapt between them, but Toga remained oblivious to the mutual dislike they had taken towards each other. With a gleeful smile, the captain glanced at the duo and had to refrain the urge to clap his hands together with excitement.

"You two look marvelous together as partners! Now, Taisho, show Detective Higurashi around the squad room and get acquainted with each other before you're called away on your first case together," Toga stated, ending the sentence in a sing-song voice before practically skipping to his office and closing the door.

An edgy silence echoed in the usually boisterous squad room until Sesshoumaru spoke, his tone haughty yet aloof.

"You won't last here, girl. I suggest you return from whence you came."

A thin, elegant eyebrow rose in response. "And you would be the best judge of that?"

"In fact, I am," Sesshoumaru announced coolly. "This has been my profession for the past ten years and I can inform you now that you fit the description of a woman overconfident in her nonexistent abilities. There is nothing you can contribute to the team here."

Kagome was silent for a moment, the barest hint of a smile upon her neutral face. She slowly approached Sesshoumaru like a predator stalking its prey, heels clacking against linoleum tiles, until she came to a stop before him. Wordlessly, she dropped her purse onto his desk, scattering his papers to the floor. "Is that so?" she murmured, issuing a silent challenge.

His eyes narrowed as he watched his files flutter to the floor, but made no movement to retrieve them nor did he step back from the woman. Sesshoumaru would not allow her the pleasure of seeing his weaknesses - not that he had any. He remained silent and Kagome's smile grew wider.

"Then," she continued, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "Prove it."

"I have neither the time nor energy to play your childish games, girl," Sesshoumaru sneered, turning away from her in obvious dismissal.

"This isn't merely a game," Kagome stated, staring at his taut back. "It's a wager. If I can prove you wrong, I will expect no one to give me anymore of this sexist bullshit. If you prove me wrong, I will leave. Today. No questions asked."

He paused mid-movement to ponder the wager, deciding whether or not the results would be worth it. Time was not a luxury that he had, especially with the paperwork from the previous case he still had to complete and submit to Toga. His indecision must have shown upon his face, or Kagome was an extremely good judge of character, because her tone was dripping with sarcasm when she spoke. "What? Are you afraid, Detective Taisho?"

"Hardly," Sesshoumaru retorted, rising to the challenge as he immediately began scanning the squad room. "The task is simple," he added, once his gaze landed on what he had been looking for. "A round of hand-to-hand combat against our smallest detective, Suzuki Shippo."

Kagome looked at her opponent, taking in his petite, slender frame and attempted not to blanch. Was that how weak woman in the police force were seen? Was that how her partner saw her? Incapable of defending herself against a young boy?

"He is still an intern," Sesshoumaru explained, flashing her an arrogant smirk. "You shouldn't have any problems, right Detective?"

"I do, in fact, have a problem with this arrangement," Kagome hissed in response, barely refraining from forcefully jabbing her finger upon his chest. She struggled in silence for a moment to conceal her rage and Sesshoumaru was stunned when all traces of her fiery temper had quickly vanished - only to be replaced with a coy smile. "I have an even better idea. That is, if you are not too afraid to agree to it."

"I would be open to any negotiations that you may have, since even I would not like to make this ordeal too humiliating for you to bear."

Kagome's smile tightened, but she didn't back down. "Hand-to-hand combat. You and me."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows shot up in surprise, disappearing behind his silver bangs.

"You issued the challenge, did you not? Then it would only be fair that the method in determining the victor involves only the two initial participants."

"Very well," Sesshoumaru stated coolly. "I accept your challenge, but do not gripe about your disadvantage when I defeat you."

"Do not worry, Taisho," Kagome countered. "I'll go easy on you. Hell, I'll even keep my heels on." She winked at him, leaving Sesshoumaru absolutely flabbergasted, as she picked up her purse and left the way she came - as if expecting him to follow in her footsteps.

Word Count: 1,202