InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ Resignation ( Chapter 15 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

~<>~ Chapter 15 ~<>~ Resignation

 

 

 

Kagome stared out at the sullen gray sky in despair. It was odd how the climate seemed to be reflecting her mood so perfectly. It had to be a conspiracy. How else could it be explained; all the traumatic events had led her to this; a chilled breeze and a melancholy sky. The world was out to get her.

 

Her eyes slowly drifted back to the busy sidewalks of the university campus as she sighed again, staring out at the world from the plate glass window.

 

“Are you sure about this sweetie?”

 

Kagome slowly turned her head to stare across the car towards the driver, her entire body sluggish and mostly unresponsive. With a dismissing wave of her hand, she sighed for the umpteenth time that day. “Yes, Jackie, I'll be fine.” That was what she wanted him to believe, hell, it's what she wanted to believe. The truth however was much more complex. Staying at Jakotsu's was rigidly out of the question, especially with the stunt pulled by Bankotsu (or one of his men) the night before. She had made Jakotsu promise to go to one of his boyfriends' homes for the next two or three days, just to dissuade Bankotsu from going after him. It was Jakotsu's idea for her to go to Sango and seek shelter at a place that Bankotsu would never look. It was a good idea, Kagome wouldn't displace that truth, but she hated the thought of having to explain herself to someone who would never understand.

 

Kagome knew Sango better than anyone else in the world and with that knowledge was the undeniable truth that Sango wouldn't understand this situation. She would yell at Kagome for letting anyone touch her let alone beating her into submission. Sango would coddle her to make sure she wasn't broken, and in the same breath, scold her for being so naive. She would demand that Kagome call the police, and would become completely irate when Kagome would adamantly refuse. Kagome had already decided she wasn't telling Sango about his break in at Jakotsu's. That would set the girl off like a firecracker, and she didn't need that kind of attention.

 

A small part of Kagome was praying that Sango would cry with her, understand that he broke a part in her that was going to be impossible to ever piece back together. Before Bankotsu, she had held her heart together with duck tape and bubble gum, holding it together by will power. When Bankotsu entered her life he had mended those broken pieces and gave her meaning again. Looking at her life at the current moment, Kagome began to wonder if it was possible that somewhere along this journey, he had not only mended it but soldered her heart shut. Had he destroyed parts of her only to make it impossible to love another? It would be the ultimate manipulation to assure she would never leave him. Would she ever be able to love someone else? To these, she had no logical answer.

 

With a small nod, Kagome finally willed together her strength and her perseverance. “I'll be fine,” she muttered as she pulled at the steel door handle. Pausing, she turned to cast a small frown back at Jakotsu. “Jak…I…”

 

Jakotsu leaned across the length of the car and pecked her on the cheek. “I know, Kaggie. Just…be safe, okay? And call me if you want to talk. You know I'll always make time for the women folk.”

 

The smile that graced Kagome's lips was short lived. “Thanks, Jak. I'll call you tonight.”

 

Jakotsu nodded once, keeping his mouth shut and summoning down his urge to voice all of his own fears. He was scared that Bankotsu was going to make this personal. If Bankotsu took a serious interest in making Kagome suffer, the girl's life would be over. He knew his cousin better than he let on, and he knew more then anyone else what Bankotsu Koizumi was capable of. The man had no heart; he could kill without blinking an eye. Jakotsu also knew that Kagome was on the top of his shit list.

 

With another wave at the broken girl, Jakotsu watched Kagome hobble off towards the buildings, a feeling of remorse and guilt building in his chest. He should have pushed them apart when he realized what Bankotsu's intentions had been two years ago. He should have told Kagome everything, anything to get her to leave Bankotsu in the dust. But alas, they were here regardless, standing amidst this train wreck that was worsening in the severity and causality rates. Pushing the Escalade into drive, he tried to refocus his attention on something brighter, something happier, like the blond haired man he was going to seduce in T-minus one hour. But somehow, that dreary gray sky seemed to tear into a part of him too, filling him with an inconsolable melancholy.

 

Kagome watched Jakotsu pull away from the doorway of the Student Center, one hand pressed to the passenger side window. Had she truly been the one to call him when she was wounded? Of all the people she knew, yes, Jakotsu would have been the easiest to get a hold of, and the most beneficial. Not only did he know Bankotsu personally and where the club was located, but he also knew her dirty little secret. She wouldn't have had to explain it to someone who was overly judgmental, like her cousin. But the explanation was inevitable, wasn't it? Despite the layers of makeup that she and Jakotsu had painted on her face, her eyes were still black and her cheeks were still discolored. Her lip was still torn in two spots and the dark crimson lipstick only made her seem whiter. All in all, she looked like an abuse victim trying to cover it up. `Oh hey look,' she thought sarcastically, `that's just what I am.'

 

Hiking her scarf a little higher against her mouth, she had managed to hide herself beneath the material. Her sunglasses made a cute accessory to covering the bruises under her eyes. She still looked horrible though, but now in a Marilyn Monroe-after-the-heroine type of way. Walking swiftly through the student center, she exited the other side of the building and trudged towards Edison Hall, to her science class. She was in luck that it wasn't Wednesday, and didn't need to face the class she shared with InuYasha and Rin. She had already missed this class last week on Friday when she fell to the hands of Bankotsu, and couldn't miss it again under fear of failing the next test. The only person she would have explanations to dish out to would be Naraku, if he even attended class that day. It seemed that lady luck might have been on her side, seeing to Naraku's chronic inability to attend class. But after her last week, something told her that was too much to wish for.

 

As Kagome found her way into the classroom, her face nearly fell. Lady Luck had turned her back on the stricken girl. Naraku sat relaxed in the seat next to hers, his eyes locking onto hers the minute she stepped through the door. She watched the corners of his mouth tip into a tight frown and marveled at how angry he seemed to grow within seconds. His red eyes narrowed to slits, as if trying to drain the knowledge of her plight from her soul. She hesitated for a moment, considering sitting anywhere else but next to the hanyou. But as fait would have it, all other seats were normally taken by the freshmen of the class. And it would be far worse, she decided offhandedly as she slowly dawdled towards the infuriated male, to explain her current disposition to a complete stranger who was three years her junior then to a man who was supposedly shagging her cousin. At least Naraku could take the news in stride, or so she hoped as she dropped into her chair with a grimace. `I mean, he has to have some dirty secret in there. After all, he is involved in an affair. That's a sin on some level, yes?' she bantered with her conscious.

 

“Take them off.”

 

Kagome's head swung to the left as if she had taken yet another punch from that narcissistic bastard Bankotsu. Glowering at the hanyou next to her, she stared from behind the safety of her sun glasses. “Excuse me?” She had to have heard him wrong.

 

“Take off the sunglasses.”

 

With a rather InuYasha like scoff, she responded snidely, “sorry sweetie, I don't do requests.” She nearly blinked at her response instead of holding her steadfast glare. Damn, she had to be more careful. That was Goth Kagome talking, and that Barbie wasn't supposed to come out and play until nightfall.

 

Naraku seemed none too pleased. “Damnit,” he growled as he suddenly lurched towards her, being restrained only by the metal bar on the arm rest of his desk. His face was inches from hers, his eyes boring through her shaded lenses. “I can smell the fucking blood from here. Take off those things and let me see what that bastard did to you.”

 

Kagome flinched under his harsh tone, her nose instantly wrinkling at his insistence. She didn't like pushy men, they bothered her. They reminded her to much of him. “No.” Turning in her chair, she stared towards the blackboard wishing that the professors were on time for the first miserable time ever. She blinked twice, seething with righteous indignation, before snapping her head back to the left. “What bastard?” she didn't like Naraku thinking he had any control over her actions, or had any say in what she did. That did not sit well with her at all. What worried her more was his distinction of jerk that did this to her. What could he smell, what did he know?

 

Naraku raised an eyebrow, his frown remaining firmly intact. “I have a guess, but I'm hesitant to say it. Now let me see the damage.”

 

Kagome reared backwards when Naraku reached out and attempted to take the glasses off her face. Slapping his hand away, her eyes darkened behind the glass. “You don't know anything, Naraku. You don't know me!”

 

“I've been trying to change that,” he responded shortly.

 

“Well…stop. I'm not interested.”

 

Naraku shrugged and made motion to try to get her glasses again. She dodged easily. “I don't care. My first issue is that someone decided to use you for a punching bag. I'm not okay with that.”

 

“What do you care?” She asked while crossing her arms and attempting to look threatening. She was nearly sure that the scarf could have added to that hostile demeanor, she noted sardonically. By God she was pathetic.

 

Naraku seemed to be battling with his patience. “I care…because I care about you. You haven't noticed, because you're wrapped up in some conspiracy theory that I'm with your cousin, but its fine, that's okay.”

 

Inching closer with his entire desk, the scraping of the metal against tile seemed to tear apart some of her defense mechanism. Why did he give a damn? This was the guy who supposedly hit on Kikyo with InuYasha in front of him. This is the guy who threw InuYasha through a window sophomore year when they attempted to duke it out in the living room of that said party. He was supposed to be a jerk, supposed to be the villain. Why did he care?

 

“What's not okay,” he continued despite the appearance of their wayward instructor, “is that someone hurt you and you're acting as if it's no big deal.”

 

Kagome met his gaze, held it with her chocolate eyes, and responded slowly, “I know what happened to me. You don't. You're assuming that I just let some butch boyfriend beat the crap out of me. You think I just sat stationary, accepting what someone did to me because, wah, I'm a girl.” Leaning forward, she forced bitterness into her voice. She didn't want to get nasty with him, but it was all that would steer him off, or so it seemed. “The reality, Naraku, is much difference than the appearance. I was mugged in the city, jumped by a couple kids trying to score some money and some pussy. Though I got my ass handed to me, I managed to fight them off to keep things from turning completely horrible. They ran away with my purse, and I survived an attempted rape. Is that enough? Do you really need to see the battle wounds?” Her tone was depraved of any emotion, her eyes holding his gaze like a vice grip. She dared him to deny this story. It would be interesting, she noted in some fuzzy part of her brain, to see how fast her cousin got this story.

 

Naraku swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly with the motion. His eyes, however, never wandered from her hold. He was challenging her…or her account of her incident. Maybe both, maybe neither, but the look in his eyes was nearly enough to make her melt. He seemed angry and put off, furious and sympathetic. All the swirling emotions around that sea of red nearly made Kagome recant the entire story. Finally he nodded once. “If that's how you tell it, then so be it.” Turning slightly, he hesitated for only a moment. “But, say if you ever need retribution, all you need to do is give me a name.”

 

`”All you have to give me is a name…they'll never touch you again”,' why did that sound so fimiliar? The words echoed through her head hollowly, as her mind tried to identify where she had heard those words before. The voice that sounded in her head gave her chills, belonging to only one unmistakable person; the one guy of whom she was willing to go to any measure to avoid. Kagome snorted out her response to Naraku before turning her shaded eyes to the teacher. `But when did he say that,' she wondered as she began to idly doodle in her notebook. Somehow everything except for those grave words was lost on her, just like the entire class period.

 

Before Kagome knew it, everyone was closing their notebooks and stampeding for the door. Had she completely zoned for the entire period, or did she black out? Gazing around wildly, her eyes locked with those ruby orbs that had never truly deserted her and he seemed to confirm her absenteeism. She had zoned for the entire lecture.

 

“Come on,” he ordered, standing slowly and stretching his lanky arms towards the ceiling, “I'll buy you lunch and you can tell me the truth.”

 

Kagome slowly got up from her chair, unable to fight the fatigue that pulled at her. The pain was horrific and nearly set her back down on her ass. Her entire face was throbbing and her thighs felt like they were on fire. She had ignored that pain for the previous five days, never telling Jakotsu the full extent of Bankotsu's punishment. The bruises on the inside of her thighs were fading, unlike those on her face, but were still painful. Gripping onto the edge of the desk, her slight waver must have been suggestive, because within a second, Naraku had jumped over his desk and was holding her by one arm. “I'm fine,” she argued while fighting down the black splotches that had appeared in front of her eyes.

 

“Sure you are, just like how you were about to drop to the floor to do pushups, and not anything like fainting.” Keeping one arm laced under her armpit, he began helping her towards the door. “You need to lay down, Kagome. I don't know what you were thinking actually walking across campus to make it to class.”

Kagome struggled to walk on her own, yet eventually gave into his considerate help. Her attitude, however, prevailed. “Again you are presuming things, Naraku.” Using her right hand, she dug through her Pea Coat pocket to dig out her tiny phone. “My friend drove me here, and I'm actually having someone else pick me up.”

 

Naraku continued helping her down the busy hallway of the science building in silence. After a moment, he cast a downward gaze at the girl. “So are you going to use that cell phone or did you pull it out for show and tell?”

 

The retort that normally would have shot off her tongue died in her mouth. `You want to talk about show and tell,' nearly pushed its way into the conversation. `Bad Kagome, none of that now,' her conscious scolded her. Meeting the demon's gaze, she couldn't hold it. She felt awful for being so snide to a man who was obviously just trying to help her out, but it was her defenses that weren't functioning properly. Like a laser gone haywire, they were firing off at anyone it deemed a threat.

 

As the reached the lobby of the building, a sound gasp that echoed over all the voices was nearly enough to make her cringe. `This is my punishment for being an idiot,' she reiterated in her mind time and again as Sango barreled through people to get to her. Grabbing her free arm, Sango nearly hauled her out of Naraku's grasp as she made motion for some kids at a table to stand up and get out of her way. Begrudgingly, they abandoned their table so that their wounded classmate (of who none of them knew) could sit. Sango dismissed them from the scene with a hardened glare. Naraku lingered over Kagome once she was properly seated in a chair, his arms crossed across his chest like some stoic guardian.

 

Sango fell to her knees in front of Kagome and reached for her sunglasses. “Let me see.”

 

Kagome instinctively smacked her hand away, regretting it an instant later. Sango looked wounded yet hardly dissuaded. Sango sent her a scathing glower, daring her to do it again, and this time successfully extracted the sunglasses. She heard her loud feminine gasp and a low whistle from Naraku, who had shifted his position to ascertain the damage. Reaching out, she snagged back her glasses and used them to cover the wounds.

 

“It's not as bad…”

 

Sango cut her off, holding up one hand with her palm facing Kagome. Her voice was hardened as was her glare. Speaking in Japanese, Sango spoke to exclude the black haired stranger next to her. “You're going to tell me everything, and I mean everything Kagome. When you told me you were hurt, I wasn't expecting this. Why the hell are you even in school? I would have skipped class if I knew you were this bad. I'm going to murder whoever let you come to campus like this! But first and foremost, I want the truth!”

 

Kagome inhaled sharply, her eyes never leaving those cinnamon brown ones that glared at her so piercingly. Staring down Sango was nearly as tough as staring down Bankotsu. “I…” licking her chapped lips under her scarf, she shook her head once. In English, she responded, “Sango, I'm not getting into this here. Can we just go back to your place? I honestly want to lie down; I'm not feeling to well.” To be exact, the entire room was spinning, colors were starting to blend, and she was wishing she had doped herself up with those prescriptions that Suikotsu had given to her. At least with the cortisone shots, she was able to function with minimal pain. The treatments had stopped a day before and by God was she missing them.

 

“Not until you explain yourself,” Sango fired back in Japanese, “and tell me just who the hell this man is next to me.”

 

Kagome sighed wearily, closing her eyes. She didn't want bickering, she didn't want an argument. She just wanted to go to sleep. “He's a friend,” she replied once again in English, more for Naraku's comprehension then Sango's apprehension.

 

Sango seemed to stiffen at the trifling words. “Friend,” she replied ludicrously, her vernacular still Japanese, “is he the bastard who did this to you?”

 

Kagome stole a glance up at Naraku, who seemed to be watching the two like one would observe a ping pong game. With a grunt, she gave in and switched languages for a brief scolding. “No, he is not. He's been nothing but courteous and I would appreciate that being returned. He's not the bad guy, Sango, don't blame him. I'll tell you everything, I promise, please just take me home.”

 

“So it wasn't some band of street thugs,” Naraku replied in flawless Japanese. “Do you plan on lying to everyone or only me?”

 

Kagome and Sango both turned to stare at the man next to them. Sango flushed just slightly, more out of an awkward state of being than actual embarrassment. Sango stood swiftly, her eyes locking onto those magnificent ruby ones. “I'm Sango,” she replied in English. “I'm sorry if I'm coming across as rude, but who the hell are you?”

 

Naraku didn't seem the least bit phased by her bluntness. “Naraku Itogowa,” he replied evenly, inclining his head to the slightest degree. “It seems, Sango, that we have a situation in front of us. Do you know who would do this to our mutual friend?”

 

Sango glanced back at Kagome and pointedly frowned. “No, but you bet your ass I will by time I'm done with her.” Walking to stand in front of the said girl, she bent over at her waist to stare into Kagome's glasses. “You hear me in there? I'm getting the full truth, and nothing but the truth.”

 

“So help me God,” Kagome muttered in jest.

Naraku stared at Kagome for a moment before returning his attention to Sango. “I would appreciate it if you would fill me in on the missing details at a later date. I want to see our Kagome properly taken care of.”

 

Sango eyed him over for a moment before sitting back on her heels. “Yeah…about that…I'll take care of her, and you keep going about your life.” Seeing his eyebrows furrow, she digressed. “You seem like a nice enough guy; nice enough to take the time to help a wounded girl out, that is. But…” she sucked air in through her teeth and shook her head slowly, “yeah…no. It's not going to happen. Give up now.” Turning to Kagome, she grabbed her notebook and tossed it into her backpack. “Come on girl, we got to get you to my car.”

 

Naraku's hand on her shoulder laid pause to her actions. “While I can understand the need of a friend protecting another, I'm not your enemy. Don't take it out on me. I like your friend, obviously, thank you, but I think I'll take my chances with her, not you.”

 

Sango brushed off his hand. “And right now, my friend is out of commission which means that if you want to speak to her, you need to go through me.”

 

Naraku hefted an eyebrow under his bangs. “And is that supposed to deter me?”

 

Sango rolled her eyes and slipped her arm under Kagome's. “Yes,” she answered without giving the man a second glance.

 

Naraku once again interfered. Blocking their path, he shook his head once. “Let me help you. I'll carry her.”

 

Sango eyed him then looked to Kagome, who had remained oddly quiet throughout the entire embarrassing argument. Seeing no verification, or any real emotion for that matter, cross her friend's face, Sango denied his request. “We're fine, Buddy, thanks. I might not look that strong, but I've made guys bigger then you cry.”

 

Naraku scoffed, “somehow I don't doubt that.”

 

Sango would have flipped him off had her hand not been restrained by her friend. Maneuvering them around Naraku, she called back after a brief hesitation and a plague of guiltily conscious, “thanks anyway for the help. It's good to know that someone gives a damn.”

 

Kagome understood the latent tone underlying Sango's words. She was angry that Kikyo hadn't been present for this, or worse, she was diving into her `friendship' with those troubling boys next door. Nearly pitching forward, Kagome struggled to hold her own while walking with Sango. By God was she suddenly tired; she hadn't slept at all the night before, sans that one hour of painful bliss that ended horribly. She was nearly sure that her hands were still shaking from the offset of her nerves. All in all, she was in no condition to be on campus, Sango was right. She had been a fool for coming here, and even more of a fool for crossing one of the richest men in the country. At the current moment, she loathed herself.

 

Stealing a glimpse once over her shoulder as they reached the large doors of Edison Hall, Kagome's eyes locked with the vivid stain of ruby that shined amongst the sea of people. Even twenty feet away, Kagome could make out the vivid clouds of worry that cast over his beautiful iris, casting his lips into the infernal scowl that made him look so devastatingly sexy. But Naraku wasn't for her; she had decided that a long time ago. Sango, with all the fineness in the world, had summed it up completely to the misguided man, and Kagome was bound to give her hell later on, but he had to be aware now. She didn't lust after him as he did her and apparently her cousin. She saw him as a friend and maybe, after this was behind them, they could continue on as such.

 

`Yeah right,' her conscious one again mocked as they slowly descended the cement steps, `and maybe InuYasha and Kikyo will never find out that you got the shit kicked out of you. Keep dreaming.' Or more, to the current moment, it was to keep awake, and to stay as far away as she could from the land of turquoise and smothering cotton.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*

 

It was only after the duo had slipped from his view that Naraku set off to the student center, grumbling about trifling wenches and girls who couldn't keep their mouths shut. Had that girl not interfered, he might have gotten something from Kagome's mouth that would help his newly endeavored quest. He had a good guess as to who had assaulted the girl, but he had no substantial proof besides for a vindictive ire that had yet to be quenched. The only male of whom Kagome associated with, and one that had the power and audacity to lay a hand on her like that, was that Taisho dog. He loathed that name more than any thing else on the face of the planet. The incident with Kikyo was only a mere part of the fiasco that extended back for the past two decades. The war between families had begun while Naraku was still sucking at his mom's tit.

 

Apparently Toga Taisho had decided to industrialize the east coast in merchandising and corporate domineering, and his father's business stood in that bulldozing path. Though his father was handsomely bought out of his services, and offered a job in the upper ranks of Taisho Corp, other parts of his family weren't so lucky. So yes, his father Diego was a slime ball who sold out his own family for a seven digit number, and yes, he deserved the heart attack that claimed his life five years later. His relatives, however, didn't deserve to be discarded they way they were. His uncle lost everything he had invested in his father's company when the merge occurred; his house, his stock, his IRA and his dignity. Having never graduated high school, the family was reduced to poverty. They refused any communication with Naraku on grounds of moral dignity, even after his father's death, until their oldest son was able to logically think straight. Naraku and Muso smoothed things over between them as cousins, and had even became friends. Their youngest son, Onigumo, was like a brother to Naraku, and also a senior member of TKE on campus. Having a relationship with the two boys made up for the years lost while their parents bickered like school aged children. Naraku was only glad that he wasn't foolish enough to fall into the same steadfast mind frame.

 

It could have been out of a sense of moral obligation that Naraku had gone after what InuYasha had, that night so many years ago. It wasn't as if he had any real attraction to Kikyo Higurashi, besides for wanting to bang her brains out; it was just a feeble attempt to spit at the Taisho name. It was then however, that he took on his own personal vendetta against the Taishos…or more specific, InuYasha. They had bickered their way through the past two years, thrown out of countless lectures for their inability to keep their mouths shut, and were arrested twice for inciting violence on campus. For this past year, however, they had kept fairly separate.

 

`Could InuYasha possibly have enough motives to harm Kagome like that,' he wondered idly as he climbed the steps into the Rebecca Stafford Student Center. Staring up at the foggy gray sky, he cursed lightly under his breath. `No, he wouldn't do that.' As much as he hated that bastard, he had a keen eye for deception. InuYasha was a self righteous conceited prick who hardly felt remorse for anything he ever did, but he would never lay a hand on any female (that wasn't intended to grope). There was little that he could link together, as much as he imagined that there was. Ultimately that meant that InuYasha would be one to seek out for more information towards the identity of Kagome's attacker.

 

What irked Naraku the most, he discovered with droll irony as he entered the Student Center café, was that now he had to speak with the devil incarnate. And wasn't luck just on his side today; sitting not more then three tables in was that rat bastard himself. Walking up to the table that housed the annoyance and his misfit friend, Naraku paused, shoving his hands into his pockets and glared. He really didn't want to do this, but Kagome was worth it, or so he kept telling himself.

 

Miroku, oblivious to their guest, was currently ranting about the party he was planning for the next weekend. “So I'm thinking that we should get one of the Sororities to help sponsor this, `cause I mean, fuck yeah.” With a shake of his head, he felt his right palm just about itching in excitement. “What chick can't resist a toga party, or for that matter, me?”

 

InuYasha remained silent, allowing Miroku to dominate the conversation while he idly pushed his food around his plate with a semi erect French fry. “Sure, Miro, whatever.”

 

Miroku hardly took notice to the gloom that decimated his friend's voice. “So…we'll get a couple kegs from the liquor store, I'll get some funnels and we can try to convince the chicks to do keg stands…in togas.” With a heavenly sigh, Miroku could nearly imagine the possibilities.

 

InuYasha felt something stiffen in his back, alerting him to the presence of another. Though his demon senses were muted, they still didn't leave him completely inept. Glancing to his right, his eyes locked with their guests. Sitting up straight, he abandoned his French fry and slowly crossed his arms. Not daring to tear his eyes away from the steadfast gaze, he spoke to Miroku. “Look what the cat dragged in on the bottom of its foot. Miroku, didn't I tell you to pick up the shit in the yard?”

 

Naraku ignored the trivialities. His reason for dealing with the mongrel in front of him transgressed any argument the duo could pursue; Kagome's safety was more important. “InuYasha…I need to talk to you.”

 

Miroku had joined the staring contest, only having known Naraku from afar, he had never realized just how cold the man's voice could be. Hell, it sent chills up his spine. “Whatever you got to say to him, you can say in front of me,” Miroku informed the man, his obvious declaration asserting that neither boy was willing to move.

 

Naraku rolled his eyes then grabbed a chair from another table, swinging it around; he straddled the back and sat down facing InuYasha. Lowering his voice, he did all he could to keep the animosity from his words. “What do you know about Kagome?”

 

InuYasha could feel something inside of him snap at the mention of her name from the hanyou's mouth. It was as if Naraku wasn't worthy enough to speak her sacred name and lightning should have smote him on the spot. Nearly jumping from his chair, the human boy growled, “Don't you dare even think about it? I told you once to keep away from her! I will not say it again!”

 

Naraku raised an eyebrow, obviously not impressed with his brash libel. “Last time I looked, you were shoving your cock into her cousin, which means that you hold no sway over her or who she sees.” Seeing the black haired Taisho begin to turn from a flustered pink to an irate red, he knew the boy was about to blow something, and it was probably in his pants. “Look, I don't give a shit about that right now. I'm talking about what happened to her.”

 

InuYasha was ready to kick in the hanyou's teeth. Concealment spell be damned, he'd rip off the limiter and shove it down this bastard's throat! That was until his last sentence roared through his ears like a 747. His smart assed retort died on his lips as he hesitated. “What do you mean `what happened to her'? What the fuck are you going on about?”

 

Naraku was obviously displeased. His red eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed. Either InuYasha was as dense as he first presumed or Kagome had been avoiding that branch of her group. If she was avoiding them, it meant that they had to know something about the identity of the one who would do this to her. “Someone decided to use her as their personal punching bag…”

 

InuYasha was on his feet in a second, his ears filling with the sound of his own blood. He watched Narkau's mouth continue to move but couldn't hear past the beating of his own heart. `Kagome was hurt? Was that why she wasn't on campus? Who would do something like that to her?' He instantly snapped back to the black eye she sported a week prior and his hands balled to white knuckled fists. “What,” he roared at the top of his lungs. The entire cafeteria silenced within that second, his exclamation resonating off the glass walls of the tiny room. All eyes drifted to their table, yet InuYasha hardly noticed. “What the fuck do you mean used her as a punching bag? Who…what…when?” He was completely flabbergasted, but above that, he was horrified. Within the moment that those thoughts ran amuck through his mind, darker ones crept through and he swore that he saw red. `Someone wants to die…someone is pleading to have me release them from this prison, because anyone who is stupid enough to lay a hand on her must be begging for death!' It wasn't a question of if or when, InuYasha would have the person who hurt Kagome's head on a stake by the end of the night. Grabbing Naraku by the front of his shirt, he hauled the demon off the ground. “A name; give me a fucking name!”

 

Naraku stared at InuYasha, his face a mask of irritation. Beneath that, however, he was amazed at the brute strength possessed in those skinny limbs. “Obviously I would not come to you if I knew that myself. Now put me down before I end you.”

 

InuYasha put him down all right; he threw him face first over the table and stormed out towards the lobby of the building, intent on tracking down Kagome and learning the truth for himself. He couldn't remember a time he had been so livid; his blood was running thick with adrenaline, his heart doubling in palpitations, he was ready to kill whoever dared to touch what was his!

 

Miroku watched in something resembling awe as InuYasha stalked from the room. Turning, he grabbed Narkau's right bicep and hauled him up from the floor. “Sorry bout that,” he apologized for his friend, “he's kind of crazy when it comes to Kagome.” Under the pretense of a smile, Miroku was aghast. He had never seen InuYasha get so angry in all his life. In all honesty, it scared him.

 

Naraku seemed livid and on top of that embarrassed. The look in his eyes was nearly as dangerous as the one in InuYasha's. Ripping his arm from Miroku's grasp, he dusted off his shoulder. “That irrational son of a bitch! What's he going to do, shake it out of her? He'll need to find her first.”

 

Miroku nodded gravely. He remembered InuYasha moping over the fact that Kagome had been gone for the past five days, but now the truth had been exposed. He could only imagine how this seemed. But Naraku was right, if Kagome had been avoiding them, she wouldn't be about to expose it all. “Where is she, Naraku?”

 

Naraku snapped his head around to stare at Miroku. “She said a friend was taking her back to her apartment. Obviously, she's trying to avoid Kikyo. She refused to tell me anything besides that she was jumped in the city by some kids who were after her purse. I'll tell you right now, she was lying her ass off. When he friend got there, she asked for the name of the guy who did this to her.”

 

Miroku stiffened at the insinuation; it meant that Kagome was seeing someone who was capable of inflicting this much pain on her. But the main noun of that sentence irked Miroku; Kagome was seeing someone and hadn't told anyone. InuYasha, who Miroku had convinced into considering leaving Kikyo, would be devastated. Yet above that, she was seeing someone who was abusing her, and that was one thing Miroku had no toleration for. “And what was Kagome's response?”

 

Naraku shook his head, smoldering in his hate of the youngest Taisho. “She wouldn't admit to anything. She was nervous as hell, and I'll tell you, whoever did this to her pulled out all the stops. I wouldn't be shocked if the bastard raped her.”

 

Miroku winced, his breath catching in his chest. This went beyond his angry friend storming in on a traumatized girl. If InuYasha got to her first, this could get very, very ugly. “I have to catch InuYasha. His mouth is bound to get him into trouble.” Gathering his coat, he questioned, “do you have any idea where she went?”

 

Naraku shrugged as he cracked his neck to one side, “no clue. All I know is that the girl she's with is named Sango and speaks Japanese.”

 

`Bingo,' Miroku thought as he grabbed his notebooks. “Go it, I know exactly where she is. And sorry…'bout all that,” he motioned to the floor with a sheepish grin, “but you have to admit, you kind of deserved it.” with a quick flash of a smirk, Miroku moseyed his way from the cafeteria, all to aware of the man he left fuming behind him. He had a mission, one that he stepped into a jog over; he had to find InuYasha before InuYasha found Kagome.

 

*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X**X

 

Sango supported Kagome as she slowly slipped down onto the couch, her head instantly reclining back against the soft micro-fiber cushions. Sango put a hand to Kagome's forehead and held it for a moment, as if checking for a cause to her drowsiness. After a thorough scowl and a darkened glare, Sango walked back to the front door to close it.

 

Kagome watched from half lidded eyes as Sango vanished from sight, letting out a guttural moan once she was gone. The car ride had been torturous; every second hung in the air with enough vehemence to snuff the life from an elephant. When Sango would break the silence, it was normally with rhetorical questions that came in the form of, “what were you thinking?” or Kagome's personal favorite, “how could you be so manipulated?”. Kagome had chosen to keep her mouth shut and simply stare out at the passing landscape, attempting feebly to block out her friend's random comments. She already hated herself for the situation, and she was coming to the strong conclusion that dealing with InuYasha might have been a better solution.

 

Sango appeared again, dropping onto the couch next to her with a bottle of water. Handing it to Kagome, Sango stared out the bay window that illuminated her lack of back yard. She heard Kagome pop the top to the bottle, and gave her a moment to savor the water. Clearing her throat, it was time to get down to business. She wanted answers, she wanted the truth. When Kagome called her that morning and said she was hurt, Sango had thought she was kidding. When they had been little, Kagome would make up wild excuses to ditch Kikyo and spend time with Sango instead. Sango had thought this was an attempt to escape the dorm. Something in Kagome's voice, however, had put her senses into overdrive. Sango had not been ready to see Kagome in her current disposition, however. The bruises were hastily hidden by a half assed makeup job and she looked as if she hadn't slept in a week. Little did she know the reality of her thoughts?

 

“How did this happen?”

 

Kagome lowered the bottle of Poland Springs from her lips and frowned. Recapping the bottle, she placed it at her feet and groaned lightly. “It's a long story…”

 

“One that you're going to tell me,” was Sango's very quick interjection.

 

Kagome nodded once forebodingly. Hell was about to break loose. “All right, I'll tell you what I can.”

 

Sango made a face, “no, you're going to tell me all of it.” turning to look at Kagome, Sango tucked her knees under her body. “I know that there are things you feel that you can't tell me, Kagome. I know it's been years since we've seen each other…but…you're still my sister, and I still love you as such. I can't…no, I won't sit here and watch some douche bag do this to you.”

 

Kagome couldn't even smile at her friend's perseverance. She was so tired and the world was starting to turn into a Van Gogh painting. Swallowing thickly, Kagome gave in. “I…started dating this guy, a few years ago. Let's call him Bob.”

 

Sango raised an eyebrow. “Kagome, this isn't funny. You can't make humor in the face of…”

 

Kagome's eyes snapped open as she turned on her friend. It was like all the bottled emotions sprung a leak, bleeding into her sight and her heart. In a wave of frustration and anger, she lost it. “You think I don't know that?” Tears pulled at Kagome's eyes as she let out a harsh grunt, “you think I don't know that this isn't all a joke? The man I love…loved…had once felt something real for, straddled over my waist and beat me within an inch of my life. The man, who I trusted, who I told everything to, nearly killed me. He meant to kill me, Sango, he meant to do this to me!” Her voice cracked but she couldn't stop, it was all fumbling from her lips and she wouldn't put herself in front of that bullet. She had to spill this to someone; it might as well be Sango.

 

“He woke up, got the truth, and plotted to kill me. Do you know what that feels like? Do you know what it's like to have absolutely no control over a situation, watching as a man who you thought loved you, who you thought would never hurt you, abuse you….again?” Her entire body began to shake as her neck grew damp from the stray tears. “Damnit, Sango, I trusted him. And I'm not talking that warm and fuzzy trust that you have with your boyfriend or that you have with a best friend. I'm talking that trust that you have in your parents to never throw you in front of a speeding car. It's a bond, Sango…a rule; you don't abuse your sub; you punish, you discipline, but you never abuse! I trusted him with that rule, that sanction, and he broke it.”

 

Her hand fluttered to her mouth, and Kagome nearly began to sob. Choking down a sob, she needed to get this out; she needed for Sango to understand the severity of what Bankotsu had done to her. “I'm not an idiot; I know he doesn't love me, and that we wouldn't ever have a future together. I don't want one, but…I never wanted this. I never thought I'd be afraid that he'd show up somewhere and put a bullet in my head for knowing too much. I thought…that even though both our lives were moving on…we'd still be there for one another, that he'd still be a friend.” Snorting once to clear her nose, she rocked forward slowly, her arms crossing over her stomach. Her chin fell to her chest as more tears stained her shirt. “It was stupid; it was such a childish dream, I see that now. I've always known what he was; I've always seen that monster that hides beneath his smile, behind his eyes. Nothing with him was ever black or white; there were always shades of gray with his actions. I thought that he always wanted what was best for me, like any dom would. But he didn't…I wasn't who I thought I was to him. I was another toy, another slut for him to break.”

 

It was as if in that minute, the last two years came flooding back to her, drowning her in memories. An audible gasp slipped from her lips as her fingers shook before her lips. “The things I let him do…the things I did to him, for him.” Slowly she turned her face to stare at Sango in something that reached far beyond disgust. As soon as she caught Sango's startled expression, she turned away. “I did things I would never even consider doing…I…oh god…” the urge to vomit became so pressing, Kagome covered her mouth with her hand and nearly fled the scene.

 

Sango's hand covered her shoulder as the girl scooted across the couch. Pressing her back, Sango's words stabilized Kagome's world for that moment. “Relax and breathe, Kagome. Listen to me, it doesn't matter what you did. It's the past, it's over. You don't have to do it again. I know it hurts, Kagome, and I can't even begin to understand what it feels like to have someone turn on you like that. But you need to breathe, you need to calm down.”

 

Kagome yanked her arm away from Sango, her voice becoming shrill. “Don't touch me! You don't understand! I'm toxic, Sango, I manage to corrupt everything I come in contact with. I ruined my parents, I made my brother a bastard child, I destroyed myself with this asshole, and I've put to many people in danger because of my reckless behavior! What if he comes after us, what if he kills me like he did the last girl?”

 

Sango blanched at the revelation. “Kagome, he's killed someone?” If that was true, this guy needed to be not only behind bars, but euthanized. Seeing the girl slowly slipping from sanity, Sango slid to the floor and grabbed Kagome's hands, kneeling between her legs. “Kagome, look at me! Look at me!” Catching Kagome's eye, she nearly yelled over Kagome's rant, “Let him come after us, I would welcome the fight. You're not going to let this goon win. I don't care what we have to do; he's going to go down for this. I promise you Kagome, he's not going to kill you.” Swallowing what felt like her tongue, Sango pressed on. She could see Kagome's heart breaking into a million pieces with each word; each crystal tear that dripped from her chocolate eyes shattered her world over and over.

 

Kagome shook her head slowly, her entire body trembling. “You don't know him Sango; you don't know what he's capable of. He'll find me…he'll come for me. And I won't be able to deny him; I won't be able to walk away.”

 

“Why? Why can't you tell him to fuck off?”

 

“Because if I do that, more people will suffer,” looking at Sango through blurry eyes, she sniffled again. “I know too much, I know who he really is. If I deny him, if I rise against him, he'll come at me through those I love. He knows me as well as I know him. He'll destroy my life; he'll destroy those who I love. I should have died, Sango…this would be easier.”

 

Sango gasped loudly and nearly belted Kagome. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she slowly shook her head. “What the hell has happened to the Kagome I knew? You would never think something this defeated! So what, you had one crappy relationship! You had a boyfriend who is an asshole who will one day drown in karma. You think it's worth throwing your life away?”

 

Kagome shook her head miserably, “you don't understand. You don't know what I had before him. My life was shredded, Sango, destroyed to the core. He saved me…”

 

“And then he tried to destroy you. And you want to know what's worse? You're letting him. You're sitting here, so upset over the fact that he hit you and that he would have done worse. Maybe he can hurt you and maybe he does know things I don't. But fuck him, Kagome. Go to the police. What can he do to you from a six by six cell?”

 

“His influence, Sango, reaches far beyond anything you understand. He has people working for him in the mafia. He has people working for him in the Bloods. He has influence everywhere. I'd put him away, sure, but I'd go home one day and find my mother and Souta dead. Even if it wasn't now…I'd live for twenty more years, maybe have some kids, and come home one day to find them dead at his hands.”

 

Sango's mouth worked slowly, trying to rationalize what Kagome had shared. Could this man have so much power? Could he have been lying to Kagome? “So…what if you just don't see him anymore? What if you just fade into the background?”

 

Kagome shrugged miserably. “I don't know…I don't know what would happen…”

 

Sango slowly stood up, with every intention of embracing her broken friend. This was much more serious then a few bruises and a broken spirit; this man had consumed her soul and then left her barren. Opening her mouth, she was cut short by a brash knock on her front door that didn't cease.

 

Kagome seemed to jump with each collision. “Don't get it,” she implored, jumping off the couch to grab Sango's hand to keep her from walking to the front door. “It has to be him! My God…” falling into what seemed like a rant teetering dangerous on the verge of a panic attack, she began to chant, “How could he find me this fast?”

 

Sango turned and cupped Kagome's hands. Leading her to the couch, she slowly let her friend sink into the cushion. “Sit here, and don't move. I'll handle this.” Ignoring the protests by her out of sort's friend, Sango approached her front door slowly. Swinging by the back sliding glass door, Sango eyed the plank of wood that she used to block the track it slid on, a very rational idea from her overprotective mother. Grabbing the three foot piece of solid wood, she slowly walked towards the front door. Regardless of how calm she seemed, inside her nerves were on fire. Who would be knocking on her door at four in the afternoon? She didn't know anyone from the neighborhood, so that automatically ruled out a social call. Half of her brain, probably the logical side, was causing her to second guess her approach method; she should call the police and wait for someone to show up before she opened the door to let in those who might do them harm. But her thirst for vengeance was outweighing that rationality. She wanted to hurt the son of a bitch who had the audacity to hurt her friend.

 

Grabbing the front door, she placed the plank behind her back, just in case that the perpetrator was some misguided child selling Girl Scout cookies; couldn't smash a kids brain's in, that would just look awful. With a deep breath, she swung back the door to glare out the screen door.

 

“Where's Kagome?”

 

`So much for formalities.' Her brain cursed as she met the glare from the violet eyed man before her. Sango stuck out her chin, her eyes hardening with what she hoped with intimidation. “What's it to you?” It hadn't struck her until after the words left her mouth that he was speaking in Japanese, and she had responded in such. How would the bastard who did this to Kagome know she spoke Japanese? Could this be a ploy? Could the man Kagome stayed with prior to her return to campus rat them out? That had to be it.

 

The man before her seemed impatient at best. The storm that waged in his eyes was one that Sango was nearly sure she didn't want to dive into, or stand in front of. Something told her that she would have better luck standing in front of a locomotive. He looked like he could kill. Taking a step up towards the door, he hissed angrily, “I want to see her.”

 

Sango made a face then kicked open her screen door, catching her guest square in the jaw. The man stumbled backwards and Sango exited onto the porch. Glancing around, she didn't see any car that this guy could have used to get to their house. Maybe he parked it on another street. Turning her full attention to the guy in front of her, who had recovered from the blow and grown one hundred percent more hostile, she yelled, “What you need to do is to stay the hell away from her! I don't know who you are, but I'm serious when I say that if you come within a mile of Kagome again, I'll kill you! I don't care how much power you have!” Brandishing the plank of wood, her eyes took on the look of a cornered animal, “I won't let anyone else hurt Kagome.”

 

InuYasha could have strangled the girl before him. His trek across town had been hard enough with Miroku bitching in his ear about not blowing up at Kagome. It was as if Miroku couldn't conceive that InuYasha understood what was going on. InuYasha had pulled the Hummer over once, threatening to disembowel Miroku for even suggesting that he was going to `blame' Kagome for her current disposition. As if locking the letch in the car hadn't of been enough, now he had yet another road block in front of him. It was as if God was conspiring to keep him away from Kagome. To bad he would fail; no one could stand between him and that girl, especially if she was as hurt as Naraku made it seem.

 

Yet as he stood on this girl's, Sango he remembered off handedly, front porch this quest had turned epic. Not only was Sango stupid enough to get in his path, now she was wielding a weapon. His eyes darted from the girl to the wood in front of her. “Put down your toy before you hurt yourself! I ain't the bastard who did this to her. Now let me see her!”

 

Sango swung at InuYasha when he took a step towards her. “No! I can't trust you!”

 

“Smart girl, glad to know you have brains. Now put down that fuckin' club, Jane. I told you…”

 

Sango swung again, causing InuYasha to dart out of the path. “And I told you. Now get the hell off my grass before I call the police!”

 

InuYasha's eyes darkened. “You mean someone hasn't called them yet? What…are you waiting for her heart to stop? Are you waiting for a fuckin' anvil to fall out of the sky and onto her head? Why the fuck wouldn't you have called the cops?” Taking a step towards Sango, he growled in frustration as he was forced to retreat just as fast. “Jesus, I take it back. You're an idiot!”

 

Sango snarled back in defense. “I might be an idiot, but you're one stupid son of a bitch for not listening. Now leave us alone!”

 

InuYasha cursed loudly as she swung again at him. “Of all the…” grabbing the wood on the misplaced swing, he yanked it from Sango's hands and threw it across the grass. “Look, all gone! Now back off, bitch. I need to talk to Kagome.”

 

Sango jumped into his path, holding up her fists and taking a jab at his head. InuYasha nearly fell over in shock. “I don't care what you need to do. No one sees Kagome! She's sleeping, and she doesn't need guests. I don't care who you are…”

 

“That's because you don't know me. I'm sure she does care, on the other hand. Ask her yourself…” Looking past Sango, InuYasha screamed, “Kagome! Get your ass out here! Damnit Bitch, I know you can hear me!”

 

Sango shoved him backwards, blockading his view of the interior of the house. “I told you she's sleeping!”

 

Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked a thousand times more intimidating than Sango could have ever of dreamed of looking. “And you don't seem to notice that I don't care!” Screaming once again, he was nearly sure he could wake the dead. “Kagome! Tell your butch Barbie to back off! I want to talk to you! Damnit, wench, I want answers!”

 

Sango huffed once, her eyes betraying her formidability as she glanced backwards into the narrow recesses of her house. “She won't answer,” she said after a moment, glaring back at the intruder, “she's avoiding everyone. Besides, she'll only lie to you.”

 

InuYasha sneered and shoved past Sango. “A wise man once said that truth begins in lies.*”

 

Sango reached out and grabbed his arm before he could pass by completely. “I don't know who you are. As far as I know, you're the one who did this to her!”

 

“I thought we cleared this up. If I did this to her, then why would I tell you to call the police? Arrests are nifty, it's like a production for the neighbors, but not so fun when you're the main character. I'm not the one who did this to her, obviously.”

 

“I don't believe you.”

 

InuYasha scoffed, “I didn't ask you to believe me. Personally, I don't care what you think. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care if you think I'm a figment of your imagination. This figment is going into that house!”

 

Sango stepped in front of him once more. “Like hell.”

 

Footsteps fell behind Sango and the girl turned over her right shoulder, fearful that it was the cronies that Kagome had warned her about. She was hardly ready to come face to face with that cute boy from next door. `Good,' she thought, `maybe he can help me get this psycho off my yard!' She snapped her head back around to glare at InuYasha, gawking when she came to find a door swinging shut. “Wait! Get the hell out of my house!”

 

Miroku sighed loudly and walked up next to Sango. “InuYasha!” he called to his friend who just sauntered into another person's home. The argument that had persisted between the boys had ended poorly for Miroku, who had been locked in the Hummer by the infernal alarm system that InuYasha had installed himself. InuYasha had been furious over Miroku's suggestion to allow him to talk to Sango about Kagome. This was exactly why Miroku had wished to be the messenger. InuYasha must have flown off the handle and verbally assaulted the raven haired beauty next to him. Glancing at Sango, he took note to the simple fact that InuYasha had yet again managed to astonish him; he had successfully locked out the owner of the town house on her front yard.

 

Approaching Sango slowly, he put a hand on her shoulder. “He won't answer…do you have a spare key?”

 

Sango turned with irritation and the brief welling sense of panic; what if this was the man who had hurt Kagome? He was now alone with her and there wasn't a damned thing she could do.

 

Miroku instantly read the panic in her eyes and offered his comfort. Grabbing her hands in his, blue bled into brown as his stare captivated her. “I know you probably have no clue what I'm saying…”

 

`Oh yeah,' Sango thought with a tick of her eyebrow, `he doesn't know I know English. I wonder if he'd hold me at fault if I simply ignored him.'

 

“…But I can assure you, Kagome is in good hands. He may be rough and callous, but InuYasha is a guy of all heart. If he went in there, it's because he's worried about Kagome.”

 

`InuYasha,' Sango thought perplexed, `I know that name.' A light bulb went off in her head instantly. Kikyo…he was Kikyo's boyfriend. A sigh of relief slipped past her lips, nearly audible, before she turned around and began working at the door again, yet without the feverish intent. She was going to hand InuYasha his ass when she was done with him.

 

Miroku placed one hand on Sango's shoulder, nudging her away from the scene. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Digging for his AMEX card, he diligently began to work at her lock. He prayed that the irate hanyou hadn't been smart enough to lock the dead bolt. If he had…well…this could be a while.

 

*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X**XX*X*

 

InuYasha nearly ran around the bottom floor of Sango's townhouse in a panic. Unsure of exactly where Kagome was, he wanted to find her before Sango made her grand reentrance. Rounding the living room corner, he came face to face with what could be considered one of his worst nightmares.

 

Kagome had been trying to look out of the front window, nervously attempting to catch a glimpse of the unwelcome visitor. Sango had left the screen door closed which had successfully muffled all the voices, masking identities once again. Kagome knew that Sango would never let anything bad happen to her, but if it was Bankotsu at the door…. Kagome had thought about taking the death march to the door herself, incase it was Bankotsu. Maybe he would spare Sango if Kagome went along quietly.

 

Kagome pulled her hands to her chest and began to walk in circles, holding back the urge to chew on her nails. As she rounded in her third circle, she nearly ran into InuYasha. For a moment she balked, her mouth hanging open as she stared in shock at the intruder before her. His eyes, those lavender orbs that could tear into her soul and rend her asunder, bore into hers before very slowly crawling across her face, inventorying her abrasions. Snapping her head to her right shoulder, as if trying to hide from the truth itself, she cleared her throat and called to him hoarsely. “What…what are you doing here?”

 

“What are you?”

 

Kagome felt her cheeks twinge in blush, and just as much irritation, as she turned her back on her friend. “I'm visiting my friend.”

 

InuYasha felt is hands ball into white knuckled fists. It was a good thing he had the limiter, he thought with a sense of nausea, because had he not, his claws would have been digging through his veins. “Bull shit.”

 

Kagome closed her eyes, a wave of fatigue sweeping over her. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to get into a verbal confrontation with anyone, let alone InuYasha. Holding out one hand towards the wall, her voice wavered with a stroke of sorrow. “Please…” her voice cracked and Kagome berated herself for her weakness. “InuYasha…please?”

 

InuYasha took a step towards her, his pupils were dilated and his breathing labored. He was going to kill someone, that wasn't the question. Gritting his back molars, the teeth grounded against each other. Pursing his lips in utter anger, he dropped his gaze to the floor. “Please what, Kagome?” He winced as the words left his mouth; so venomous in concoction that his anger could have been easily misplaced onto the wounded girl. “Please forget that I've seen this? Please walk away? Tell me Kagome; tell me what you want me to do this time!” Taking two large strides, he reached her side, grabbed her shoulders and spun her to face him. Lavender clashed against brown, his fingers rose to gently rest against her right cheek and caught the slipping tear. Holding her gaze, his eyes burned with a fire that would never be vanquished; his fury was unrivaled and radiated from his conscious outwards. `How dare someone do this to Kagome!'

 

Kagome tried to pull herself from his grasp, yet found him unrelenting, unyielding. Feebly attempting to free herself, her rough exterior and dignity cracked; “InuYasha…” and with one name the entire façade shattered, revealing the broken girl barren to the eyes of the man in front of her. Collapsing forward, she hardly felt the impact of her body against his, yet couldn't escape the electric jolts that riveted through her body as his hands clasped hastily around her back to support her.

 

InuYasha buried his face in her hair, one hand clumsily coming through her raven locks trying to soothe the ache he couldn't fathom. Someone had hurt her, that was evident, but he was starting to dread whether the external wounds were worse than the internal ones. There was no question that Kagome was broken, and that InuYasha's youkai was demanding the blood of the idiot who would be so careless with her. But now…with her in his arms…he wanted nothing more than to hold her.

 

*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

 

 

-I've been fighting with the end to this chapter for two weeks. Some in sight to Naraku (so who still thinks he's a bad guy), and some more angst. >.<

*- props to who can tell me who said `truth beings in lies'. ^__^

 

MM.org:

 

MistressKagome4U (touché. LOL)

Tarzan14 (oh, you'll see. ^__^),

Silveraloria (I'm sure it would be highly unsettling)

moon_essence1 (no, he has no idea the two are connected),

Yasha21(thanks!! I try to update as much as I can. Chapter endings always catch me though),

sexy_Capricorn(LOL, I'm glad you enjoyed it! had me a little creeped out as well, LOL),

firesjdfklsjk (thanks. COTD was horrid with grammar but I'm trying my best to clean this one up. I'm glad you're enjoying this one),

TrinityK (yeah, he'll get worse. LOl. I enjoy creepy characters, they make me smile. Hehe),

Drake Clawfang (yeah, somewhat similar to the series, this triangle is gonna be a bit obtuse. LOl),

Maloy (LOL, I'm glad you like the quotes. Yeah, I love Bankotsu, but I had to turn him evil. Cause…it was him or Kouga and I just can't see Kouga pulling it off)

Girl_X_16- there's a bit of CotD but only because my writing style won't sway very far from that. There will always be the creepy angst with the `woe is me' drama with the beaten girl syndrome. It's how I write my best characters. LOL. With exceptions of Ryen. ….::looks around:: now where did I stash that man? So…sloppy joe? Hmm…something tells me he's not a `eat with the hands' (food that is) person. LOL.

Leilachan- Don't stress…yet. LOL. glad that you were able to slip away, you know your opinion always matters to me, doll! ^__^ Yeah I know, I hate doing this to my chibi but he just fit the role. LOL. I'm glad you're finding this nearly as addictive, but it won't be half as long (thank god, LOL). ::huggles back::

Inukag_obsession: yeah, he can do that. LOL. well…that `do something' may happen sooner than you think. LOL.