InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath's Destruction ❯ Mama ( Chapter 6 )

5/9/2004: Today happens to be my birthday, and addition to that, my brother has not called to wish me a happy birthday or my mother a happy Mother's Day, as he would normally call on Sundays. (Btw: I hate my birthday and find it as one of the most evil days of the year)

Enough ranting, thanks for all of the reviews!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own three manga and the Japanese game of it.

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Aftermath's Destruction

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--- Last Chapter ---

Brief laugh lines appeared on Tsuyu's youthful face. "I like silver," she admitted as she climbed in the passenger side.

Kagome sighed, "Good. Because knowing Inuyasha, there's a lot of it bound to be around."

"Inuyasha?"

"Sango's and my friend. He also happens to be my boss."

"Oh." Tsuyu looked out the window at the white world. "I love the winter."

Kagome smiled, "Me too, but I like spring better."

"Really? Why?"

Kagome kept her eyes on the road and she replied, "Because my birthday's in the spring. Just before summer."

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter Six: Mama

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Kagome groaned as another knock sounded. "Not another one!" she moaned under her breath, letting her ebony head collapse onto her desktop.

She'd gotten there three hours before and ever since walking through the doors of the Inutaisho Company there'd been a steady stream of visitors. Deciding it had to be boring as hell, Kagome carted Tsuyu off on a tour of the building.

The attractive young woman had landed herself the equally handsome Nobunaga as her tour guide. The only problem was that as soon as the young man had seen the pretty `princess' (as her last name implied) he'd become unerringly shy. Blushing and stuttering seemed to be his newest pass time.

The visitors either presented themselves to drop of stacks of papers for Kagome to work on or to mutter half-hearted, and equally half meant, apologies for her crisis.

It was slow and deadly torture on the stressed mother/sister.

"Come in!" She shouted in, what she hoped was, her most professional voice.

"Oh, good, you're still alive." Inuyasha walked in and plopped down in the chair in front of Sesshoumaru's desk, currently occupied by Kagome.

"At least you knocked this time," Kag muttered under her breath.

"Keh. Anyway, since Fluffy'll be gone till tomorrow, I need you to co-sign this contract."

"Okay. What's it for?" she asked as she dragged the heavy document forward and scrawled her name across the top with a pen.

"We're supporting some new clothing line. It's headed by some Dankotsu guy." Inu began fist, then open his hands in a poor attempt to keep busy while Kagome signed the twenty-eighth page.

"Oh. Never heard of him," Kagome shrugged.

"How's it feel?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Kagome didn't understand. `Does he mean missing the boys?'

"How's it feel," he plowed on, "Up here. In Sess' office? To sit at his desk (it was always better than mine) and to sit in his chair?"

Kagome shrugged again. "I don't know. Fine, I guess. I'll miss it. I like using it while he was in Kyoto, but I'd rather have him and Rin back then have this office."

"You're insane," he told her slowly.

"Uh huh. Not my fault I like your brother and his adorable adopted daughter."

"Right. You done?" he whined impatiently.

"Uh...sure..." she scribbled `Kagome Higurashi' one more time before shoving the inch thick contract back at him. "Anything else?"

Inu staggered to his feet and stretched. "No."

"Hn." Kagome leaned back and closed her eyes. "It'll be lunch time soon. I'm taking Tsuyu over to that rice stall. You wanna come?"

"Tsuyu?"

She glared at him through half opened eyes. "The woman, the friend, I brought today?"

"Oh yeah. Nah...I'm gonna drag Miroku out of his office and to that ramen shop."

"Do you even eat anything else?" Kagome asked dryly.

"Yes! I eat chocolate, and ice cream too!"

"Oh, how healthy," she drawled before shooing him out the door. "Come on, move it. I have work to catch up on."

"Feh. See you later, wench."

Kagome threw a paper weight at him but the black haired man slammed the door shut just in case before going up the next floor to his own office.

"Lucky jerk," Kagome scowled darkly before sulking. She really had wanted to hit him...

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It was so perfect. The grass was blue, the sky was green, and the flowers were singing.

"Ah, just as life is supposed to be," Kagome mumbled, enjoying sunbathing with the rays from the purple sun. "All I need now is something to eat."

A teacup, closely followed by a plate, appeared and began to sing, offering her orange spice tea and rice balls while at

it.

"The pink rice balls always were my favorite," the black haired beauty sighed happily, sipping her red tea.

"This is the life, no worries, no problems, no clothes..." Kagome breathed before jumping to her feet. "WAIT! No clothes?!"

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"Kagome, wake up!" Sango commanded, shaking her best friend's shoulder. "Come on, Tsuyu and I are gonna take you out to lunch. You fell asleep, come on, wake up!"

"No...can't...need some clothes."

"This is not the time to be thinking about shopping!" Sango cried, exasperated.

"Not shopping..." Kagome frowned in her doze, "I need some clothes. I'm nude...naked...in my birthday suit...can't let people...can't let Inuyasha see..."

Tsuyu and Sango giggled. "That's some dream," Sango muttered before shaking Kag's shoulder again.

Kagome snorted once before letting her eyes fluttering open. Snapping up, she yawned and stretched like a cat. "Huh?" she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Come on, it's one. Let's go get some food."

"Kay," the blue-orbed girl muttered, getting to her feet obediently. She never was a morning person. Kagome was too tired when she woke up to be one, and by the time she'd had enough tea or coffee to wake up, it was too late to be

called morning.

Well...either it went like that or she occasionally snapped and bite random people's heads off...

Sango ushered her forward and prodded the girl in the side when she was about to take the wrong turn.

Tsuyu followed closely behind, admiring the prints that hung on the walls in the hallways.

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"Damn man, how much ramen do you can you consume?" Miroku starred in awe as Inu slurped up his seventh cup in less than five minutes.

"Well..." Inu paused to think carefully, "I tried to find out once, but the vender and restaurants ran out of ramen before I got full."

"Oh," Miroku shoved his own meal away and glumly watched his friend. His appetite was shot.

"Not gonna eat that man?" Inuyasha snatched at the plate of octopus (where Miroku got it, he had no idea) and ate it before his friend could answer.

"...sure..." bit late there on the draw Houshi-sama. "How's Kagome?"

"What do you mean, how's Kagome? What kinda question is that? She's sitting at work doing...uh...work!" Inu continued to guzzle the food.

Miroku glowered, "Her son and brother are missing and she's stuck working with you instead of being allowed to do anything to help find them. Not only that, but she's also surrounded by people saying `I'm sorry' when they don't fully understand the situation."

Inuyasha finally finished and shoved all the cups and plates in the trash before facing Miroku fully. "What's there not to understand? Some moronic creeps snatched Souta and the runt and are going to hold them for ransom. And if one hair is out of place on either of their heads, I'll shove them off a building."

"You seem to have a...fetish...for doing that."

"Hey!" Inuyasha scowled, "Naraku fell off that building on his own. I didn't shove him!"

"Uh huh, sure."

"I didn't," he growled.

Miroku sighed and cocked his head at his friend. "I know, I was just teasing. You may be rash and rude and egotistical...and arrogant and an ass- ,"

"HEY!"

"-but you're not a murderer," Miroku finished smoothly, his cool façade showing no sign of humor.

Inu crossed his arms over his chest in a huff. "Damn straight."

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"So, how is Kagome?"

Inuyasha glared at the violet-eyed monk descendant.

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"So, Kagome how is your mother handling all this? She's pretty hard to crack, has a will of steel as far as I can tell, but she has to be heartbroken." Sango eagerly stabbed at her food.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably and didn't answer.

After a few minutes of silence, Sango noticed, and stopped her enthusiastic eating, Tsuyu following suit. "Kagome...how is your mother doing?" the brunette asked again.

Kagome lowered her ocean orbs and picked at her food.

"You have talked to your mother...right?" Sango leaned across the table to look her friend in the face.

"..." Kagome pursed her lips and looked deliberately away.

"KAGOME!" Sango shouted. "How can you not talk to your own mom? It's her son and grandson missing too! Oh, she

must be having a heart attack!" Sango bit her cheek, suddenly worried and feeling sorry for Mrs. H.

Kagome threw her napkin down and slumped onto the tabletop. "No, I haven't. Okay? I...couldn't!"

"How could you?" Sango asked outraged. "All she needs now is for her daughter to stop speaking to her. She needs you Kagome! You need her! This is hard on the both of you and you need the support!"

Kagome shifted on the wire chair. The three women were eating at a table under the shade of a tree in a park. "Fine, Sango," she said darkly, but even she could hear the quiver in her voice. "I'm a coward, okay? I couldn't handle talking

to Mama."

Sango sobered. "Okay, Kag-chan, I'm sorry; it's just that you have me worried. You may not be the bravest person in the world, but you do have the courage to take life by the horns."

Kag sighed and looked up at the treetops, "I know. I'll talk to her."

"When?" Sango pressed while Tsuyu kept politely silent.

Kagome flashed a quick look at Sango and the magenta-orbed woman could see the raw pain in the blue. The pain Kagome was so good to cover up. "I don't know...tonight? I'll do it tonight." Kagome said firmly.

The pain was gone. Or at least buried again.

Sango laid a hand over Kagome's. "It'll be okay. Want me to be there?"

Kagome laughed dryly. "I don't think you want to go on a road trip."

"Huh?" Sango looked utterly confused.

Kag sighed. "It'll be better if I talk to Mama in person. This isn't something you do over the phone."

Sango looked off in the distance, at a golden retriever playing fetch with it's master. "I can't, sorry Kagome. I'm going to help Kohaku set up a project for school. He still isn't used to going to a public one instead of being home schooled. Plus, his heart's not in it."

"Okay, that's okay. I'll be fine." Kagome smiled over at Tsuyu. "Sorry to put you through this."

Tsuyu smiled back, "That's fine. I'll help anyway I can. Oh, and Sango, would you mind dropping me off at the shelter?"

Sango looked at her oddly. "You want to go back after only spending half a day at Kagome's work."

Kagome added quickly, "I don't mind. It's got to be boring to the brink of death there."

`Oh, bad pun,' Sango and Kagome thought at the same time, thinking of Naraku's fall to the street.

Tsuyu blushed and looked down at her feet. "I have to get ready."

"Ready?" the other two asked at the same time.

Tsuyu spread her hands, "Yeah, for a date."

"A date?" Kagome and Sango chorused.

Tsuyu's blush darkened. "Nobunaga-kun asked me out."

Sango stifled a laugh while Kagome thought, `It went from Nobunaga-sama this morning to Nobunaga-kun. Aww, cute!'

"Nobunaga-san is a great friend," Kag reassured the girl.

Tsuyu nodded firmly, "I know. I can tell."

`I hope it works out. Maybe Tsuyu can have a nice relationship after her divorce goes through?' Kagome thought hopefully.

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"Hey, Inuyasha! How's Miroku?" Kagome asked as she and the charcoal haired man stepped into the elevator together.

"The pervert? Fine." He grunted, watching the lights flicker to show that the elevator was climbing.

Kag scowled and punched his arm playfully, her mood a little lighter after an outing with Sango and Tsuyu. "He's not much of a pervert anymore, so don't call him that! He only gropes Sango now."

"And that better?"

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"Some," Kagome decided.

"Keh."

"Oh, Inuyasha. Can I borrow the care tonight?" Kagome asked.

"Why?" he narrowed his eyes at her.

Kagome leveled his gaze. "I'm going to Kyoto."

Inu snorted. "Do you miss my dog that much? That you have to go to Kyoto and find my brother just to find Miko? Sheesh, woman, they'll be back tomorrow."

Kag glowered back at him; "I'm not going there to find your dog...although I do love that one. Akitas are the best!" her mood shifted and she chirped happily.

What was it with her and mood swings?

"Feh. Whatever, just bring it back in one piece. Why are you going to Kyoto then?" Inu asked as they reached Sesshoumaru's office, where Kagome was currently holing up.

They both stepped off together.

"..."

"Kagome?"

"To visit my mother," Kagome sighed. "...I just wish San-chan could have come..." she added as an after thought. It would have been nice to have the support.

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "Do you want company that bad?"

Kagome closed her eyes and mumbled, "It's going to be hard facing Mama," was all she decided on saying.

"Then, I'll go," He announced sitting in his brother's chair, leaving Kagome to sit in the leather, and uncomfortable, one in front of the desk.

"What, wait! I never invited you!" she glared at him.

"You said you wanted company. I'm company."

In truth, Kagome didn't really mind. It would be nice to not have to face her mother alone. But he'd invited himself! Bastard... "No."

"Too bad. My car, I'm going."

"What? My house we're going to."

"No," he said slowing. "It's a shrine, not a house. And it belongs to your mother."

"Hn," she scowled, settling in the chair. "Fine."

He smirked, having won, and leaned back. "Good."

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Seven hours of work and driving later, Kagome stood at the base of the stairs of the Sunset Shrine.

"Deep breaths," she told herself sternly while Inu watched on, bemused. "In with the pink and out with the blue."

"Why do you do that?" He asked her suddenly. He had a habit of doing that today.

"Huh? The breathing thing? So I can stay alive," she drawled dryly. "If you want me to stop, I'll do it gladly."

"No," he scowled, "The `in with the pink, out with the blue' thing."

"Oh...I don't know. I think my dad used to say that or something. It makes me laugh, which calms me down." Kagome explained before slowly starting up the steps.

"Right. Is it possible to move any slower?"

"Shut up."

"Keh."

"KAGOME!" A female voice shouted happily before either of the black haired heads had made it to the top of the steps.

`How does she do that?' Kagome silently asked, in awe of her mother's intuition. Mrs. Higurashi seemed to always know when she was home.

"Hi, Mama!" Kagome ran up the rest of the way and into Mrs. H's open arms. "I'm so, so sorry for not calling."

"It's okay dear," her mother smoothed down the back of Kagome's hair. "I understand."

"Where's Jii-chan?" Kagome asked.

"Why do you call the old man `Jii-chan' when you should call him `Jiisan'?" Inu asked idly.

"Just because that's the common name for me to call my grandpa, doesn't mean I have to do it," she glowered back at her boss. "I can call him anything I want to, and I call him Jii-chan."

"Okay, okay," he held up his hands and glared back at her. "I was just wondering."

"Hn." Kagome turned back to her smiling mother. She'd always wondered how it was possible for her mother to remain so happy, even through the bad times. She had to be a remarkable woman. "So? Where's Jii-chan, Mama?"

"He's at the store, buying some healing herbs. It's amazing how people actually come here for that treatment." Mama said thoughtfully.

Kagome giggled. She also found it amazing how her mother was able to make her heart feel light and happy again. Even when it pained with the longing for her boys.

"Come inside," She fretted over the two `young' ones. "It was a long drive- ,"

"Not really," Inu interrupted.

"-I'll get you some tea," Mrs. H finished, seemingly not have heard the man.

As soon as the elder woman left the living room, Kagome sighed happily and fell back into the couch. "I don't

remember why I was so afraid of facing Mama. I feel so much better now."

Inuyasha reclined next to her. "Keh. I could have told you that, woman."

Kagome looked at him disbelieving. "..."

Inu scowled. "Fine!" he barked, "I didn't know."

Kagome grinned in triumph before waiting for her tea and some quality time with her only parent left among the living.

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Now Souta knew what the buzzing was. Several giant machines were placed in the back room of the factory where he was now `living'.

The metal monsters droned on endlessly and made the children's heads spin, and odd sounds heard even after they left the room.

"Souta?"

"Yeah, Shippou?" Souta had been lucky enough to have place in the same working spot as his nephew. At least they wouldn't be alone through this.

"I heard you..." Shippou struggled to form the words at the same time as he struggled to clean out the whirling, sharp pieces of the machine. "Muttering `sweat shop' in your sleep."

"I don't talk in my sleep," the older boy drawled dryly, even though he knew he did.

Shippou knew he knew. "What's a sweatshop?" he pressed.

Souta sighed, but kept working on keeping the gigantic machines running. All the machines were connected, in something like an assembly line, and they created clothes. The job for the kids were to keep the parts clean and moving.

"We're in a sweatshop."

"Really?"

Souta nodded sullenly. He'd heard of them in school. "We're forced to work here without pay. We're cheap labor," he spat.

Shippou sighed sadly. "We're in deep this time, huh?"

The black haired boy stopped working to look down at the tiny one. "Yeah, we are. We may be in even more problems then we were with Naraku," he sighed. "Kagome will save us."

"Keep moving!" a pacing guard snapped and brought down a fist on Souta's back. "No slacking you filthy swine. Keep moving or no food." As soon as Souta started on his section of a machine again, the man moved on.

Shippou shivered, "I know Kagome will save us. I hope it'll be soon."

"I know. We just have to earn our keep and we'll make it through this." Souta assured his redheaded friend.

"Okay."

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"Are you sure about this?" A gruff voiced man growled at the other six in the room.

"Of course," A brunette, his hair tied in a long braid, answered smoothly.

"And if it backfires?" A third man, this one with balding black hair, spat.

"It won't," the tall one with a braid answered, the one known as `The Boss'.

"But if it does," A black eyed, gray haired man, said roughly, "It'll fall on you," he warned the youngest of them all.

The brunette narrowed his brown eyes, "That is understood," he told them all coldly.

"It'll work," A pale complexioned man, with a full head of black hair, assured the others as though his word was law.

The other two of the company of seven kept their mouths shut and their ears open. The plan was set in motion, it could work, and they were ready.

The seven left the room quietly to go on rounds around the factory to keep a close eye on the children.

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The phone rang shrilly in the kitchen.

"I wonder who that could be," Mrs. Higurashi commented, placing a delicate hand to her cheek in thought. Inuyasha grunted and laid back even more while Kagome decided the person calling had waited long enough, and rushed to the phone to answer.

"Hello, Higurashi residence, Kagome speaking." Man it felt like she said those things a lot. `When am I ever able to answer simply `hello' `cause it's my phone?'

"Kagome, good to hear from you," a smooth voice launched in.

Kagome scrunched her eyebrows together in concentration before they lifted in realization. "Kagura?"

"Of course," the scarlet eyed woman drawled.

"Hey! I haven't heard from you in two months!"

"I know," Kagura muttered, reaching down to hold Kanna's hand so as not to separate in the crowd. "Sorry about that."

"No problem, just glad to hear you're doing okay," Kagome happily leaned against the kitchen wall. "You are okay right?"

"Yes. I have a surprise for you," Kagura remarked casually.

"Really? I love surprises!"

Kagura chuckled, "I know."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to wait. You can see it tomorrow morning."

"When? I have to work," Kagome informed Naraku's ex-accomplice.

"Take a day off, hun," Kagura suggested. "You could use one."

Kagome laughed, "I took yesterday off. I can't. Inuyasha won't let me."

"That man?" Kagura asked, even though she knew who Inuyasha was. "Well, if he won't give you the day off, I'll hunt him down and he'll never see the light of day again."

Kagome, laughed. "You may or may not be joking. I can never tell. But, fine, I'll see." Kagome covered the mouthpiece and yelled back into the living room. "Hey, Inu! Can I take tomorrow off?"

"Why?"

"Because," she answered.

"Of course you can, honey," Mrs. H cut in. "You can sleep here tonight and head back to Tokyo in the late morning."

"Hey! I never said that, and I need to go to work!" Inuyasha protested.

Both women ignored him. "Thanks, Mama," Kagome said. Turning back to the phone she said, "It's all set. I'll be home -er- at Inuyasha's home by noon tomorrow. Sesshoumaru can take care of the company, he arrives at, like, six in

the morning."

"Good," Kagura sneaked a peak around. "Hey, I need to get off. Electronics aren't aloud to be on here."

"On where?" Kagome asked.

"Don't worry about it. Talk to you soon, bye," Kagura snapped her cell phone shut and settled into her seat, pulling the seatbelt on.

And all Kagome heard was a dial tone.

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A/N: That one was a good two to three pages longer than the last chapter. Sorry it's taking so long to get these out, I've been distracted.

And all seven of the bad guys will be from the show. None will be made up, but they'll be from episodes far and in-between.

Ja ne!