InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ En Famille ❯ Scary Surprises ( Chapter 12 )

Rushing into the building and out of the cold, Kagome thanked her doorman and rubbed her cold arms while heading into the elevator. Finally reaching her apartment, she sighed as she removed her shoes, leaving her purse on the table and dropping her keys on the mantle.

Looking down at her answering machine, she was surprised to see she had various messages and put the machine to play them while she changed out of her business skirt and into something more comfortable.

The majority of the messages were actually dial tones, as if someone had hung up once the machine kicked in. She also got one from Sango, another from Miroku, and another from Jakotsu.

Grabbing up the phone, she quickly dialed and flopped down onto the sofa, "Hey you."

"Hey, you called?" pulling her blanket off the back of the sofa, she curled up to get warm faster.

"I was just checking in on you, I wanted to find out if..."

"I got it," she glumly admitted, "And I went to talk to my doctor about things. She says its perfectly normal, that some women can conceive on the first try, while others may attempt for years before getting results. She doesn't think that should be the case with me but..."

"But it could be," Miroku read into the worry in her voice and frowned, "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure what to think," Kagome admitted, "I'm still hopeful, but..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll happen soon," he quickly assured her, "And besides that, what else is new? How are you feeling?"

Kagome shrugged, frowning while looking up at her mantle, "Sore and tired from all this running around, we're getting busier, the new store will be opening soon and I've left all the preparations of that to poor Hilde so that Relena and I can get a head start on the upcoming holiday season."

Getting up off the sofa, she walked over and picked up a frame that had gotten knocked down. It was a picture of her with Miroku at the beach, they'd taken it during their first bonfire at his house. The frame sat between two others that were still standing, somehow it had been knocked over without the others falling.

Shrugging it off, she focused again when he had to get off the line. "I've got a meeting in a few minutes so I have to run. Have you heard from Jak?"

"Yeah I just got his message right now, I was going to ask you about it," she set the frame in place and headed back to the sofa.

Miroku's tone picked up, "I say we should go, mom and dad are going to be out of town, Sessh and Sango will probably want to spend the night together, and the guys are really looking forward to having you over."

"Sounds good, I'll look up flight plans for the both of us and let you know," Kagome heard his name being called in the background and smiled, "Better run off now, I'll call you later."

"Yeah, talk to you later babe," his warm tone sent a shiver through her.

She wasn't surprised to hear her own voice was slightly breathless, "Bye Roku."

----------------------------------------------------

"Paris was lovely, thank you," Desiree stood up on the stool and held her arms out to her sides. The wedding was coming up at the beginning of December and this would be one of the final fittings.

She was still staring at herself in the mirror. "My god I love this dress."

"Even if it is about three inches too large all around?" Kagome took a few pins out of a cushion and fastened the material around her waist for a better fit.

"Even if it is too large," Desi insisted, "So besides Sango's adorable baby, what's new around here? When do we meet this mystery guy?"

"Not for some time," Kagome inspected the dress from every possible angle, mentally taking notes on small adjustments that were needed.

Desi beamed, "So there is a guy? Can I at least find out something about him?"

Rolling her eyes, Kagome set her hands on her hips, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" Desiree stepped off the stool and thanked Hilde, who'd come forward to help her remove the dress. Kagome's assistant was also listening attentively, having failed in her attempts to find out more about her mystery man.

"I'm not giving you anything that's too revealing, let's just say he's your typical TDH, great sense of humor, a flirt, but lovable and very, very sweet." Kagome missed the look the two girls shared as she stared off into space.

Hilde, being a bit hesitant, was surprised and relieved when Desiree said the very thing she'd just been thinking. "Mon dieux, you have it bad."

Kagome blinked, "What?"

"Love"

Hilde handed Desiree the dress she'd been wearing and carried the wedding gown to a nearby mannequin, "You've got that look in your eyes."

"I'm not in love" Kagome snapped.

"Yes you are," both of the other women spoke at the same time and grinned.

"I am not, I'm fond of him, but in love?" Kagome turned away, "Just because you two are hopelessly in love doesn't mean everyone else is too. I like him, he keeps me on my toes and makes me laugh, that's it though."

"Whatever you say girl," Desiree shrugged, "You can live in denial all you like, but we know the signs and they're all there."

"The daydreaming"

"The sudden miles"

"The sighs"

"The way you jump whenever your phone rings and you're eyes get that sparkle when its him."

"Oh for the love of Pete, I'm not in love!" Kagome insisted, grabbing up her purse and jacket. "Des that's it, your last fitting will be the day before the wedding in two weeks ok? I've got to run now or I'll be late."

"Oh god that's right," Hilde quickly grabbed her own things and joining her in the elevator with Desiree. "I can't believe I forgot about your interview."

"Geez Hilde, its only Cosmo, the one magazine you swear is every girl's bible." Kagome smirked, waving to Nicole, the front desk receptionist at the building where her main studio and offices were.

Desiree sighed and shook her head, "An interview with Cosmo, sounds great."

"Sounds tedious," Kagome corrected her, hailing a cab, "Call me later and we'll grab some lunch or something when I get back."

"Where are you off to now?" Desiree asked.

Hilde raised questioning eyes too, "You're leaving for Thanksgiving?"

Kagome shrugged, "I got invited to a friend's house in DC and I figured it'd be ok. You're a newly wed, Sango just had a baby and will probably have something small, and I don't have any family so I thought it might be nice. Jak is dying to have me over too."

"Sounds fun," Des hailed her own cab and gave them another smile before they headed off to their perspective appointments.

Chatting easily with her assistant during the drive, Kagome paid the driver and followed her up to her apartment, surprised when the doorman, Saul, stopped her for a moment.

"You got a special delivery package today Miss Kagome, I made sure to stay with the delivery boy while he left it in your apartment." Smiling brightly, the older gentleman gave her a wink.

Kagome blushed, "Thanks Saul, by the way, how's Mae doing? Is her cold gone?"

His smile widened, "Oh that old bat can't stay down too long, she's good as new and driving me crazy as always."

"Good, you know you get bored without her harassing you day in and day out," Kagome joked.

"Oh yeah, real bored," Saul smirked and waved as she stepped into the elevator.

Hilde was giggling, "He's such a sweet guy, I hope Duo and I will be like that someday."

"I'm sure you will be," Kagome assured her, stopping when they reached her floor, "Oh man, I forgot to tell him about the reporter coming over."

"I'll go back down," Hilde offered, "It'll just take a minute."

Kagome smiled, "Thanks, I've got to change into something a little less informal."

Nodding, Hilde waited for her to step out before hitting the door-close button. Making her way to her apartment, Kagome took the cheery yellow paper stuck to her door and gasped when she stepped inside.

The entire room was covered in flowers and petals, all kinds of colors streamed around the furniture. She'd had the cleaning service over yesterday so the apartment had been spotless before. She heard a crackling sound and looked over to the fireplace, surprised to see a small flame there. When she heard a gasp behind her, she turned to see Hilde's wide eyes scanning the room also.

"Oh my god"

"My thoughts exactly," Kagome agreed, wiping some petals off a small side table and setting her purse down.

"Is that note from him?" Hilde asked, walking around the apartment, noticing how the petals had been carefully draped over the chairs and even her books. Obviously special care had been taken to make sure every surface was covered.

Opening the note, Kagome frowned at first sight of the handwriting, it was definitely not Miroku's. Hilde called from her room and she closed the note for a second, carefully making her way over, not wanting to crush the flowers into her carpet.

"Oh wow," she whispered, standing in the doorway. Her dark blue comforter had been changed to a white one with dark red sheets and crimson rose petals strewn across the room. There were also the darkest red tulips she'd ever seen on the bed, along with two other flowers she didn't recognize.

Hilde came to her side and showed her another note, this one on a dark red paper, that had been left on her bed. She opened it and read aloud.

Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved. Be happy, you are.

Red Tulip - declaration of love

Bachelor Button -anticipation

Red Rose - passionate love

Rhododendron - beware

"That's strange," Hilde mumbled, picking up one of the flowers, "Why would they have a flower with the message to beware in a romantic setting?"

Kagome shivered and shook her head, "I don't know."

Opening the other card, she turned and went into the living room, looking around at the flowers there and the message on the brigher card.

Think about a woman. Doesn't know you're thinking about her. Doesn't care you're thinking about her. Makes you think about her even more.

Apple Blossom - promise

Bronze Chrysanthemum - excitement

Yellow Chrysanthemum - secret admirer

Daisy - innocence

Freesia - spirited

Forget-Me-Not - remember me forever

Pansy - loving thoughts

Sunflower - adoration

"Wow that's a lot of flowers," Hilde picked up a sunflower, "What were these again?"

"Adoration," Kagome handed her the cards and moved over to her mantle. The frame she'd picked up a few days earlier was face down again. Lifting it, she was surprised to find a different picture in it. Gone was the image of Miroku and her hugging, in its place was one of herself at the park. She gasped, remembering by the outfit she wore the day she'd taken Shippo and Rin to play.

When the doorbell rang, she asked Hilde to get the door while she hurried to change in her room. She heard the journalist's surprise and delight as Hilde showed her around the rest of the apartment. "What a lovely idea! Miss Higurashi is certainly creative."

"Isn't she?" Hilde beamed.

Throwing on a simple black top with a white and black striped skirt, Kagome threw her hair into a messy coiffure atop her head and with a final touch to her lipstick, finally came out of her room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, we only just arrived ourselves," she stepped over to the young reporter and shook her hand.

"No problem Miss Higurashi, we were just taking in the lovely decor," the young lady smiled and thanked her as Kagome wiped some petals from the sofa and offered her a seat. "Would you mind if we get the pictures taken care of first? With the light we have now the flowers will stand out nicely, and Jack needs to leave quickly."

"Of course not, where do you think would be best?" Kagome looked around the apartment and they finally agreed on the sofa. She took a few pictures in the living room, then at Hilde's insistence, a few more in her bedroom, with the curtains drawn and a few lit candles on her nightstand.

Once those were done with, they drifted back to the living room and the photographer excused himself. Taking a seat on the sofa, the formal interview finally began.

An hour later, both Hilde and the reporter were saying their good-byes and heading over to the elevator. Relieved to be left alone at last, Kagome sighed and rubbed her eyes, walking over to grab the ringing phone.

"Did you like your surprise?"

Kagome blinked, the voice was not the one she expected, in fact, she hadn't heard this voice in a while. "I'm sorry?"

"The flowers! Don't tell me you didn't like them, your eyes got all sparkly and bright," he sounded happy but his words sent a chill down her spine.

"Who are you? How do you know about my eyes?" Glancing around her apartment, she couldn't really see anything out of place, although the flowers tended to make it harder to check.

The voice chuckled, "I have my ways."

Feeling shaky, Kagome slid onto a nearby chair, "Who are you?"

"I'm your yellow chrysanthemum," he answered, "That should be obvious by now."

(- Yellow chrysanthemum? What did that flower mean again? -)

Getting up and searching for the card in her room, Kagome read the meaning and paled. (- Secret admirer -)

Kagome looked around her room, noticing the pictures she'd had with Miroku had been replaced.

They were all images of herself now, at the costume shop when she'd gone to pay for the ruined outfit. At the halloween party, coming down the stairs in her costume. At the airport hailing a cab. At a coffee shop with Hilde and Relena. One picture made her blanche, as she saw herself chatting with Alexis and Samantha at the club.

"How long have you been watching me? And where are my pictures? The ones with..."

"I've been watching you for some time now, and the pictures are in your fireplace, you won't be needing them." He answered easily enough, his voice cheerful and neutral, as if they spoke of something simple like the weather.

"That's why I included the rhododendrons in your bedroom."

(- Beware -)

Kagome gulped, feeling incredibly frightened now, "Wh-what do you want?"

"No don't do that honey, don't be scared, just a little more time and everything will be ready." The voice tried to soothe her.

"R-Ready?" Kagome felt her hands tremble and her knees threaten to give away.

He must have heard the panic in her voice because he quickly ended the conversation, "There's no need to be scared sweetheart, everything will be just fine, I'll be seeing you soon ok? Just behave until then."

"Wait, what do you mean behave? You won't be seeing me again!" Kagome argued.

"Won't I? I already got into your apartment hon, I assure you it was almost too easy. No don't get that panicked look, everything's going to be fine, I just thought it was time that you knew and you stopped playing around."

Kagome gulped, "I'm not playing around."

"Aren't you? Do I really need to be crude? If so that's fine with me, as long as you stop sleeping around."

"I'm not!" Kagome frowned, "How dare you?"

"When one man's woman sleeps with another, its definitely sleeping around and I want you to stop!" He sounded angry now, very, very angry. "I'm telling you because won't stand for it anymore young lady, you stop it or you'll be very sorry when I get you home."

Terrified now, Kagome trembled and shook her head, "I-I'm not sleeping around, and I'm not yours, I..."

"Yes you are"

With those final words and a click, the dial tone came up and Kagome dropped the phone to the ground, melting onto her bed with a sick feeling in her stomach.

(- Oh my god -)

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