InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Aftermath's Destruction ❯ Sunday ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fay-of-Faerie 
While Shippou prepares for his journey, Kagome and the others enjoy a carefree day, unaware of the drama about to follow.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.10.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 286 | Status: Work In Progress
While Shippou prepares for his journey, Kagome and the others enjoy a carefree day, unaware of the drama about to follow.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.10.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 286 | Status: Work In Progress
This chapter is dark where the boys are involved, but slightly silly with the rest of the people, that's just supposed to show you that Kagome doesn't know that her boys are about to do something dangerous.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or anything in this story that you recognize. AKA: McDonalds, Coke, a pick up truck…etc...
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Aftermath's Destruction
Chapter Fourteen: Sunday
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"What's the catch?!" Souta immediately blurted out, eyeing Bankotsu with distrust. Why would this…this…man let one of them go home?
"No catch," Bankotsu said simply, smirking as he leaned back into his chair.
"There has to be a catch," Souta pursed his lips, a habit he learned from his sister, and thought over everything. "Let me guess…one of us goes home, but we're dead when we get there…right? In that case…send me, no one is killing Shippou," the boy snapped, wrapping an arm protectively around his little nephew's shoulders.
The smirk melted into a scowl. Bankotsu leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk so that his nose was inches away from Souta's face. "You stupid little brat," he hissed slowly. "Quit trying to be so tough, whoever goes is not going to be dead when they get there. You'll arrive alive."
Souta snorted and looked away to glare at a wall. Like he'd believe that.
A fist slamming down on the desk made both boys jump and stare at Bankotsu. The man was steaming with rage, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a frown. "Listen you worthless scum. I'm going to send you home so that your sister learns something. She has something of mine…"
"Kagome wouldn't even deal with you," Souta spat.
"Actually…" Bankotsu's smirk returned full force. "I work with her."
'Liar,' Souta thought, not trusting the man. He didn't even know The Boss' name for crying out loud! At this moment, all he wanted to do was curl up and cry…even if this guy was telling the truth and Souta could go home to Kagome, he wouldn't be able to tell his sister anything helpful. He didn't know where they were so he couldn't tell anyone where the kids were being kept, he didn't even know The Boss' name.
No one had told him.
Then it hit Souta.
If the one going home would live…then he couldn't go. Souta dragged his eyes to Shippou, who was watching him quietly. The red haired boy would have to go back to Kagome and Inuyasha. Souta wouldn't let him stay here any longer. Plus…the gash from the machine was getting worse, now it was infected. The lack of nutritious food had Shippou looking smaller, and paler, than normal.
Swallowing, Souta's deep brown gaze flicked to Bankotsu's. "Fine…but Shippou is going home. Not me. But you have to promise he won't be hurt!"
The Boss smiled. "Of course, I wasn't planning on it. I need Shippou to do me a…favor. That's why I'm letting one of you go. Kagome needs to know something, so all you have to do to make it home safely is to give her a letter."
"So we're your messenger boys?!" Souta screamed, outraged.
Bankotsu ignored the outburst and turned on Shippou. "Now…you, you're going to tell your 'mother' absolutely nothing. You're not going to tell anyone anything or…I'll hurt Souta."
Shippou trembled, but not from fright. He was beyond angry. "You can't threaten us! If you hurt one of us then Kagome-Okaa-san won't give you what you want!"
"No…I'll merely have to find another way to get it. Now, tonight I'm going to give you the letter and you're going to go home and give it to Kagome Higurashi. She'll know what to do. And remember, tell anyone about where we are or who I am and you're 'uncle Souta' will not be making it out so well…"
Shippou clamped his mouth shut and refused to comment on the fact that even if he wanted to, he couldn't tell his adopted mother anything. He knew nothing.
Bankotsu, The Boss, nodded, taking Shippou's silence as acceptance. "Go and say goodbye to Souta now, Shippou, so that I can give you the letter. You'll leave as soon as it's nighttime."
Souta scowled. "But it's not even light out, you called us up here before the sun even came up! I have to work all day!"
"Fine, you both have the day off so that you can say goodbye," Bankotsu then ordered them out of his office. Kaijinbo was left, though. Turning to the sniveling wart of an old man, the leader glared. "You, go and inform everyone that I'm setting the next stage of my plan into action."
Kaijinbo hesitated at the door.
"Are you sure it isn't too soon? Would Kagome Higurashi really give up so much just to have her boys back? I mean…it's only been just over a week, maybe we should keep her waiting longer so she misses the brats more," The balding man proposed.
Bankotsu frowned. "No, it's my idea and I know it's time. Kagome loves these idiot children more than anything, she'll give me what I want to get them back."
Kaijinbo still waited. "But…are you sure she wont' figure out that it's you behind everything?"
"She has no clue," Bankotsu sneered. "Now go tell the others or I'll kill you and do it myself!"
This time, the older, weaker man didn't stall.
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Kagome rolled over sleepily in bed and stared up at the ceiling, her mind still in a half asleep daze. All the problems of the previous week were forgotten as she snuggled into the thick blankets, blocking out the winter's cold.
Just as her blue-gray eyes began to drift closed again, her bedroom door banged open.
"Wench! What the fuck are you still in bed for, it's almost 1 in the afternoon!"
Kagome peeked over her comforter to glare at Inuyasha. The man was standing there, his arms folded across his chest, and looking pretty good in jeans and a green sweater. "It's Sunday!" she whined.
"You're point?" he snapped. Why did she get to sleep in when he had to get up and watch over Kanna and Rin?
Kagome switched tactics. "You said it's almost one o'clock? Wow, you're up pretty early. Why don't you go back to bed?"
"Tempting…but hell no. That flee bitten wolf dumped cold water on my head and then told me that everyone else was busy so we had to watch the kids for the day."
"Sesshoumaru, Kagura, and Kouga are all gone? Where? What did they have to do?" Kagome sat up groggily and started to try and shake herself out of post sleeping pleasure.
Inuyasha's scowl deepened. "I don't know, but we're stuck with the girls and I refuse to just sit around here all day by myself and watch those stupid brats while you sleep!"
"Call them brats again and I'll-" Kagome's threat was cut short when Rin pushed past her uncle and jumped onto her bed.
"Aunty Kag! Aunty Kag!" The little girl squealed and latched herself around Kagome's neck.
Kagome grinned and ruffled Rin's hair. "Morning, Sweets!"
Rin giggled and continued her rib breaking hug. "Rin gets to play with Aunty Kag now?"
Kagome laughed and wrestled the little girl off of her. "Yes! I bet old Uncle Inu was being grumpy, wasn't he?"
Rin looked up at her role model and blinked innocently. "What does Aunty Kag mean? Uncle Inu is always grumpy!"
Said uncle grunted and stalked from the room, passing Kagura's little sister on the way. "Why don't you slowly kill off Kagome now, huh?" He suggested to Kanna before leaving for the kitchen.
Kanna shook her white hair sadly and entered Kagome's room, looking on as the 'Aunt' and 'niece' had a tickle war. The older little girl waited silently until the spasms of laughter were done before tugging the ebony haired beauty from her bed, finally, and down the hall to the kitchen.
Kagome followed, her hand clasped in Kanna's as the girl dragged the woman down the hall. Rin clung to Kagome's leg, sitting on her foot, grinning happily.
This was how the three stumbled into the kitchen, Inuyasha looked up from his paper to them. Groaning he got up to make them all something to eat.
Cooking never was his best skill…
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"I wonder how Kagome-chan is doing," Sango murmured as she sipped at her lemonade.
Across from her, Miroku shrugged, picking at his tuna fish sandwich. He kicked his legs against the legs of the really, really tall chair and leaned onto the table. "You know Kagome-sama, she's doing fine. Maybe being a little reclusive, but other than that…"
Sango sighed and took a big bite out of her own sandwich, ignoring the bustling people in the little café. "Yeah, I know. You know Tsuyu, the girl with the abusive new husband, right?"
"The one from where you work, from Sakura Hide-Away? Yeah, I know her, you told me about her," Miroku said.
"Well she finally sent in the divorce papers so she can get away from that abusive husband of hers," Sango smiled, chopping on some salad.
Miroku smirked, "Good, good! No woman deserves a man who hurts her," he commented. "So she'll finally be able to find her one true love?"
Sango rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's romantic mush. "Yeah, but you wouldn't know she hadn't already found him…"
"What do you mean?"
Sango snickered. "She's gone on three dates with Nobunaga, Kagome's friend from work, this week! Tsuyu's still married, though! You'd think a sweet girl like that would have more morals than that!"
Miroku adopted a calm, all-knowing look. "If she loves this Nobunaga, then it doesn't matter. True love conquers all!" He announced, looking dashing as he proclaimed about the rights of romance.
Sango snorted but leaned over to kiss his nose. "There is no such thing as true love…"
Miroku shook his head sadly at his girlfriend's closed minded views. "How can you say that?" he asked suddenly, looking at her deeply. "You're my true love…"
Sango blushed, and would have jumped him there if they weren't in a public place.
Apparently…Miroku wasn't so considerate…
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"You're a dork," Kagome laughed affectionately, picking the tomato off of Inuyasha's head.
Inuyasha in turn scowled dangerously at her. "Shut up," he muttered.
Kagome's answer was to burst out giggling as she kicked him out of the kitchen so she could make their meal, seeing as Inuyasha had problems with cutting the vegetables. Rolling her eyes in mock frustration when he refused to leave, she ignored him when he leaned against the counter to watch her cook.
"How do you do that?" he asked suddenly, sticking his nose into her perfectly cubed tomatoes.
Kagome shrugged and continued to wield her knife. "I don't know, Mama taught me how to cook when I was really young. Aunt Mai was in charge of showing me how to use a knife in the kitchen."
"Meaning," he concluded with a straight face, "That if there was a murder that included a butter knife, we'd know it was you?"
She batted at his shoulder. "Oh shut it, you moron. Don't you have something to do? Like jumping off a cliff or something?"
He folded his arms and continued to stare at her intently as she prepared the food. When he didn't lift his gaze, she began to flush, but continued to cut away at the lettuce for some BLTs.
Finally she couldn't take it. "What?"
"Would you really want me to jump off a cliff?"
Kagome blinked back at him blankly. "What? Are you insane? Of course I don't want you to jump off a cliff! Sheesh…"
He shrugged and looked away, out the kitchen window at the falling snow. "Well, you did say it."
"I was joking," she defended herself. Why was he being so serious?
While she was staring at him with a faraway look on her face, meaning that she wasn't really looking at him, he sneaked a piece of turkey out from under her nose. Acting serious to distract her really paid off…
Whistling 'innocently' and striding from the kitchen, he smirked in triumph as she still didn't notice that he'd nicked some food.
She was so gullible…
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"Miroku!" Sango shrieked outraged as she stormed into his large apartment, flushed in embarrassment.
Kohaku looked up from his comic on the couch just in time to see Miroku waltz in, looking pretty content.
The couple ignored Sango's younger brother.
"I can't believe you did that!" She roared, her pink eyes flashing in fury at her boyfriend.
Miroku smirked, looking calm as he eyed her. "You can't tell me you didn't like that," he said finally.
Her answer was to blush more.
Kohaku blinked at them, his young mind trying to put everything together. Miroku had done something to make his sister embarrassed and angry. But they'd been at a café, what could they do there? He shook his head and went back to his comic. He enjoyed living at Miroku's with Sango while the cops hung out at his house.
"Ah ha!" Miroku smirked happily. "So you did like it!" he accused.
Sango spluttered. "I did not!"
Miroku grinned, "Sure," he said slowly, looking for all his life like he really did believe her, even though his tone told everyone he didn't.
Sango glared at him, her teeth bared in anger. "You jerk! How could you! And in PUBLIC even!"
"That just makes it more fun!" he announced, striding up to her to argue face to face. Sango really was pretty when she was angry…now if he could just find the opening to cop a feel…ah there it was…
SLAP
"MIROKU!" She yelled, "Not in front of my brother!" She pointed to Kohaku who was still reading calmly, like the fight wasn't even going on in the room adjoined to the living room where he sat.
"Don't mind me!" He called up, not even bothering to look up from the comic. Wonder Woman really did look good in tights.
Sango glared at her little brother, mentally cursing the boy out for not helping her out. "Miroku, I still say it was inappropriate!"
"And everything else we do together isn't?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Yep…more blushing.
"Ooo," she hissed, rubbing her temples, before pointing at him accusingly. "You…You…!"
"Good looking man?" Miroku supplied smoothly, ducking when she sent a fist at him.
"No, you jerk!"
"Sango…are you blushing?" He asked charmingly, pointing at her pink cheeks.
"N-no, of course I'm not blushing. Why would I blush?!" She asked…all in one breath.
Miroku shrugged before tilting his head at her, giving her a slow boyish smile. "I don't know…by the way, Sango?"
"Yes?"
"Why does me feeding you eat Death By Chocolate Cheesecake in public embarrass you so much?" He asked innocently, blinking back at her as her cheeks flamed up again.
"The calories!" She wailed finally.
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Kagome glared…and glared…and glared some more.
Inuyasha continued to eat his meal silently, without looking up.
Kagome continued to glare.
Sighing mentally, he looked up and said sarcastically, "If you keep looking at me like that, your face might stay that way!"
Kagome, naturally, ignored his warning.
Across the kitchen table from the couple, Rin and Kanna sighed. "They really are difficult," Kanna whispered, eyeing the two with a cool look.
"Yes Uncle Inu and Aunty Kag are," Rin whispered loudly back, nodding enthusiastically. "They're weird too. A while ago, Aunty Kag was talking to the clouds."
"Talking to the clouds?" Kanna looked at the younger girl.
"Yep, yep! It was awhile ago, when Aunty Kag first came to live with Rin. It was when she first came to the city, and Aunty Kag was gardening with Rin."
Kanna shook her head sadly. "What did she say to the clouds, Rin?"
Rin scrunched up her nose, "Something about wanting to do something. Rin didn't get it so Rin asked Aunty Kag. Aunty Kag told Rin that she did something because Aunty Kag wanted to do it. Then we talked about cats."
Kanna blinked. That had made…no sense. Guess what Kagome was thinking that day would remain a mystery.
In the meantime, that day three months before was the furthest thing from Kagome's mind. She wasn't thinking about when she'd kissed Inuyasha that day and then had gone out gardening with Rin. In fact, she was thinking about strangling him…
Now, where had that extra piece of rope gone?
"Inuyasha…" she said slowly.
"Yeah?" He grunted, looking up from his meal and smirking at the young woman.
"Did you…take anything from the kitchen earlier?"
'Damn…she caught me.' Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Is that what you're so upset over, Kagome? It was just a piece of turkey, nothing big, get over it wench."
"Turkey?" Kagome asked, blinking back at him. "I was talking about the rope that I had in the knife drawer…never mind why I needed it."
Inuyasha eyed her strangely. "You have rope in a knife drawer in the kitchen?"
Kagome rolled her stormy eyes skyward in exasperation. "Of course I do, who doesn't?"
Inuyasha skipped that. "Why do you have rope?"
Kagome looked at him like he was an idiot. "To tie turkeys."
"Tie turkeys," Inuyasha repeated in complete and utter confusion. They had the weirdest conversations…
Kagome slapped her forehead. "Oops, I forgot, you know nothing about cooking. Let me explain. When you bake a turkey in the oven, you tie the turkey's legs together so that it cooks evenly. Get it now?"
"Ok…" he said slowly, still looking at her weirdly. "Thanks for the cooking lesson and explaining why you have rope, but why do you need it now?"
Kagome averted her eyes. "No reason…"
Inuyasha sighed and turned back to his food. Kagome was so weird.
Kanna watched the talk between the two 'grown ups'.
'Those two are a little more odd than I thought. I like Kagome, and Inuyasha too, I guess, separately. But together…they're insane. Clinically insane, not funny insane. Maybe I should refuse to be watched by them in the future, and make Kagura stay?…No, at least this way the days aren't boring.'
Next to Kanna thinking her complex thoughts, Rin was looking oddly serious. However, if one were to dive into her thoughts, they'd get:
'Purple is pretty, green is great, yellow is…yucky? Pink is perfect, blue is better, black is beautiful, Gold is…fluffy!'
Oh dear…
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"Souta?" Shippou asked out loud, looking up at the older boy with wide, innocent green eyes.
The elder male stopped his pacing and came over to kneel in front of the tiny red head. "Yeah, Shippou?"
"…I-I'm scared," Shippou whispered, casting a paranoid glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was standing behind him to hear his confession.
Souta forced a cheery smile onto his face before hugging the younger boy to him tightly. "I know," he whispered into Shippou's ear. "But it'll be ok, all you have to do is find your way home, I doubt The Boss will give you any help or directions, and then give Kagome the letter. Tell her I'm ok, and safe, and I miss her. Tell her all the kids are alive, but DON'T tell about the factory or The Boss."
"Because he'll hurt you if you do?" Shippou's voice sounded muffled.
"Yeah…but don't worry, you'll be fine. I promise we'll see each other again, ok?"
"Yes," Shippou whimpered. Pulling away from his uncle, the younger boy cradled his injured arm carefully. "It hurts," he whispered.
Souta winced, but covered it up. "Kagome will take care of it, she won't let you hurt any more."
"Ok…but Souta?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm still scared," Shippou admitted, feeling bad for not being as brave as the older boy.
Souta patted him awkwardly on the head, before getting an idea. "Shippou…Inuyasha wouldn't be scared! And as soon as you get home, he'll take care of you too."
Shippou doubted Inuyasha would take care of him, but the little boy did grudgingly admit that he, like Souta, looked up to the man.
"Ok, I'll be like Inuyasha…I can't believe I just said that," Shippou snorted, his laughter broke up the somber mood. Souta laughed along with him.
"Yeah, it's almost sundown, the day's almost over already. Tomorrow is Monday, so Kagome will be at work, but she'll be home by night time."
"But…where do I go?" Shippou asked suddenly.
"What do you mean 'where do I go?' Dummy! You go home," Souta rolled his eyes.
Shippou scowled at his uncle. "Oh, shut up. What if Kagome-Okaa-san isn't at home?"
Souta flinched. Oh yeah… "Ok, do you know how to get to Inuyasha's?"
Shippou nodded enthusiastically.
"Ok," Souta said slowly. "Go to Inuyasha's. Even if he's not home, Sesshoumaru or Rin will be. Ok?"
"Ok. Souta?"
"What now?" Souta asked in a not unkindly voice.
"How do I get all the way home from here, by myself?" Shippou was trembling.
Souta gulped. He didn't like the thought of his baby family member walking through Tokyo all on his own. Exspecially at night. "I heard the guards talking once…they said we're in downtown Tokyo. Kagome and Inuyasha are…uh…west of here…I think…"
"How do I know which way is West?"
"I'll make The Boss tell you before you go, if he's so eager for you to give Kagome that letter, he'll have to help you some. When you go, walk quietly, and stay on streets that are lighted so you can see, but stick to the shadows, ok?"
"Yeah."
"Good…" Souta searched his mind for anymore advice. "Don't let anyone see you, and if someone does try to hurt you scream, ok?"
Shippou nodded.
"Take your time, if you get to Inuyasha's before work gets out, then stay at the front door where they can find you when he gets home, don't wander anywhere, ok?"
"Yes…"
"Uh…here…" Souta then shrugged out of his sweater, it was one of the pieces of crappy clothes that the guards had handed the children, saying that the brats stunk. "Wear this over your other sweaters, I'll make The Boss give you another coat too since it's winter, use the snow to hide in if you think anyone sees you."
"Ok…Souta?"
"What," the older boy sighed.
"…I'm still scared…"
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Aftermath's Destruction
Chapter Fourteen: Sunday
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"What's the catch?!" Souta immediately blurted out, eyeing Bankotsu with distrust. Why would this…this…man let one of them go home?
"No catch," Bankotsu said simply, smirking as he leaned back into his chair.
"There has to be a catch," Souta pursed his lips, a habit he learned from his sister, and thought over everything. "Let me guess…one of us goes home, but we're dead when we get there…right? In that case…send me, no one is killing Shippou," the boy snapped, wrapping an arm protectively around his little nephew's shoulders.
The smirk melted into a scowl. Bankotsu leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk so that his nose was inches away from Souta's face. "You stupid little brat," he hissed slowly. "Quit trying to be so tough, whoever goes is not going to be dead when they get there. You'll arrive alive."
Souta snorted and looked away to glare at a wall. Like he'd believe that.
A fist slamming down on the desk made both boys jump and stare at Bankotsu. The man was steaming with rage, his eyes narrowed and his lips set in a frown. "Listen you worthless scum. I'm going to send you home so that your sister learns something. She has something of mine…"
"Kagome wouldn't even deal with you," Souta spat.
"Actually…" Bankotsu's smirk returned full force. "I work with her."
'Liar,' Souta thought, not trusting the man. He didn't even know The Boss' name for crying out loud! At this moment, all he wanted to do was curl up and cry…even if this guy was telling the truth and Souta could go home to Kagome, he wouldn't be able to tell his sister anything helpful. He didn't know where they were so he couldn't tell anyone where the kids were being kept, he didn't even know The Boss' name.
No one had told him.
Then it hit Souta.
If the one going home would live…then he couldn't go. Souta dragged his eyes to Shippou, who was watching him quietly. The red haired boy would have to go back to Kagome and Inuyasha. Souta wouldn't let him stay here any longer. Plus…the gash from the machine was getting worse, now it was infected. The lack of nutritious food had Shippou looking smaller, and paler, than normal.
Swallowing, Souta's deep brown gaze flicked to Bankotsu's. "Fine…but Shippou is going home. Not me. But you have to promise he won't be hurt!"
The Boss smiled. "Of course, I wasn't planning on it. I need Shippou to do me a…favor. That's why I'm letting one of you go. Kagome needs to know something, so all you have to do to make it home safely is to give her a letter."
"So we're your messenger boys?!" Souta screamed, outraged.
Bankotsu ignored the outburst and turned on Shippou. "Now…you, you're going to tell your 'mother' absolutely nothing. You're not going to tell anyone anything or…I'll hurt Souta."
Shippou trembled, but not from fright. He was beyond angry. "You can't threaten us! If you hurt one of us then Kagome-Okaa-san won't give you what you want!"
"No…I'll merely have to find another way to get it. Now, tonight I'm going to give you the letter and you're going to go home and give it to Kagome Higurashi. She'll know what to do. And remember, tell anyone about where we are or who I am and you're 'uncle Souta' will not be making it out so well…"
Shippou clamped his mouth shut and refused to comment on the fact that even if he wanted to, he couldn't tell his adopted mother anything. He knew nothing.
Bankotsu, The Boss, nodded, taking Shippou's silence as acceptance. "Go and say goodbye to Souta now, Shippou, so that I can give you the letter. You'll leave as soon as it's nighttime."
Souta scowled. "But it's not even light out, you called us up here before the sun even came up! I have to work all day!"
"Fine, you both have the day off so that you can say goodbye," Bankotsu then ordered them out of his office. Kaijinbo was left, though. Turning to the sniveling wart of an old man, the leader glared. "You, go and inform everyone that I'm setting the next stage of my plan into action."
Kaijinbo hesitated at the door.
"Are you sure it isn't too soon? Would Kagome Higurashi really give up so much just to have her boys back? I mean…it's only been just over a week, maybe we should keep her waiting longer so she misses the brats more," The balding man proposed.
Bankotsu frowned. "No, it's my idea and I know it's time. Kagome loves these idiot children more than anything, she'll give me what I want to get them back."
Kaijinbo still waited. "But…are you sure she wont' figure out that it's you behind everything?"
"She has no clue," Bankotsu sneered. "Now go tell the others or I'll kill you and do it myself!"
This time, the older, weaker man didn't stall.
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Kagome rolled over sleepily in bed and stared up at the ceiling, her mind still in a half asleep daze. All the problems of the previous week were forgotten as she snuggled into the thick blankets, blocking out the winter's cold.
Just as her blue-gray eyes began to drift closed again, her bedroom door banged open.
"Wench! What the fuck are you still in bed for, it's almost 1 in the afternoon!"
Kagome peeked over her comforter to glare at Inuyasha. The man was standing there, his arms folded across his chest, and looking pretty good in jeans and a green sweater. "It's Sunday!" she whined.
"You're point?" he snapped. Why did she get to sleep in when he had to get up and watch over Kanna and Rin?
Kagome switched tactics. "You said it's almost one o'clock? Wow, you're up pretty early. Why don't you go back to bed?"
"Tempting…but hell no. That flee bitten wolf dumped cold water on my head and then told me that everyone else was busy so we had to watch the kids for the day."
"Sesshoumaru, Kagura, and Kouga are all gone? Where? What did they have to do?" Kagome sat up groggily and started to try and shake herself out of post sleeping pleasure.
Inuyasha's scowl deepened. "I don't know, but we're stuck with the girls and I refuse to just sit around here all day by myself and watch those stupid brats while you sleep!"
"Call them brats again and I'll-" Kagome's threat was cut short when Rin pushed past her uncle and jumped onto her bed.
"Aunty Kag! Aunty Kag!" The little girl squealed and latched herself around Kagome's neck.
Kagome grinned and ruffled Rin's hair. "Morning, Sweets!"
Rin giggled and continued her rib breaking hug. "Rin gets to play with Aunty Kag now?"
Kagome laughed and wrestled the little girl off of her. "Yes! I bet old Uncle Inu was being grumpy, wasn't he?"
Rin looked up at her role model and blinked innocently. "What does Aunty Kag mean? Uncle Inu is always grumpy!"
Said uncle grunted and stalked from the room, passing Kagura's little sister on the way. "Why don't you slowly kill off Kagome now, huh?" He suggested to Kanna before leaving for the kitchen.
Kanna shook her white hair sadly and entered Kagome's room, looking on as the 'Aunt' and 'niece' had a tickle war. The older little girl waited silently until the spasms of laughter were done before tugging the ebony haired beauty from her bed, finally, and down the hall to the kitchen.
Kagome followed, her hand clasped in Kanna's as the girl dragged the woman down the hall. Rin clung to Kagome's leg, sitting on her foot, grinning happily.
This was how the three stumbled into the kitchen, Inuyasha looked up from his paper to them. Groaning he got up to make them all something to eat.
Cooking never was his best skill…
.
---
.
"I wonder how Kagome-chan is doing," Sango murmured as she sipped at her lemonade.
Across from her, Miroku shrugged, picking at his tuna fish sandwich. He kicked his legs against the legs of the really, really tall chair and leaned onto the table. "You know Kagome-sama, she's doing fine. Maybe being a little reclusive, but other than that…"
Sango sighed and took a big bite out of her own sandwich, ignoring the bustling people in the little café. "Yeah, I know. You know Tsuyu, the girl with the abusive new husband, right?"
"The one from where you work, from Sakura Hide-Away? Yeah, I know her, you told me about her," Miroku said.
"Well she finally sent in the divorce papers so she can get away from that abusive husband of hers," Sango smiled, chopping on some salad.
Miroku smirked, "Good, good! No woman deserves a man who hurts her," he commented. "So she'll finally be able to find her one true love?"
Sango rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's romantic mush. "Yeah, but you wouldn't know she hadn't already found him…"
"What do you mean?"
Sango snickered. "She's gone on three dates with Nobunaga, Kagome's friend from work, this week! Tsuyu's still married, though! You'd think a sweet girl like that would have more morals than that!"
Miroku adopted a calm, all-knowing look. "If she loves this Nobunaga, then it doesn't matter. True love conquers all!" He announced, looking dashing as he proclaimed about the rights of romance.
Sango snorted but leaned over to kiss his nose. "There is no such thing as true love…"
Miroku shook his head sadly at his girlfriend's closed minded views. "How can you say that?" he asked suddenly, looking at her deeply. "You're my true love…"
Sango blushed, and would have jumped him there if they weren't in a public place.
Apparently…Miroku wasn't so considerate…
.
---
.
"You're a dork," Kagome laughed affectionately, picking the tomato off of Inuyasha's head.
Inuyasha in turn scowled dangerously at her. "Shut up," he muttered.
Kagome's answer was to burst out giggling as she kicked him out of the kitchen so she could make their meal, seeing as Inuyasha had problems with cutting the vegetables. Rolling her eyes in mock frustration when he refused to leave, she ignored him when he leaned against the counter to watch her cook.
"How do you do that?" he asked suddenly, sticking his nose into her perfectly cubed tomatoes.
Kagome shrugged and continued to wield her knife. "I don't know, Mama taught me how to cook when I was really young. Aunt Mai was in charge of showing me how to use a knife in the kitchen."
"Meaning," he concluded with a straight face, "That if there was a murder that included a butter knife, we'd know it was you?"
She batted at his shoulder. "Oh shut it, you moron. Don't you have something to do? Like jumping off a cliff or something?"
He folded his arms and continued to stare at her intently as she prepared the food. When he didn't lift his gaze, she began to flush, but continued to cut away at the lettuce for some BLTs.
Finally she couldn't take it. "What?"
"Would you really want me to jump off a cliff?"
Kagome blinked back at him blankly. "What? Are you insane? Of course I don't want you to jump off a cliff! Sheesh…"
He shrugged and looked away, out the kitchen window at the falling snow. "Well, you did say it."
"I was joking," she defended herself. Why was he being so serious?
While she was staring at him with a faraway look on her face, meaning that she wasn't really looking at him, he sneaked a piece of turkey out from under her nose. Acting serious to distract her really paid off…
Whistling 'innocently' and striding from the kitchen, he smirked in triumph as she still didn't notice that he'd nicked some food.
She was so gullible…
.
---
.
"Miroku!" Sango shrieked outraged as she stormed into his large apartment, flushed in embarrassment.
Kohaku looked up from his comic on the couch just in time to see Miroku waltz in, looking pretty content.
The couple ignored Sango's younger brother.
"I can't believe you did that!" She roared, her pink eyes flashing in fury at her boyfriend.
Miroku smirked, looking calm as he eyed her. "You can't tell me you didn't like that," he said finally.
Her answer was to blush more.
Kohaku blinked at them, his young mind trying to put everything together. Miroku had done something to make his sister embarrassed and angry. But they'd been at a café, what could they do there? He shook his head and went back to his comic. He enjoyed living at Miroku's with Sango while the cops hung out at his house.
"Ah ha!" Miroku smirked happily. "So you did like it!" he accused.
Sango spluttered. "I did not!"
Miroku grinned, "Sure," he said slowly, looking for all his life like he really did believe her, even though his tone told everyone he didn't.
Sango glared at him, her teeth bared in anger. "You jerk! How could you! And in PUBLIC even!"
"That just makes it more fun!" he announced, striding up to her to argue face to face. Sango really was pretty when she was angry…now if he could just find the opening to cop a feel…ah there it was…
SLAP
"MIROKU!" She yelled, "Not in front of my brother!" She pointed to Kohaku who was still reading calmly, like the fight wasn't even going on in the room adjoined to the living room where he sat.
"Don't mind me!" He called up, not even bothering to look up from the comic. Wonder Woman really did look good in tights.
Sango glared at her little brother, mentally cursing the boy out for not helping her out. "Miroku, I still say it was inappropriate!"
"And everything else we do together isn't?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Yep…more blushing.
"Ooo," she hissed, rubbing her temples, before pointing at him accusingly. "You…You…!"
"Good looking man?" Miroku supplied smoothly, ducking when she sent a fist at him.
"No, you jerk!"
"Sango…are you blushing?" He asked charmingly, pointing at her pink cheeks.
"N-no, of course I'm not blushing. Why would I blush?!" She asked…all in one breath.
Miroku shrugged before tilting his head at her, giving her a slow boyish smile. "I don't know…by the way, Sango?"
"Yes?"
"Why does me feeding you eat Death By Chocolate Cheesecake in public embarrass you so much?" He asked innocently, blinking back at her as her cheeks flamed up again.
"The calories!" She wailed finally.
.
---
.
Kagome glared…and glared…and glared some more.
Inuyasha continued to eat his meal silently, without looking up.
Kagome continued to glare.
Sighing mentally, he looked up and said sarcastically, "If you keep looking at me like that, your face might stay that way!"
Kagome, naturally, ignored his warning.
Across the kitchen table from the couple, Rin and Kanna sighed. "They really are difficult," Kanna whispered, eyeing the two with a cool look.
"Yes Uncle Inu and Aunty Kag are," Rin whispered loudly back, nodding enthusiastically. "They're weird too. A while ago, Aunty Kag was talking to the clouds."
"Talking to the clouds?" Kanna looked at the younger girl.
"Yep, yep! It was awhile ago, when Aunty Kag first came to live with Rin. It was when she first came to the city, and Aunty Kag was gardening with Rin."
Kanna shook her head sadly. "What did she say to the clouds, Rin?"
Rin scrunched up her nose, "Something about wanting to do something. Rin didn't get it so Rin asked Aunty Kag. Aunty Kag told Rin that she did something because Aunty Kag wanted to do it. Then we talked about cats."
Kanna blinked. That had made…no sense. Guess what Kagome was thinking that day would remain a mystery.
In the meantime, that day three months before was the furthest thing from Kagome's mind. She wasn't thinking about when she'd kissed Inuyasha that day and then had gone out gardening with Rin. In fact, she was thinking about strangling him…
Now, where had that extra piece of rope gone?
"Inuyasha…" she said slowly.
"Yeah?" He grunted, looking up from his meal and smirking at the young woman.
"Did you…take anything from the kitchen earlier?"
'Damn…she caught me.' Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Is that what you're so upset over, Kagome? It was just a piece of turkey, nothing big, get over it wench."
"Turkey?" Kagome asked, blinking back at him. "I was talking about the rope that I had in the knife drawer…never mind why I needed it."
Inuyasha eyed her strangely. "You have rope in a knife drawer in the kitchen?"
Kagome rolled her stormy eyes skyward in exasperation. "Of course I do, who doesn't?"
Inuyasha skipped that. "Why do you have rope?"
Kagome looked at him like he was an idiot. "To tie turkeys."
"Tie turkeys," Inuyasha repeated in complete and utter confusion. They had the weirdest conversations…
Kagome slapped her forehead. "Oops, I forgot, you know nothing about cooking. Let me explain. When you bake a turkey in the oven, you tie the turkey's legs together so that it cooks evenly. Get it now?"
"Ok…" he said slowly, still looking at her weirdly. "Thanks for the cooking lesson and explaining why you have rope, but why do you need it now?"
Kagome averted her eyes. "No reason…"
Inuyasha sighed and turned back to his food. Kagome was so weird.
Kanna watched the talk between the two 'grown ups'.
'Those two are a little more odd than I thought. I like Kagome, and Inuyasha too, I guess, separately. But together…they're insane. Clinically insane, not funny insane. Maybe I should refuse to be watched by them in the future, and make Kagura stay?…No, at least this way the days aren't boring.'
Next to Kanna thinking her complex thoughts, Rin was looking oddly serious. However, if one were to dive into her thoughts, they'd get:
'Purple is pretty, green is great, yellow is…yucky? Pink is perfect, blue is better, black is beautiful, Gold is…fluffy!'
Oh dear…
.
---
.
"Souta?" Shippou asked out loud, looking up at the older boy with wide, innocent green eyes.
The elder male stopped his pacing and came over to kneel in front of the tiny red head. "Yeah, Shippou?"
"…I-I'm scared," Shippou whispered, casting a paranoid glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was standing behind him to hear his confession.
Souta forced a cheery smile onto his face before hugging the younger boy to him tightly. "I know," he whispered into Shippou's ear. "But it'll be ok, all you have to do is find your way home, I doubt The Boss will give you any help or directions, and then give Kagome the letter. Tell her I'm ok, and safe, and I miss her. Tell her all the kids are alive, but DON'T tell about the factory or The Boss."
"Because he'll hurt you if you do?" Shippou's voice sounded muffled.
"Yeah…but don't worry, you'll be fine. I promise we'll see each other again, ok?"
"Yes," Shippou whimpered. Pulling away from his uncle, the younger boy cradled his injured arm carefully. "It hurts," he whispered.
Souta winced, but covered it up. "Kagome will take care of it, she won't let you hurt any more."
"Ok…but Souta?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm still scared," Shippou admitted, feeling bad for not being as brave as the older boy.
Souta patted him awkwardly on the head, before getting an idea. "Shippou…Inuyasha wouldn't be scared! And as soon as you get home, he'll take care of you too."
Shippou doubted Inuyasha would take care of him, but the little boy did grudgingly admit that he, like Souta, looked up to the man.
"Ok, I'll be like Inuyasha…I can't believe I just said that," Shippou snorted, his laughter broke up the somber mood. Souta laughed along with him.
"Yeah, it's almost sundown, the day's almost over already. Tomorrow is Monday, so Kagome will be at work, but she'll be home by night time."
"But…where do I go?" Shippou asked suddenly.
"What do you mean 'where do I go?' Dummy! You go home," Souta rolled his eyes.
Shippou scowled at his uncle. "Oh, shut up. What if Kagome-Okaa-san isn't at home?"
Souta flinched. Oh yeah… "Ok, do you know how to get to Inuyasha's?"
Shippou nodded enthusiastically.
"Ok," Souta said slowly. "Go to Inuyasha's. Even if he's not home, Sesshoumaru or Rin will be. Ok?"
"Ok. Souta?"
"What now?" Souta asked in a not unkindly voice.
"How do I get all the way home from here, by myself?" Shippou was trembling.
Souta gulped. He didn't like the thought of his baby family member walking through Tokyo all on his own. Exspecially at night. "I heard the guards talking once…they said we're in downtown Tokyo. Kagome and Inuyasha are…uh…west of here…I think…"
"How do I know which way is West?"
"I'll make The Boss tell you before you go, if he's so eager for you to give Kagome that letter, he'll have to help you some. When you go, walk quietly, and stay on streets that are lighted so you can see, but stick to the shadows, ok?"
"Yeah."
"Good…" Souta searched his mind for anymore advice. "Don't let anyone see you, and if someone does try to hurt you scream, ok?"
Shippou nodded.
"Take your time, if you get to Inuyasha's before work gets out, then stay at the front door where they can find you when he gets home, don't wander anywhere, ok?"
"Yes…"
"Uh…here…" Souta then shrugged out of his sweater, it was one of the pieces of crappy clothes that the guards had handed the children, saying that the brats stunk. "Wear this over your other sweaters, I'll make The Boss give you another coat too since it's winter, use the snow to hide in if you think anyone sees you."
"Ok…Souta?"
"What," the older boy sighed.
"…I'm still scared…"