InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Double or Nothing: Take the Money & Run ❯ It’s Not Delivery, It’s DiGiorno! ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve

It's not Delivery, It's DiGiorno!

Kagome stood at the check out desk leaning over a stack of papers. The receptionist pointed to a line on the bottom of the first paper. “Sign here dear. It's your promise to pay whatever your insurance doesn't cover.”

Bile rose in Kagome's throat. Of course she had no insurance and she had no idea where this woman had gotten the impression she did. But hey, they were going to let her leave so why question her good luck. So what if it took an extra month or four for her medical bills to catch up to her?

She signed her name across the line with a flourish of the pen and that was that. It was time to get the hell out. After thirty six hours of the hospital's hospitality she couldn't wait to walk out those doors or get wheeled out in the wheelchair as was the stupid rule.

For some reason she couldn't figure out Koga was no where to be found. Miroku had arrived in his stead. He'd wanted to take her to her parent's house but once she explained she was turning in her so called bounty hunter's `license' he reluctantly agreed to drop her by her apartment.

“I'm still picking you up for dinner tonight. Your Ma's pot roast is famous!”

Kagome waved and shut the door the of his police cruiser behind her before dashing up her apartment steps out of the rain.

Her apartment was still a shambles; Inuyasha's handiwork was still in full force. Her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of the hedgehog cage. `Oh my God! Poor Bartleby...'

She peered into the cage and saw he was sleeping happily in a furry puddle. His tiny dish was full of fresh kibble and his litter box was clean.

`Koga came back to feed and look after him.'  After all the horrible things that had happened to her this one kind gesture was the light at the end of the tunnel.  She sat down on the end of her Murphy bed and let everything settle in her head.

`Oh well guess I'd better get packing,huh. I don't want the landlord going through my stuff.'  Kagome surveyed her tiny studio apartment and realized she owned a lot of absolutely nothing. And if she expected to transport any of it she was going to need some boxes.

The Buy and Bag Grocery store a block over would no doubt let her have as many as she wished.

She paused in front of the bathroom mirror but it was pointless. There was still a bandage taped to the side of her head and her hair was beyond repair.

She pulled on an oversized sweat shirt then a red baseball cap. This would have to do for the time being.

Kagome locked her apartment door before she left, though she didn't know why she bothered. At this point she wouldn't be surprised to come home to find the entire Reading Fillies baseball team complete with Pete Rose Jr standing in her miniscule kitchen.

_-_-_-_

The rain had stopped and that was one small thing she had to be grateful for. The Jeep wasn't at her apartment so she'd been forced to walk.

 

Because it was the middle of the week and the average blue collar wouldn't get paid until Friday, the Buy and Bag was deserted.

Kagome grabbed a grocery cart and was turning towards the produce department when she noticed a sign.

Night time help wanted. Reasonable pay with benefits.

Kagome blinked. It was a sign from God.

She pulled an application free from the wall and decided to fill it out at the customer service counter. The produce manager Guido would throw in a good word for her, because they'd partied together back in high school.

She waved at the refund clerk. “How much do they pay?”

The tired woman frowned and answered in a bored tone. “If you make supervisor then it's $9.00 an hour.

Not great pay but she could make it on that… just barely.

And she had tons of experience with money and customer service which was something she couldn't claim in the bounty hunter department.

Kagome's hand flew over the paper as she filled out the application. She passed it to the woman who gave it a fast once over. “Humph… not bad. Guido will probably call you tomorrow when he gets in.”

Hope rose in Kagome's chest. “Guido is the hiring manager?”

The woman nodded, “Yeah ever since last week.”

Well damn! Now she knew she was as good as hired.  

“Thanks Mam!” She waved and then danced off with her cart. Life wouldn't be perfect but it would be livable. She could borrow money from her parents to catch up on her rent and then… spend the rest of days working under Guido to catch up.

It would be hard but still better than getting blown up or shot at.

Kagome still had twenty bucks left over from pawing her coffee table. So to celebrate she decided to forgo the boxes and pick up some frozen pizza.

Bartles would be so happy to hear he didn't have to move in with her parents. He did so appreciate his privacy and his beauty rest. All twenty two hours a day of it.

She was in front of the frozen pizzas leaning wondering if Koga would still talk to her if she was a lowly supermarket cashier supervisor when someone slammed their cart into the side of hers.

She let the freezer door swing shut and turned to see who in the hell was out to get her now.

Kagome groaned as she lifted her heavy head and found herself gazing into a pair of brightly lit eyes.

 

Sesshomaru was leaning over the push bar of his cart glaring at her. Low slung white flare jeans graced his hips and he wore a thin black tee shirt that read in large white block print: Oh go Fuck Yourself.  

 

His golden eyes sparked and a leer of amusement perched on his lips. “Good afternoon bounty bitch. Lovely weather we're having.”

Kagome looked into his cart, where only a case of Miller Natural Light and a six pack of toilet paper sat.

 

She asked in a cutting tone, “So what do you eat? Kittens, tin cans or random pieces of road kill?”

Sesshomaru didn't miss a beat and flashed his sharp canines, “Little girls just like you.” He tapped his talons on the plastic kiddie seat in his cart.

Kagome's head began to hurt and she shot back, “Ya know today has sucked so bad, I'm not a bounty hunter any more. In fact I'm applying for a job here at Giant as a cashier. I'll get you the Jeep back tomorrow when I get it back. So just back off!”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the glass of the freezer case.

Sesshomaru frowned. ”Lying bitch. If I don't get it back you will pay.” He pushed the cart to the side of the aisle and stepped closer.

Kagome scoffed; after all it wasn't even his Jeep! “Yeah whatever… Hey have you gotten around to killing Inuyasha yet?”

Sesshomaru studied his Teva sandals as he grumbled, “No but soon.”

Kagome turned to pluck a frozen California Pizza kitchen pizza from the freezer. Yokai or not, why was the man wearing flip flops in the dead of winter? “Damn it, there goes the highlight of my day.”


He waited until she was facing him then licked his fangs and ran a talon down her bare arm, “I heard you might need a new place to stay.”

 

She was wondering where he'd heard this when Sesshomaru paused and lifted a cool brow, “You could stay at my place…after all you already know where it is and you still have MY jeep.”

 

Before she could stop herself she said, “It's Inuyasha's Jeep.”

 

He shook his head, “He won't have much use for it where he's going and I'll give it a good home.

 

Kagome swallowed, “I'd give it to you now and all but I really don't know where it's at.” This was only a half lie; she'd forgotten which dumpster it was parked behind.

 

Sesshomaru stuck his face in hers and she felt his warm breath on her lips. He snapped his fingers next to her ear. “Find it.”

 

She pretended he wasn't scaring the living hell out of her and glanced away from him towards a stack of frozen burritos. “Do you think he's guilty?”

 

Sesshomaru ran a clawed finger around the collar of her sweat shirt. It was bulky and hid her figure but he didn't seem to mind. “Does it matter? And why the fuck do you care? You quit.”

Kagome grinned nervously and gave a half shrug, “Good point. But I'm curious.”

 

So was his finger because it edged past her collar and began exploring her collar bone. She wanted to slap him but was biding her time.

Sesshomaru sighed and swept his loose silver hair over his shoulder, “The half breed's a pussy. I don't think he could even kill you.”

 

Wellthat was a comforting thought. Kagome stepped away from Sesshomaru but he only hooked his finger around her collar and followed her.

 

“Well why don't you help him? If you don't do something then maybe one of these guys on his ass well get to kill him and then where will you be?”

 

Sesshomaru leaned in and sniffed her hair, “Pissing on his grave.”

 

Kagome groaned. “That's not my point. Do you want someone else to kill him?”

 

His lips brushed the skin on her neck. Kagome jumped and pushed him away. “Stop that!”

 

Sesshomaru growled low in his throat. “You're a bitch but your right. I wanted to be the one that kills him.” Then he grinned, “But I'm not beyond letting someone else do my jail time.”

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes, “Do you always get what you want.”

 

He gave his cart full of cheap beer a pointed look. As though he'd drink that shit on purpose. “Yeah I do.”

 

The he turned towards her and leered, “And you'd do well to remember that.”

 

Kagome pushed her cart away in a huff. Screw him.

 

Sesshomaru stood watching her leave. He was almost disappointed to hear she was quitting. Oh well, if she worked here, he'd still come by and fuck with her.

_-_-_-_

The walk back to her apartment was a light one even though she was burdened down with a bag of frozen store brand pizzas. Once she'd gotten to the check out she realized she couldn't afford the brand name pizza and had to put it back. Thank goodness this time the pizza aisle was deserted.

 

Kagome hung the plastic bag on her arm as she dug out her keys to unlock her apartment door. But when she leaned against the door it fell open on it's own.

 

`That damned wolf. Why couldn't he of just waited outside for me?' Perturbed she shoved open the door and found the apartment… clean.

 

`What the hell?' Kagome took a tentative step inside and was met with the alluring smell of hot pizza.

 

A small movement caught her attention and she saw Inuyasha stretched out on her couch waiting for her while he drank a beer.

 

She spoke though gritted teeth, “What are you doing here?”

 

Inuyasha yawned and stretched. “What, no hey thanks for picking up the pig sty?”

 

Kagome shot back, “It was fine before you trashed it yesterday!” Had this been a cartoon steam would've been pouring from her ears.

 

He lifted a black brow and frowned, “Higurashi, that shit was two days ago. You sure they should've let you out of the hospital?”

 

Kagome tossed her frozen pizza on the counter. “Oh go sit on a broom stick.”

 

Inuyasha winced, “Ouch. And after I saved your life too.”

 

She glared at him. “As I recall you probably sat me up so you could get the Jeep back and the reason they were shooting at me was because of YOU!”

 

Her voice bounced off the close walls of the studio apartment and woke Bartleby who huffed in his cage.

 

Inuyasha sat up and stuck a finger in his ear. “Shit girl, can you be any louder? I don't think they quite heard you in New York City.”

 

Kagome swung around and noticed her apartment now had a fresh lemony fragrance. Had he even mopped? “What the hell are you here for?”

 

Inuyasha stood and offered her his hand. “I'd like to call a truce.”

 

She crossed her arms angrily over her chest, “Why would I make a deal with you?”

 

He grinned and pulled open the tiny door of her mini fridge. “Cause I come bearing gifts; cold beer and hot pizza.”

 

He tapped her frozen pizza box with his claw, “That shit's not pizza, that's petrified cardboard.”

 

Kagome cautiously approached the hot box of melted cheese and pepperoni. She opened it, pulled out a stringy hot slice and bit into it. Heaven.

 

Bartleby was excited by the scent of pizza so she paused by his cage and picked him up. She sat on her bed with him beside her, greedily munching on his own tiny piece of crust.

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, “That prickly rat is so spoiled.” How could she be nice to the hedge rat and so mean to him? Course her pet had probably never left her naked and handcuffed to a heater.

 

She cut her eyes at him, “Shut up and get me a beer.”

 

He dropped an exaggerated bow, “Pushy bitch, your wish is my command.”

 

Kagome turned her neck and heard the vertebra pop. She wasn't going to miss all the stress of bounty hunting. “So I guess you are here for the Jeep?”

 

He tossed her a cold beer and sat on the miserable couch. “Yeah, you could say that.”

 

She shrugged and twisted off the beer cap, “I'm sorry but I haven't seen it since right before I was almost blown all to hell. As soon as I remember where we stashed it I'll let you know.”

 

Inuyasha was surprised, “I expected more of a fight from you then this.”

 

Kagome smiled, “Yeah well I quit. Sorry to disappoint you.”

 

He shook his silver head in disbelief, “Really? Stop fucking with me.”

 

“I'm getting a nice safe, boring, normal job at the Buy and Bag. You can have the damn Jeep back. I'll get the keys from Koga tomorrow.” Kagome held the brown glass beer bottle to her lips.

 

Inuyasha frowned flashing the tips of his canines, “Oh God no! Tell me that stinking wolf doesn't have my keys…”

 

A smug smile graced Kagome's lips, “Yeah well he does.”

 

Inuyasha took a deep breath, “Well you need a ride so I guess ya get to keep the Jeep a bit longer.”

 

She nearly dropped her beer, “What?”

 

He sighed, “You can't give up on this, because you're part of it.”

Kagome sat her pizza slice down on a paper towel and didn't notice when Bartleby decided to help himself to it. “Huh?”

Inuyasha cut to the chase and asked, “Ever hear of the Shikon no Tama?”

She blinked, “Hello! The bond office's name is Shikon Bond and Bail so what do you think?”

He took another swig of beer, “Yeah but do you know what the Shikon no Tama is?”

She leaned back and wondered where this was going. “Some famous mythical rock thingy, it's also a famous diamond right?”

He pointed at her with his forefinger, “Yeah and it turns out back in the day say two hundred years ago your family protected it.”

Kagome frowned deep in thought,”Grandma Kaede's mentioned that…”

”Well the thing has magic. And some powerful people believe it's the same rock from the myth.” He watched as the hedgehog pulled on a string of mozzarella from the pizza under the nose of his oblivious owner.

Kagome still didn't see what any of this had to do with her, “So?”

He wondered how she got to be so dense. Back in school she'd such good grades. Wait. Why the hell did he even remember that? ”So they plan on stealing it.”

She touched the bandage under her hat. The day just was going to get worse. “And that has what to do with you?”

Inuyasha leaned forward and spat in a bitter tone, “I was this close to busting them when they figured out I was on to them. Then they tried to kill me but accidentally killed my partner instead. So they framed me for his death.”

Kagome hadn't known the man who died was his partner. “But why do they want me? Aren't I helping them by chasing you?”

He gave a cold laugh, “Yeah but they don't know how much you suck at this and since your family has had a mystical connection to the stupid diamond in the past they think you are after them.”

Kagome was getting damned sick of hearing how bad she was. “But as every one keeps pointing out I'm virtually harmless so what the hell is the big deal?”

Inuyasha explained, “Simple your family did a great job of protecting the diamond. The protectors were always female and trained from birth for the job. Like ninjas but hotter.”

Kagome bit her lip; he would hear the words female ninja and immediately think of sex. “And they think I am one of these women?”

Inuyasha answered with his mouth full of pizza, “Bingo”

She was exasperated, “So why don't we just take out a full page ad in the Reading Eagle paper that says `Kagome Higurashi is NOT a super ninja and doesn't give a rats ass about the Shikon no Tama so please don't kill her'?”

Inuyasha waved a dismissive hand and watched the plump hedgehog roll across the now naked pizza slice in unadulterated spiky joy. “It'd be a waste of perfectly good grocery money cause they'd just think it was a ruse.”

Kagome sat down and hold her head in her hands. “Freaking hell! I just can't win can I?”

He almost felt bad for her and offered, “I'm staying here so it's not like you'll be alone.”

She sneered, “You mean you're hiding out here and keeping me hostage. That doesn't strike me as particularly helpful.”

Inuyasha shrugged, “Call it what you want but I'm staying. I mean it's as all hell cold outside!” He was right, one look out the window and she saw a light rain of snow flurries.

Kagome ignored the bad weather and huffed “Well I sure as hell won't be keeping you warm. I haven't forgotten about the night before last.”

He lifted a brow and confessed more to himself than to her. “Neither have I…” He clutched his hands around his beer.

She didn't like the tone of his voice. “Don't make me shoot you.”

Inuyasha waved his open hand in the air. “With what, the unloaded gun you hid in the cookie jar?”

How the hell did he know that's where she kept it? Oh yeah, he'd torn her apartment apart! Kagome yelled, “Screw you! And you know what? I hope those guys get you.”

He shook his head, “Seeing how I'm the only thing standing between you and them, I'd rethink that if I were you.” It was funny how she really didn't think she needed his help

Kagome shot back, “There's always Koga, he bought me doughnuts.” Her lips spread in a superior smile.

Inu scoffed, “Just doughnuts? Wench I bought you beer and in rock, paper, scissors of the food world, beer always kick doughnut ass.

 

Kagome looked down and found half a scrap of pizza crust and a hedgehog covered in dripping pizza sauce. She frowned and picked Bartleby up by the scruff of his neck, “What the hell did you do?”

 

Inuyasha drowned his laughter in a fresh beer. The wench was as always, priceless.

_-_-_

Notes:

 

I am sorry for the late update. I have not abandoned any of my stories but the slow updates cannot be helped. As you can see this fic has a lot of good stuff going on. So stay tuned and I'll probably have something to add in a week. Thanks!

 

Okay I have to say it: Go TEAM USA and good luck to everyone at the Winter Olympics.

 

 

The Chinese and Russian figure skaters blew me away. And the US team made history with some kind of triple toss thingy. So if you aren't watching just think of what you are missing. Yeah that's right, hot guys in tight outfits. Of course if you are too busy reading my stuff to watch well then…that's understandable. LOL!