InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath's Destruction ❯ Did That Just Happen? ( Chapter 8 )

A/N: You do all realize I basically write this thing straight off the top of my head without thinking about it first, right? I also don't take breaks when I write a chapter, I think it sounds too choppy, so as soon as I sit down to type, I stay there until I'm done.

Ah the habits of the temperamental, stubborn authoress.

::sigh::

Ooo, maybe I'll actually get around to addressing the whole Kagome's upset thing. ::has been putting it off::

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Disclaimer: Still don't own him.

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Aftermath's Destruction

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--- Last Chapter ---

"What is this? Insult Inuyasha Day?" He sulked, absently sliding a few feet away from Kagome.

"No, that's everyday," the blue eyed woman explained to the amusement of her guest, "Today is Belittle Inuyasha Day. Also known as `Ruin Inuyasha Day' and `Destroy Inuyasha Day'."

"Now you're just making stuff up," he sighed in boredom.

"Wanna bet?"

Before Inuyasha could say `I want ramen' Kagome had lunged at and began to attack him.

Kagura sat back and began to nurse her gin and tonic that had been settled on the coffee table. "Now this is entertainment," she sighed in bliss as a evil grin played at her lips.

--- End of Last Chapter ---

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Chapter Eight: Did That Just Happen?

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Kagura looped her hand through Kagome's arm an hour later. The two women started out the front door with one battered, and unhappy, man following after.

"You sure you don't mind me coming?" Kagura asked while looking at the happily grinning ocean orbed girl next to her.

Kagome stopped her musings on how she could blackmail Inuyasha (over the fact she'd gotten a few good hits on him when she, herself, was barely touched) to turn a beaming smile on the older woman. "No, I don't mind. I'll feel better with some support."

"Hey! What about me?" Inu shouted from his moping behind them. Wasn't he good support?

Kagome looked over her shoulder back at him. "The last time I brought you to a police meeting, you distracted them by seeing how many pencils you could stick in the ceiling," she reminded him dryly.

"...Keh."

Kagura glanced back and forth between the two before shaking her head slowly. `Still the same old thing,' she thought sadly, wondering how long it would take for them to finally get together.

"whose car are we taking?" Kagome broke her thoughts.

"Well, considering that your car is rusting under the snow in my front yard, it'll have to be mine," Inuyasha scowled.

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Your cars are too...silver. We'll take mine!" Whipping out the car keys with such elegance, Kagome was left blinking blankly at purse hung over the Kagura's shoulder. "There it is," she explained while clicking a button. Lights flashed to draw Kagome's attention to a red corvette.

While Kagome stood drooling at the old fashioned car, Inuyasha looked down at the little girl attached to his arm. "Hey, Rin? Why are you being so quiet?"

Rin blinked back up at him with big brown eyes. "Uncle Inu? Rin didn't have her chocolate today," she pouted.

"Oh...well that explains it. We'll get you some at Sango's house, `kay?" Inuyasha made sure the two women weren't looking before giving the little girl a tender grin. Only Rin deserved it, he figured.

"Come on you two!" Kagome yelled, practically jumping up and down in her bubbling excitement. Whoever said that cars were a guy thing had never met Kagome Higurashi.

Inuyasha smirked back at her; glad they had at least one thing in common. He gave Kagura's car a disgusted glance as he climbed in, however.

It wasn't silver.

"Uncle Inu! Uncle Inu! It's so pretty!" Rin giggled while looking around her at the interior of the car.

"So...where are we going?" Kagura commanded as she drove down the long driveway to the street below Inuyasha's home.

"You remember Sango's house?" Kagome asked knowing that Kagura had spied them there the months before. Kag no longer held it against the ex-employee of Naraku. They'd grown pretty close over the phone lately.

"Sure." Kagura replied coolly, shifting the gear and letting out the clutch. "We won't be there for awhile," she explained glancing to the cramped back seat where Inuyasha sat, his head ducked, with his niece. "Music?"

"Yeah, that be good," Kagome mumbled as she continued to search and look at the parts of the car.

Kagura flipped on the stereo only to find that back in Paris the American teenager who'd valet-ed her car had messed with it, leaving his own CD in.

"- become so numb,

I can't feel you there.

Become so tired,

So much more aware.

I'm becoming this,

All I want to do,

Is be more like me, and be less like you!

Can't you see that you're smo-."

Kagura began to frantically switch the music to something more...her. Kagome and Rin burst out in twin giggles and Inuyasha scowled at the change of music. Once `Dearest' found it's way to the speakers from the radio, everyone calmed down.

Kagome looked back from the front seat and grinned at the little girl and they shared a look of aunt/niece look that few can ever decipher. Turning back to Kagura, she apologized. "Sorry, but I just need to meet this new detective, so I know what I'm dealing with."

"I'd like to see what dimwit the police put on this case," Kagura drawled but was ignored as Kagome started to talk to Rin.

"Honey, once we get there, Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango will meet us there. Kohaku will come with them."

"Kay!" Rin chirped before going back to looking out the small window.

"Kanna will be there too." Kagura added while keeping her eyes on the road.

"What?" Kag looked back at Kagura, startled. She'd never met the woman's little sister.

"I dropped Kanna off at Kohaku Taijai's school and enrolled her there before I came over. I talked to Kohaku and he'll bring her with him," she explained.

"Oh," Kagome blinked back at the scarlet-eyed woman while processing the information. Once she was sure she understood, she smiled. "I can't wait to meet her!"

"Yeah, Kanna was pretty excited too. She wanted to meet `the poor woman we almost had killed'. She puts it so nicely, doesn't she?" Kagura smirked.

Kagome frowned at the title before starting to laugh. "It works, doesn't it?"

Inuyasha rolled his eye from the back seat. "Music." He demanded, "Real music."

Kagura frowned back at him before smirking. Turning the valet teenager's CD back on, she changed the song...She didn't expect Inuyasha to sing along.

"I, I came here by day,

But left here by darkness.

I found, found you on the way.

But now it is silver and silent.

It is silver and cold.

You in somber resplendence,

I hold.

Your sins into me!

Oh my beautiful one.

Your sins into me!

Oh, oh!

As a rapturous voice escapes, I will tremble a prayer.

And I'll beg for forgiveness-."

"Okay, we get it. You can sing!" Kagura scowled as she punched the buttons on the radio to get rid of the music.

Inuyasha scowled back at her. "I like that song," he sulked.

Kagome stayed silent before adding. "Me too."

"It's Silver and Cold." Inuyasha looked back out the window.

"Oh. Thanks." Kagome laid back in her seat to listen to the song that Kagura had turned it to. She didn't feel like talking to the detectives. Every time she did, the news of finding the boys seemed less and it felt more real.

She didn't want it to feel real.

Almost an hour after she had to prove to Inuyasha how much fun `Maim Inuyasha Day' was, she'd gotten a call from one of the nicer policemen requesting she'd come. The new detective wanted to tell her something, he'd said.

So, explaining to the others that she had to go for a bit, Kagome was beyond relieved when they insisted that they come too and wouldn't take no for an answer. Kagome decided that having stubborn friends was a good thing. Most of the time...

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The time between the houses flew by and before Kagome could get herself settled in the car, it was time to get back out. "I don't want to do this," she complained under her breath. Kagome hoped that it was inaudible, but one person heard.

"Hey, Kagome, slow down a second," Inuyasha put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, sure. Kagura, could you bring Rin inside? I guess we'll be right in..." Kagome looked back at Inu for confirmation. He nodded so the others went ahead. Turning back to him, Kagome plastered a smile on her face. "What do you need?"

"Oh, yeah, that sounded nice," Inu scowled. When Kagome rolled her eyes and started back to the house, he stopped her again. "You okay?"

Kagome looked back at him and nearly burst out laughing. Her family was missing, she'd been kicked off her job, and her friends didn't even trust her to stay in her own house alone. She would have laughed, but Inuyasha looked too sincere. "Yeah, I'm fine," she brushed it off.

She gave him a smile and began to walk towards Sango's front door again; Kagome noticed that the amount of police had lowered, but there were still a few patrolling the grounds.

Inuyasha grabbed her arm again to wheel her around. "I just can't seem to get rid of you today!" She complained jokingly before giving him a serious look, "Come on. Kagura's going to wonder if we fell down a sewer or something."

"What are you doing?" He snapped back at her, his purple eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Kagome winced, taken aback by his tone. "Nothing! What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha glared at her. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" Kagome blinked, completely confused by whatever he was talking about.

Inuyasha scowled at her and snatched his hand back from her arm. Stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, he started toward the front door obviously expecting Kagome to follow. "That...that tone and look you got before."

"Would you mind making sense?" Kagome yelled, jogging to keep up with the man.

Inuyasha hung his head. "You're acting like it's all okay. You won't just, I don't know, show that you're upset!" He snapped.

Kagome frowned and turned away from him. "I do not!" she protested.

"Yes, you do! You did it when Naraku was after you too. You just plaster on a fake smile and start worrying about other people instead of yourself. It's stupid!" He accused.

Kagome walked faster, hoping that the conversation would end when she got safely inside. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not acting any differently."

"I heard you crying," he told her dryly, trying to keep from getting eye contact with her wide blue eyes. "The day you found out they were gone. You cried."

"Oh, sorry for bothering you!" she snapped. "I know how much you hate to see women cry!"

Inuyasha kept his temper, surprising Kagome to no end. After a moment of silence, just as they reached the front door he turned to her. "I want you to cry again. At least when you're crying I know you can actually feel," Inu said quietly before going inside.

After blinking at the door for a few seconds, Kagome followed.

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Kagura stood just inside, scowling at a tall man while she clasped Rin's hand. Kagome wandered over to see what was wrong, and Kagura stepped back to stand even with Inuyasha. "This isn't going to be good," Kagura hissed darkly, eyeing the tall man as he introduced himself to Kagome.

"Why?" Inuyasha questioned, not getting what was wrong.

"Just watch," Kagura drawled.

"Hello, Ms. Higurashi? I'm Detective Kori," The black haired man said smoothly, presenting a hand for the azure-eyed woman to shake.

Kagome smiled politely and took his hand. "Nice to meet you, Detective Kori. Sorry I haven't spoken to you sooner."

"That's all right." The Detective gave a small smirk before adopting a more somber look. "I just wanted to say...Ms. Higurashi, that I am sorry for your loss."

Kagome's smile stayed in place, but now it seemed fixed. "What do you mean, sir?" she ground out. "You make it sound like the boys are dead."

Detective Kori gave her a dry look before drawling emotionlessly, "As each second passes it's less likely we'll ever find them. I seriously hope you don't get your hopes up, I'd bet money on them being gone forever."

While Kagome's smile finally fell she stared back at him blankly. Inuyasha barely stopped himself from strangling the guy. Next to him, Kagura winced even though she knew it was coming. Kori hadn't exactly been polite when she'd introduced herself as a friend of Kagome.

Kagome swallowed thickly before looking the policeman straight in the eye. Shrugging softly, she brought her right fist directly in the unsuspecting man's jaw.

"YOU BASTARD!" She shrieked, standing over the fallen guy.

Spitting at him, smirking when it landed on his cheek, Kagome turned on her heel and marched back to the door she'd just come through. Pausing for moment she looked at Inuyasha, "Is that enough `feeling' for you?" Kag asked dryly before leaving.

Inuyasha blinked after her before looking back at the detective. A few other (discreetly smiling) officers were helping him up. "Did that just happen?" Inu asked Kagura.

The red-orbed woman was smiling. "Yes it did. I couldn't have done better myself," she announced before turning to follow Kagome, Rin giggling as she walked after.

Giving one last blank look at the scowling policeman, Inuyasha left with the others.

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"Kagome...You did not just punch out the detective in charge of finding the children." Sango explained to her friend, hoping that if she said it out loud, it'd be true.

Kagome looked down at her twisting hands while the sounds of the diner went on around their booth.

Inuyasha could barely cover his smirk at Sango's disbelieving look. "She did...and she has a pretty good right hook."

"Are you sure it wasn't an upper cut?" Kagura asked Inuyasha from the other side of Kagome. Sango and Miroku, who sat across from them, blinked blankly at the three.

"You guys must have been hallucinating or something," Miroku said, "Lady Kagome isn't capable of hitting a man."

"Actually she did! Auntie Kag's fist went boom! Right into the mean man's face while Rin was watching!" Rin chirped from the table next to the grown- ups booth where she sat with Kohaku and Kanna.

Sango shook her head sadly while looking down at the red tabletop. Before long, her laughter shook the table. "Oh, my Gods! I wish I had been there to watch!" She wiped a tear of mirth away from her eye.

Miroku smiled but still stayed calm. "Violence is not the answer."

"Hell yeah it is! You would have punched that fuc-,"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped.

"-er- bastard if you were there too!" Inuyasha explained to the monk descendent.

"I highly doubt that. I, unlike you, am not a brute," Miroku took a sip from his water.

"Watch it Houshi..." Inu growled, restraining himself from the urge to slam the man's head into the table.

"Well, whatever I did," Kagome interrupted, "It made me feel better."

Sango grinned, "Then I guess it's all right. If it'll make you feel better, I give you permission to punch out a hundred cops."

"Oh...and that's your call to make?" Inuyasha asked dryly.

"Well, it is her call to make when it comes to me!" Miroku chirped while rubbing his cheek against Sango's arm...which he had glomped a little earlier. "I may not be a cop but I work with them!"

"You do realize you just gave me the ok to give you a black eye," Kagome asked innocently.

"Keh...like you could, girl." Inu snorted, oblivious to the glares from the three women surrounding him.

"ARE YOU CALLING ME PATHETIC AGAIN?" Kagome roared. The solid metal napkin dispenser looked good right about then...it would do some serious damage if she slammed it into the jerk's head.

"You mean he's done it before? He's called you weak?!" Kagura demanded, her furious red stare joining the blue and magenta ones. "That's it. Take it easy Kagome, I can handle it this time. You had your fun earlier. Call women weak, will you?"

Kagome watched as Kagura stood up to reach over her head to Inuyasha's throat. Inuyasha was currently laughing his ass off...which only proved to infuriate Kagura more.

"Okay, okay, break it up. I'll just throw all the ramen out." Kagome giggled at Inuyasha's incredulous look, "Hey, if you can't admit I can take care of myself, for the most part, your noodles go bye-bye."

Rin and the other two children watched the conversation like they would a tennis match: their heads swinging back and forth. Rin couldn't take it anymore and burst into giggles, "Auntie Kag! You can't do that! Uncle Inu will cry!"

Kagome blinked at the little girl. "Really? Then maybe it'll be worth it."

"Don't you dare!" Inuyasha growled.

Across the table, Miroku and Sango watched the couple's bickering. Miroku leaned over and whispered in his love's ear. "Can't you just see Inu's pride and manliness slipping away with all this talk of him crying...?"

Sango laughed whole-heartily at that.

"Your food is here!" Chirped a waitress, breaking up the laughing (and fighting) group of friends. This effectively gave peace for the rest of the afternoon as the friends chatted and ate, forgetting about the cruddy morning.

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Souta looked sadly back at Shippou. "Does it hurt?" He asked sympathetically.

Shippou looked teary eyed at his bloody arm. "I'm so sorry, Souta! I didn't mean to! I just- it just- way too quickly! I didn't see it happen!" The redhead's bottom lip trembled pitifully.

Souta clucked his tongue just like his sister would have. The sound seemed to remind Shippou of his surrogate mother enough to calm him down some. "It's okay Shippou. It's not your fault," Souta soothed his nephew.

Shippou sniveled and held his hurt arm to his chest after Souta finished bandaging it. "Okay." He looked sadly at his little arm, which had a three- inch long gash over it. "I was doing my job...and then my sleeve got caught. And it pulled me in! I couldn't stop it in time. It just..." Shippou squeaked.

Souta patted the younger boy on the head. "I'm going to go for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Shippou hopped of one of the tiny mattresses the children used for beds to follow.

"Stay here," Souta commanded. "I'll be right back," he repeated.

"...Okay," but Shippou couldn't shake the feeling that his uncle was about to do something he'd regret later.

Souta smiled down at the younger male, "It'll be okay. Don't trouble yourself."

Souta walked purposely from the room. Keeping his back straight, he walked straight up to one the guards at the door by the kid's sleeping room. Glaring at the man defiantly, Souta demanded: "I need to see The Boss."

The man laughed at the little boy. "No way kid. Get back in there before I have to force you," he sneered.

Souta closed his eyes and counted to 10. "I really need to."

"I said no!" the guard spat as he lifted his riffle. Before he could bring the butt of the gun down on Souta's head, a hand shot out and grabbed it.

"Leave the boy alone. I'll talk to him," The Boss glared at the guard.

"Y-yes sir," The man stammered. Although he was older than the brunette man who was in charged of the place, well...let's just say that The Boss was a very intimidating person.

"Let's move, kid," The Boss commanded and began to lead Souta around the corner. Leaning against the wall, he looked down at the shorter male. "What do you need?"

Souta gulped, but stood his ground. "My...brother got hurt today."

"I know very well that it's your nephew, not your brother," The Boss interrupted. "But go on."

"I want to take over his job. He works in the mornings and I work in the afternoon. I can do both our jobs until Shippou heals." Souta's voice remained steady and he was proud of himself.

The Boss sighed and looked away for a moment, thinking. "No. It was your nephew's fault that he got hurt. Those machines are dangerous. He should have been watching what he was doing."

Souta frowned. "Please," his voice cracked. He really didn't want to use that particular word with the man who took him away from his family, but he'd do anything for Shippou.

The Boss studied the black haired boy. "You have a lot of guts, don't you? You're a lot stronger than most of these...brats. Do what you want, I'll inform the guards," the brunette waved Souta off and walked away.

Souta watched the man leave dumbly. Sighing, he turned to go back to the sleeping room. It would take a lot to convince Shippou that he could handle both jobs for awhile.

Shippou was, surprisingly, almost as stubborn as Souta.

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"G'Night Sango! Miroku!" Kagome called as her friends got into Miroku's car to go home. "See you Kohaku!"

Twilight was beginning to fall as the other five (Kagome, Kagura, Inuyasha, Kanna, and Rin) crammed themselves into the corvette. It was a tight fit, but they were all mature enough to take it without complaining.

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"Can't you stop breathing so much, Kagura? You're taking all the air!" Inuyasha whined. "And can you turn the air conditioning on? It's too hot in here!"

"It's the middle of December! I am not turning the air conditioning on!" Kagura snapped back. "Take your coat off if you're too hot!"

Kanna shook her head silently at the bickering and started a conversation with Kagome, who sat directly in front of her. "Thank you for letting us using your housing in France."

"That's okay," Kag grinned back at her, twisting to look over her shoulder. "I wasn't using it, and it was only fair that someone got some use out of it. I'm going to sell it next month."

"Still...thank you," Kanna repeated in a whisper.

"Are you going to stay in Tokyo?" Kagome asked.

Kanna looked over at her ranting sister. She, like Inuyasha, was red in the face with rage as the argument turned to where the sisters would be staying. "I do believe so," she admitted slowly.

"That's good. I'm glad," Kagome gave the silver haired girl a small smile. "We can all spend more time together."

"Yes, that would make me very happy," Kanna drawled emotionlessly...however, Kagome could see the bright sparkle in the baby blue eyes.

"Oh, by the way: don't worry about him," Kagome waved a hand at the angry looking man. "Inuyasha is always like that."

Kanna returned Kagome's small smile. "Of that, I am sure. Thank you for your hospitality."

Kagome grinned happily. "It's all right, I need some more female company. I know Rin, Miko, and I outrank Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru...but those two guys are pretty masculine and could be counted as more then just two men. Although...Come to think of it, Sesshy does have a certain feminine edge to him..."

Kanna blinked back at the black haired beauty. "Okay..."

"He has the best hair I have ever seen," Kagome sighed. "I'd kill to have hair like that...not really, but I'd still like it."

While listening to Kagome's monologue, Kanna couldn't help but let a silent giggle slip. Maybe living with these people wouldn't be so bad?

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A/N: I'm so sad! Ev pointed out that I couldn't keep my plot going for a really long time! What I think she meant was that I won't have a lot of chapters for this story.

But there's still a lot to go as far as I'm concerned. ::evil grin:: I have things planned.

Review, please!

Ja ne!