InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath's Destruction ❯ Reconstruction ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: Hmm...Has anyone else noticed I have a fetish for putting Kagome is horrible situations that normally involve her running away from someone? ^^; Heh heh...And the flower power thing? Um, don't tell anyone, but about the whole hippie thing...I'm a total tree hugger...

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Disclaimer: Je n'ai pas d'Inuyasha! (Hmm...I really should be studying for a major French test right now...^^)

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Aftermath's Destruction

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--- Last Chapter ---

She squared her shoulders and looked at Inuyasha and Sango straight in the eyes. "I know Souta and Shippou are fine, and we'll get out of this mess. Call it woman's intuition if you must. And I'm fine, we'll find them, I'm not worried."

And she meant it.

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter Three: Reconstruction

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"Kagome..." Inuyasha started and watched as she faced him, ready to deny any negative comments that he had to make. It felt good to surprise her. "If you're that confident in this," he started slowly, "Then I believe you're right."

It felt good to be surprised too, apparently. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she gave him a soft smile and turned to Sango. "And how `bout you?"

Sango pursed her lips and carefully formed her words. "Kagome, you have the best gods be damned intuition I have ever seen. If you're this sure, than why the heck not?"

She flashed another sure smile in her magenta-eyed friend's direction. "Aw, that was sweet San-chan!" A slow clapping started from behind Kagome, and she whipped around to face a grinning Miroku.

"Bravo, Kagome-sama! You know I'm always on your side," he gave a wink.

She flushed a little, not from embarrassment but from gratitude. "Thanks Sir-Monk!" She said laughingly, keeping the same formal-tone that he always used with her.

He glowered a little in her direction; "I work for the government, not for Buddha."

Kag gave him a smile and a wink; "I know that! But it's fun to tease anyway."

Inuyasha looked uncomfortably between the three faces of his friends. How could they take this much buddy-buddiness without gagging?

"I think our flower-power session has gone on long enough. I'm getting out of here before I'm talked into wearing tie-dye and get turned off beef," he strode to the study door.

"You have the hair for it!" Kagome laughed at his back. It wasn't the fake cheery laugh from upstairs when she was holding back tears, either. It was a soft, real laugh.

`Good for you Kagome, you'll get through this. I know you will.'

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Inuyasha was driving again. He liked the feel of the monstrosity of truck in his control. Inu was the kind of man who liked to rule the road. Taking a few glances back and forth between the road and the girl sitting next to him, he finally gave in. "What are you doing?"

Kagome looked at him with quirked eyebrows. "Annoying you, apparently. But that's just a side benefit...I'm humming."

He gave a glare through the corner of his eye. "I know that! I just meant...Why are you humming?"

She shrugged and announced: "Fine then...I'll sing!"

He shrugged. "I don't really care. You go on and do that..." In truth, he liked her singing. But dishing out compliments wasn't his best talent.

"---It seems to me that maybe,

Pretty much always means no.

So don't tell me you just might let it go.

Often times we're lazy,

It seems to stand in my way.

Cause no one, no, not no one, likes to be let down.---"

She shrugged and grinned a little sheepishly. "I like that song, but I don't really know it. It's hard enough to just remember the chorus."

Inuyasha smirked a little and impatiently waited for the light to change. He glanced over at her, "Don't worry about it. You're tired, let you're brain take a breather. You really should have slept."

She sent a glare his way and he had to struggle to smother his smirk and laugh. "Thanks for the advice, Mother, but no thanks. I'm fine. And how did you know I didn't sleep?" she questioned suspiciously.

He gave a shrug and told her nonchalantly, "You said earlier you have woman's intuition-,"

Kagome gave a mock gasp, "No! Don't tell me you have it too!" she teased.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Oh shut it. I have what you could call `man's intuition'!"

Kagome rolled her eyes back. "There is no such thing! Only woman have a natural intuition!" she said haughtily, then laughed at herself. "Sorry, just kidding...animals have it too."

He scowled, "I know that! I'm not a moron, like certain others..." he trailed off.

Blowing her cheeks out, she eyed him. "Inuyasha! Could we have one, just one, conversation where you didn't insult my poor Kouga!"

"Your?" he echoed back. "Wow...didn't know he had you that wrapped around his finger."

Kag rubbed at her eyes, "Gods! Maybe I am starting to get tired. I swear I just heard you say that Kouga was playing me..." she gave a short laugh as she trailed off.

"Exactly!" Inu declared as he sifted gears. "Damn it takes forever to get home."

"Home? Wait, where are we?" Kagome looked out her window and then reverted her azure gaze back at him. "Inuyasha...we placed my place ten minutes ago. What did you mean by `home'?"

"Easy. My home, where you'll be staying for awhile," he kept his purple orbs on the road ahead of them.

She gaped at him. "I'm not staying there! I have my own home, what if they call?!"

He sighed. "Look, Kagome. While you were upstairs, Sango, Miroku, Detective Yagi, and I all talked about what would be best for you. They don't want you staying alone, so you need to stay with one of us. Sango is housing almost two dozen cops at her house, and I don't think you want to live with Miroku."

"So that leaves you." She said slowly. "But what if the boys call? I need to be home!"

Inuyasha glanced at her out of the corner of a lavender eye before taking better care of turning onto his driveway. "In fact...I was the one who asked that. They'll have a technician in to trace all calls directed from your house to Sango's, and mine too. That way the police will always know if the kidnappers contact you."

"Oh. And clothes?" Kagome just now realized that she was still in the sweatpants and oversized sweatshirt that she'd slept in.

"Tomorrow is Sunday. I'll drive you over and give you a hand in grabbing some things."

He shifted on the parking gear and shoved his door open. Walking around, he opened Kag's door and helped her out.

"All right. Thanks." Kagome let him lead her to the door.

"You know the room you can stay in?" he pointed down a corridor of the maze like home toward the room she had lived in three months before.

"Yeah."

Just as he reached the hall and turned the corner to the kitchen to call Sango, he heard her last statement. "Just like old times. Eh, Inuyasha?"

And then she was gone.

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In the morning, as Inuyasha wandered past his door, which was next door to Kagome's, and then paused at the bathroom. He could hear muffled singing. Curiously he pushed the door open a little.

Kagome was inside, taking a long, hot shower and singing some alternative rock song.

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"---I would swallow my pride,

I would choke on the rhynes,

But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside.

I would swallow my doubt,

Turn it inside out,

Find nothing but faith in nothing.

Wanna my put tender, heart in a blender,

Watch it spin `round to a beautiful oblivion.

Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.

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I burn, burn like a wicker cabinet,

Chalk white and oh so frail.

I see our time had gotten stale,

The tick tock of the clock is painful.

All sane and logical,

I wanna tear it off the wall.

I hear words and clips and phrases.

I think sick like ginger ale,

My stomach turns and I exhale.

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I would swallow my pride,

I would choke on the rhynes,

But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside.

I would swallow my doubt,

Turn it inside out,

Find nothing but faith in nothing.

Wanna my put tender, heart in a blender,

Watch it spin `round to a beautiful oblivion.

Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.

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So Cal is where my mind states,

But it's not my state of mind.

I'm not as ugly sad as you.

Or am I origami,

Folded up and just pretend,

Demented as the motives in your head.

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I would swallow my pride,

I would choke on the rhynes,

But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside.

I would swallow my doubt,

Turn it inside out,

Find nothing but faith in nothing.

Wanna my put tender, heart in a blender,

Watch it spin `round to a beautiful oblivion.

Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.

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I alone am the one you don't,

Know you need take heed feed your ego,

Make me blind when your eyes get close.

Tie me to the bedpost.

I alone am the one you don't,

Know you need take heed feed your ego,

Make me blind when your eyes get close,

Tie me to the bedpost.

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I would swallow my pride,

I would choke on the rhynes,

But the lack thereof would leave me empty inside.

I would swallow my doubt,

Turn it inside out,

Find nothing but faith in nothing.

Wanna my put tender, heart in a blender,

Watch it spin `round to a beautiful oblivion.

Rendezvous, then I'm through with you.

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Through with you!

Rendezvous then I'm through with you... ---"

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She seemed to pour all of her anger and depression at the situation into her singing. What started out soft became louder and more pumped.

Inuyasha softly closed the door and slunk away, afraid to get caught listening. Especially when it was listening outside of a bathroom when the singer was taking a shower.

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"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she wandered into the kitchen, towel drying her hair.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently.

"What's for breakfast?" she seated herself at the counter to wait for her meal.

"Ramen."

She groaned.

"Wait, hold on a second." He immediately defended himself, spinning on his heal. He was wearing a pink, lacy apron with a steaming pot of noodles in one hand.

"What?" she asked dully, eyeing the noodles... and the apron.

He perked up, "They're egg ramen!"

That resulted in another groan.

"For all that is holy!" Kag declared, holding her hands up to the heavens.

"What is holy these days...?" he muttered, pouting at her lack of enthusiasm for his cooking.

"Well, the youth of today." Kagome started ticking off on her fingers.

"Ramen." Inu added.

"Cats, just like the ancient Egyptians thought..."

"Ramen."

"Untouched nature that is still pure."

"Ramen."

"Oh! Chocolate!"

"Ramen? Chocolate ramen?"

"Ew! No, Inuyasha. Chocolate and ramen, not chocolate ramen." Kagome moaned and immediately pushed away from the table. "Never mind about breakfast, I think I lost my appetite. Call me as soon as you're ready to go pick me up some clothes."

"Uh huh, sure," Inuyasha mumbled behind her.

She turned around to find him already distracted with the egg-flavored broth and its noodles.

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Inuyasha cleared his throat as he struggled to hide a rather large grin, and a sweatdrop just as big. "You done there yet, Kag?"

"Huh? No way! That's just my tops..."

"Right," he looked amusingly at her three suitcases of various shirts. In the last three months, he'd learned her weakness of clothes. No matter how many items Kagome had, she just has to shop for more.

"Oh. I should bring my faded jeans, my black jeans, my hip huggers, my peddle pushers, my jean capris, my khaki ones, my cargo pants, and all my lounging pants!" she ticked off as she struggled to fit everything into another bag.

"Oh. Don't forget the tight, low-rise ones...I like those..." his lavender eyes had a slight far off look to him.

It took awhile to regain control after the shoe hit him in the face.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome blushed. "I only wear those when I'm cleaning. I wore them when I was fifteen! I grew out of them years ago..."

"Exactly," he pointed out. "Tight low-rise-."

THUNK

"Fuck! That hurt, what the hell was that?"

"Huh? Those were my leather pumps. A good fifteen pounds apiece!" she smirked as she rushed around to gather her other clothes.

"What are you doing? Planning to hold a fashion show? You have way too much for a few weeks..."

She brushed him off. "We don't know how long I'm staying. Plus I need an outfit for work, for after work activities, if I go out to a nice place, and all that great stuff. I need choices, Inuyasha!"

"Keh."

"What?" she glared at him while zipping the bulging bag shut. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?"

"It. Won't. Shut." She grunted as she tried to force the zipper closed.

He shrugged and came over to sit on the suitcase, allowing for her to pull it closed. "Better?"

"Yeah. You know?" she tucked some hair that fell out of her ponytail behind an ear. "If I was a mean person, I'd comment about your fat ass and the amazing ability to help me shut that thing..."

He scowled, "But you're not a mean person, right?"

She smirked, "Of course. Which is why I won't say anything about your fat ass..."

"Kagome!"

"Okay, okay, I'm stopping now." She went into a fit of coughing that sounded suspiciously like `big butt' but he ignored it.

"Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." She shrugged, sweeping a gaze around to make sure she had what she needed.

"Good. It only took you three hours of my Sunday." He yanked up a few of the suitcases and started to the door.

As Kagome followed, dragging one suitcase in each hand, she snapped upright. "Wait!" she clapped her hands together. "I forgot my shoes!"

Inuyasha groaned as he let the suitcases tumble off his shoulders to the floor. He then followed them, preparing to wait for another long time.

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"--- She's watchin' wrestlin,

Creaming over tough guys,

Listening to rap metal,

Turn tables in her eyes.

It's like a bad movie,

She's lookin' through me,

If you were me, you'd be,

Screaming `someone shoot me'.

Trying to get the girl all the bad guys want! ---"

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SMACK

"What you do that for?" Kag asked curiously as Inuyasha frantically searched for another song. `My Will' came on and Kagome slapped his hand away, "Stop there, I like this song. Now why'd you change it?"

He scowled and kept his eyes on the road. "Don't like it," he grunted.

"O~kay," she sang out and turned to look at the passing scenery. "You have a fetish for changing the channel from songs I like on the radio. Every time we're in the car, you have to switch them!"

"I don't switch them every time. I'm letting you listen to this, right?"

"So," she huffed. Rolling her eyes, she patted him on the shoulder, "Thank you."

"Feh. No problem."

"Uh huh. Right, anyway. What's next on our agenda?" Kagome asked curiously as she watched all the passing shops. Them, and the credit cards in her pockets, seemed to be calling her.

"That's easy. Go home. Take a nap. Get up. Eat ramen. Go back to sleep. Get up. Go to work."

"Wow," she sweatdropped, "You've got this all planned out, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. I'm a real organized man!"

Kagome snorted. "Uh huh," she agreed, not very convincingly though. "So...any room in that plan for letting me get some shopping done?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you need a nap too."

"I do not! What are you, my mother?" Kagome frowned indignantly.

"No, but I'm watching over you!"

"Fine, I'll rephrase my question. What are you, my protector?"

"Perfect word for it."

Kagome began to tap her head into the dashboard. "When I'm home, my grandpa treats me like I'm four. When I'm here, Souta treats me like he's the adult. When I'm at work, Sesshoumaru watches me like an older brother, and now I have an over-zealous man to be my `protector'! Since when did I become a damsel is distress?" she muttered to herself.

"Uh. Since you were woman?" Inu suggested innocently.

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"Oh, my God!!!" A frantic woman slammed her heel down on the brake. "Why is that woman strangling that man?! He's driving!"

The man in the passenger side held on tightly as he watched the little silver convertible swerve on the busy Tokyo road. "I don't know, but I'm going to be sick!"

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"INUYASHA!" A severely pissed off woman roared.

"Kagome! I'M DRIVING!"

"I don't care. First of all, that was a rhetorical question. And second, what do you mean since `I'm a woman'? You sexist bastard!"

"Kagome, calm down. Take your hands off my neck until after I pull over!"

"NO! DIE INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha flashed a gaze into the rearview mirror. "Uh, Kagome? What are those red lights?"

Kagome loosened her lock on his neck to glance behind her. "Oh. They're the cops. You better pull over..."

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"Kid!" A harsh voice shouted as he kicked the small boy awake.

The ebony haired youth looked up through wary chocolate brown eyes. "What do you want?" he snapped, not letting his situation tear his spirit away.

"Stay awake when you're around here," the man snarled as he swept an arm around the dimly lit room. "You never know what'll happen if you let you're guard down," he gave a snicker.

"Kagome will come," the boy hissed. "My sister will get me out of here! And Inuyasha will help! You bastards!" Souta leapt up from the wet, cold, concrete floor to lunge at his captor.

The man easily knocked the thin boy away. "You might not want to try that again until you've eaten something. Why waste your strength, you haven't had food since we found

you," the tall man snarled.

"I don't care," Souta huffed, speaking to his kidnapper like he thought Inuyasha or Kouga would. Don't let them see your fear. "I'm not hungry," he glowered up at the taller man from where he'd landed.

"If you feel that way. Then we can just allow you to skip tonight's meal too, why waste food where its not wanted?"

Souta refused to answer.

The man gave a short laugh before leaving the enclosed space. The young male took a few glances around, and waited for the footsteps to die away. As soon as the `click/clack' was gone, he propped himself up and looked out the window.

Looking through the tiny window of the wooden door, he looked down the hall where there were multiple doors just like his lining the area.

`I have to find Shippou and get out of here. I have to, before they put me to work like the rest. Kagome and Inuyasha are strong, but can they get past all seven of those men?'

Souta closed his eyes and backed away until he came to a corner. Sliding down the wall, he curled into a small ball for warmth. Keeping his tears at bay, real men don't cry he reminded himself, he let loose one last sentence before drifting off.

"They'll have to make it."

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A/N: Hmm...so I had some humor in there. We also saw Souta and got a reminder that this story has a plot and such. I have a plan on what I'm going to do with the boys. Please review this chapter. I'm seriously getting better at this writing story thing.

Ja ne!