InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guilty Hero ❯ Testing ( Chapter 36 )

As usual, I begin by thanking my reviewers: hispanicinuyashalover, Aurora Sunrise, Abra Cadaverous, sniperwithbadaim, Namike, Midcat, Foxfire124, phlawere, Sassybratt, psycho-pyro-shrink, kokoronagomu, brakken, hedanicree, Ai Kisugi, xxangel221xx, Jusenkyo, HeidiBax, kittykritik, and DeathFox-101. You all rock, and I must thank you for giving me the most reviews per chapter I have ever had. Awesome!!! ^__^

Also, special thanks go out to Sassybratt for her support and encouragement, Kamira for her very helpful tidbits of info, and hedanicree for doing a fabulous job editing. And putting up with my crap. ^__^

Um, I have no good excuse for the delay in updating except for the fact that life is constantly, so I will move on.

In this chapter: The bombshell dropped.

Guilty Hero

Chapter 35: Testing

“All right, Inu-Yasha, here you go.” Kagome entered the living with a mug in each hand, passing one off to Inu-Yasha before she flopped down next to him on the couch. “Just to spice things up this morning, I put just a little cream and sugar in it.”

“Why?” he grunted in reply, staring at the almond-colored liquid. “I like my coffee black. It's better on an upset stomach.”

“Is your stomach upset?”

“No.”

“Then just try it.”

Scowling at her cheerful reply, he sniffed his mug hesitantly and took a careful sip. When he discovered that the taste wasn't as vile as he had expected, he simply snorted and looked away, pointedly ignoring her smug smile.

“So…” Setting her tea down on the coffee table, she adjusted her position on the couch so she could study him without straining her neck. “Were you able to sleep well last night?”

Inu-Yasha growled at the question. “Dammit, Kagome, you've asked me that every morning for the past five mornings!”

“Because I need to know,” she replied calmly, hardly affected by his tone. “As your nurse, it's my duty to make sure you are properly taken care of. Now please, before we go through the entire argument as we have done every morning, will you just answer the question?”

Rolling his eyes, he grunted, “I fell asleep fine. I woke up in the middle of the night, but I put on that music like you suggested, and I went back to sleep after a few minutes. Happy?”

After his second sleepless night, Kagome had gone out shopping and returned with several sleep aids in the hopes that something might help him. She had purchased some bubble bath so he could relax in the tub for a little while before sleeping, something he had initially thought to be ridiculous but it ended up working quite well. A warm soak on top of two full glasses of whiskey left him pleasantly drowsy, making sleep far easier to attain. Also, he had at his disposal an eye mask and ear plugs to avoid distractions, a CD of nature sounds to drown out the noise of the city, and plenty of milk and sliced turkey for a midnight snack. Since she had purchased them, he had used all of the items at one point or another, and slowly but surely sleep began to come easier to him with each passing night. He had yet to make it an entire night without waking up with the shakes or from a nightmare, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been.

Kagome smiled at him, clearly pleased. “I'm glad. This is a good sign for you, you know.”

“Hmph. Whatever.” He leaned forward to grab his cigarettes off the table, pulling one out and then sitting back to light it. Kagome watched him as he did so. While she wasn't pleased to see him filling his lungs with smoke and tar, she was at least happy that his hands were not so shaky that he couldn't light up on his own. More often than not, he had woken up with the shakes, but in the past couple of days he had shown improvement. She knew this was a sign that the alcohol's grip over him was slowly beginning to weaken, and she was fairly certain Inu-Yasha could see it too. He tried to pretend that he didn't care by acting grouchy, but she could tell it was all gruff and bluster.

“Do you mind?” he suddenly growled, breaking her from her thoughts. “Can I not smoke a cigarette without you staring at me the whole time?”

“What? Oh, sorry.” She quickly turned away, flushing a little at being caught. She reached for her tea in the hopes to cover her embarrassment, but just as she did so, the phone rang. Jumping a bit at the noise, she abandoned her cup for the telephone instead.

“Hello?”

“Oh, ah, good morning, Kagome,” came Miroku's voice from the other end. He sounded a little nervous, but Kagome thought nothing of it. “I was just calling to check in and see how things were going with Inu-Yasha. I'm sorry Sango and I haven't been able to visit, by the way. We're having some, ah, issues with the new mayor, and it's taking a bit of work.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” Kagome replied. “What's the problem? Maybe I could send Inu-Yasha over to knock some sense into his head.” She turned to grin at the demon, who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

A strange, high-pitched laugh came from the other end, followed quickly by, “Oh, no, no, no, that won't be necessary! We have everything under control here. It's just boring, political stuff, interesting to no one. Believe me. Now, how is Inu-Yasha? Is he handling his new regime well?”

“He's doing just fine,” she answered. “He was having quite a bit of trouble sleeping for the first couple of days, but we've been working on that and he's doing much better now. I've also been trying to make sure he's eating well and keeping active and that seems to be doing him quite a bit of good.” Inu-Yasha snorted from her side, but a slap on the knee kept him quiet.

“Very good, very good. And his drinking? Has he been able to stick with two glasses a day?”

“Well, it's been a bit of a struggle, but he's stuck to it. In fact, I think in about a week or so we might be able to bring it down to a glass and a half.” Inu-Yasha sharply whipped his head up at that statement, frowning deeply at her, but she waved her hand, trying to focus on the phone conversation instead.

“Really? So soon? I'm… Well, I'm very impressed. He sounds like he's doing well.”

“He certainly is. I'm very proud of him.”

“Sango and I are glad to hear that. We will try to stop by and see him sometime soon, but with things so busy right now…”

“I understand. Whenever you can come is fine by us.”

“All right. We have some work to do now, so…”

“Of course, of course. Thanks for calling.” Hanging up the phone, she turned to face Inu-Yasha. “That was Miroku. He was just calling to check in.”

“I heard.”

“And did you hear what he said about you?”

Silence met her statement as the color rose in Inu-Yasha's cheeks. Obviously, he was embarrassed from the compliment he had received during that phone conversation; if Sango and Miroku were impressed with his progress, it was high praise indeed, and that was something he was quite unaccustomed to. “Never mind that,” he mumbled after a few moments, squirming under her gaze. “It doesn't matter.”

“Yes it does, Inu-Yasha. You're working hard, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. That's something you need to know.”

His flush darkened, and he sunk a little further in the cushions, clamping his teeth around his cigarette to cover up his embarrassment. Honestly, he hated the praise. He had noticed a difference from the start of his sobriety to now, but he didn't feel that he quite deserved the compliment. Everyday, his temper peaked from a lack of drink; headaches and stomachaches practically drove him to madness by the time six o' clock rolled around; and the constant trembling of his limbs made his muscles ache and did nothing to help his disposition. It seemed to him that he hadn't earned anything.

“Whatever,” he grunted in response, sipping at his coffee. “It's not that big a deal.”

Kagome frowned. “And just what do you mean by that?”

Staring oddly at her, he finally mumbled, “I just don't understand why you're making a big deal over this. I haven't done hardly anything. I still have cravings. I still get sick… Nothing's really different.”

Kagome scoffed at the comment. “You shouldn't look at it like that. Don't you understand what you've done? Just admitting that you wanted to change was a huge step! And, do you realize that by the end of today you will have gone an entire week without getting drunk? When was the last time that happened?” Seeing his melancholy melt into surprise, she smiled gently at him and carefully placed her hand over his. He twitched a little at the contact, but remained quiet.

“It is so a big deal,” she went on. “And I would appreciate it if you would treat it as such. Every small victory you make is important. I'll have you know that I meant what I said. I am proud of you.”

Inu-Yasha sighed and rolled his eyes, but when Kagome glanced at him, she noticed a small grin tugging at his mouth. Pleased that she was able to make him understand, she smiled and climbed to her feet. “I'm going to make some breakfast. Do you want any?”

Glancing up at her, he sighed and crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. “Fine.”

oOoOoOo

Once Miroku finished speaking with Kagome, he set the phone back in its cradle and then leaned back in his chair. Both he and Sango were silent for a few minutes, staring down at their desks. At last, Sango sighed and spoke up.

“You didn't tell him.”

Miroku winced at her tone of voice. “I'm hardly the only one to blame here, Sango. The fact that I was the one who called him only because I lost at rock-paper-scissors is a sign.”

“A sign of what?”

“That we're both too afraid to tell him.”

Once again, silence reigned.

“There's still time,” he finally said. “Muso has done nothing definite yet. I know a lot of our political allies have bailed on us, but we still have yet to contact the former mayor and the chief-of-police. Those two will have a lot of sway over the city officials.”

“As does Muso,” Sango retaliated, resting her forehead on her hand. “Let's face it—once he does that press conference today, we're screwed. Not only will the Order be forced into the spotlight, but Muso will twist our actions into terrible things for the city. I'm sure he has more than one trick up his sleeve to prove that the city has no need for a defense branch. However…” She trailed off, making Miroku a little curious.

“What?”

Sighing once again, she stood and walked around her desk, beginning to pace the room. “This really isn't about the Order, though. Rather, it's about Inu-Yasha and how he's going to take the news that his livelihood is about to be tossed to the side of the road.”

Miroku leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk so he could watch Sango as she walked the length of the room. “I hate to tell him about it now. Not after he's been doing so well. You should have heard how thrilled Kagome sounded. She said he hasn't been drunk in a week. A week, Sango! Do you know how long it's been since that happened?”

“Right around Christmas,” she murmured in reply. “Seven years ago.”

“Exactly. I couldn't just outright ruin this for him. I know this has got to be hard on him, and telling him that he's about to lose his job is not the best way for us to show our support. We told Kagome that we would do our best to be there for him, and I don't think dragging him down this way is quite what she had in mind.”

“But what do we do, Miroku? He's going to find out anyway from Muso, sooner or later. Do you think he would rather hear it from the new ass of a mayor or from two of his friends?”

“Well…” He moaned softly and rubbed his face, trying to come up with a solution to their problem. “I'd really rather he not hear it at all. As I said earlier, nothing is definite yet. I would hate to put pressure on him right now with only the possibility of him losing his job, not the certainty. If we manage to rally enough people to oppose Muso's proposal, then Inu-Yasha need never know about this. At least, until he's sober for good. Until then, I think we just need to keep things as quiet as possible around him. Are we in agreement on this, Sango?”

She was quiet for a very long time. However, under Miroku's piercing gaze, she finally took a deep breath. “You do know that we aren't going to be able to coddle him forever. He's going to find out eventually.”

“Yes. But the later, the better. We need to give Kagome the chance to work her magic on him. Hopefully, by the time he does find out, he will be in control and will be able to handle the stress without a bottle to support him.”

Sango sighed heavily. “I don't like it. It feels like lying to him, and I thought we agreed we were going to be better friends to him.”

“Sango, don't you want him to get better?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then, we have to do things this way. For Inu-Yasha's sake.”

Resting her head in her hands, she whispered softly, “I hope you're right.”

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Inu-Yasha growled irritably as he lowered himself onto the couch with a steaming mug of coffee, suppressing a cough as he did so. His mood had taken a nosedive since that morning. He was now feeling tired, embarrassed and quite ill as the events of the day wore on him.

The morning had passed uneventfully. He watched Kagome cook breakfast, and then they enjoyed the meal together. Then, he watched television while she puttered around the apartment. Two o'clock rolled around and that was when she decided that he had sat around long enough and forced him to take her on a rooftop run. He had protested, of course, but she won out and they had taken to the roofs of the city for a while. It was exhilarating, he couldn't deny, to feel the bite of the air and hold her warm body close as he executed carefully controlled freefalls and inhuman leaps and bounds. Her terrified screams came much to his amusement, and there were times where he performed a slightly more dangerous stunt just to get a rise out of her.

However, the joy didn't last long. His body, unused to such strenuous activity, slowed down considerably, and it was then Kagome made him stop and rest. He argued only for the sake of his pride, but he hardly had the breath to win that argument. During his reprieve, he had also developed a thick cough that reverberated deep in his chest, and it was something that Kagome had fretted silently over. At that point, he was so tired of his body failing him that he didn't even bother asking her what was wrong. Instead, he kept quiet, and as soon as he regained his breath and the cough had gone away, he picked Kagome up and took her back home, the ride far less enjoyable the second time around.

Inu-Yasha scowled at the flickering television screen as he thought back on it. He hated appearing so weak in front of Kagome. To add insult to injury, it seemed that his moment of weakness during his run brought about the return of his other illnesses. His head now pounded with a vengeance and his limbs were trembling ceaselessly. And, despite the several glasses of water he had drunk upon his return, his throat was still dry from a thirst that only whiskey would be able to sate.

“Damn it all,” he muttered under his breath, glancing up at the clock on top of the television. There were still two hours to go before his hour of relief arrived. While Kagome often proved to be an excellent distraction from his troubles, she had been rather skittish around him ever since his mood plummeted from the run, so she had opted to take a shower when they got home; it was a way to warm herself from the chilling air and it gave him a chance to cool his head. While he couldn't deny the logic behind it, he couldn't help but stare forlornly at the empty cushion next to him. Once again, he had driven her away with his bad habits and poor temper.

His frown deepening, he took a long swallow from his mug and slammed it down on the coffee table. Then, he leaned back in the couch and focused his attention on the news, hoping to be distracted from his current situation. Blinking in surprise when he realized there was a big event going on, he quickly turned the volume up to find out what was happening.

“—Muso's first press conference as mayor has drawn quite a gathering,” the reporter said, practically having to shout to be heard above the mass of people surrounding the front steps of the mayor's mansion. “There have been several rumors of radical new policies in the works already, despite the fact that Mayor Muso has been in office barely a week. This has drawn attention not only from the city councilmen, but from the citizens as well. All are curious to know what changes Mayor Muso wishes to make.”

“During today's press conference, Mayor Muso will be making a short summary of the things he intends to accomplish in his first term, and then he will be taking questions from the press. As you can see behind me, the mayor is now stepping up to the podium, and the conference will begin momentarily.”

Quickly the camera shifted from the reporter to the podium set up on the steps of the mayor's mansion, and Inu-Yasha growled when he saw Muso standing behind it. The same cool, casual smile he always had was still stretched across his lips. The crowd had immediately hushed upon his arrival, although low murmurs could be heard while he adjusted the microphones on the podium.

Raising his gloved hands in greeting to the crowd, Muso waited for just a moment before he spoke.

“Thank you, thank you. Now, I would like to begin this press conference today by asking all of you a question—what was the slogan for my campaign?”

“Unity Under Peace!” one of the reporters helpfully shouted out.

“Exactly. Unity under peace has been my goal since day one of the campaign, and is still my goal now. Many have asked how I intend to bring this unity about, and I have always answered the same way—we must lay down our own weapons before any progress can be made.”

“What weapons are you talking about, Mr. Mayor?” a reporter interrupted.

Muso nodded seriously, as though he hoped that question would be brought up. “What weapons indeed. Most of you have probably heard of the organization called `The Order,' a group organized to deal with many of the `demon issues' of the world. However, the branch in our city is a fairly recent addition. In fact, I'm sure that the vast majority of you were around for its birth.”

Another reporter cut in, “That was during the first demon war, right?”

“Correct. The Order created its branch in our city with the sole purpose to combat Naraku and his forces. But, while we all must admire and honor those who fought valiantly against the evil Naraku, we cannot use the past to blind ourselves to what the Order is doing today.”

“And what is that, Mr. Mayor?”

Leaning forward on the podium, Muso paused for effect, gazing out at the crowd. Inu-Yasha scowled to see how enraptured the reporters were, hanging onto his every word like dogs with a treat dangling in front of them. However, he couldn't help but admit to being concerned with the proceedings himself—the Order's name was rarely mentioned in public and it preferred to keep it that way. Muso must have something up his sleeve to bring the Order up. Frowning, he sat up a little on the couch, forgetting his discomfort as he concentrated on the screen.

“The Order, for all its noble deeds and purposes, is continuing a fight that was over long ago. It continues to train and breed fighters, using the excuse of the city's defense to do so. My question is, what defense do we need? How often have we seen demon attacks in the paper or on the news? Very rarely, my friends.”

“Because we've taken care of the attacks long before the damn reporters ever find out,” Inu-Yasha snarled at the TV.

“Also, the few attacks we have seen could have been taken care of by our own police force; there is simply no need for some separate entity to care for our city's defense.”

“The police force isn't trained to fight demons, you fool! How the hell are they supposed to protect this god-forsaken city if they'll get killed by an imp?!” He was on the edge of the couch now, glaring furiously at Muso.

“Not only is this branch of the Order jeopardizing our chances to make peace with our demon population, but the city is sinking thousands of dollars into this organization!”

“Why the hell do you have to bring that up? This city has done damn fine financially for the past decade, despite what you're saying, you conniving bastard!”

“The cost for an unnecessary group is not only exorbitant, but is also supporting a cause that should be disbanded immediately. As your new mayor, I cannot allow this to continue.”

At this comment, Inu-Yasha went deathly silent, staring wide-eyed at the TV screen while his claws slowly tore slits in the couch cushions. Despite the sudden quiet, he was so engrossed in the conference that he didn't notice the sudden lack of sounds coming from bathroom, or the slight creak of the door as Kagome poked her head out. Carefully wrapping a towel around her wet hair, she peered down the hall, curious as to the reason Inu-Yasha had been raising his voice. When she noticed how stiffly he was sitting and how silent he was now, she frowned in concern and ducked back inside to get dressed before she emerged.

“In light of these facts,” Muso continued, oblivious to the rising level of tension in the apartment. “It is clear that this organization is more of a liability than an asset to this city. Thus, my first movement in this office will be to disband the defense branch of the Order.”

Inu-Yasha froze, his claws making one final tear in the fabric as his hands clenched into fists. The eruption of shocked gasps, raised voices and shouted questions fell on deaf ears. He glared furiously, his lips slowly pulling away from his teeth as a snarl grew. Muso, who was standing behind the podium looking quite smug with the hubbub he had created, only infuriated him more.

With a growl, he practically leapt over to his side table and snagged the phone out of its cradle, punching in a number he knew by heart. Barely able to contain himself through the first couple rings, he snapped as soon as he heard Miroku's exhausted voice.

“What the hell is going on here?!” he roared, slamming his hand down on the side table. “Why are you letting that goddamn asshole do this to us?! To me?! We need it, Miroku, we need it!! I don't see how the hell you can let that damn fool of a politician bring us down in this way!! Why?! Answer me, dammit!!”

“I-I… I don't know what—”

“The Order, you bastard, the damn Order! He's taking the defense branch away, and dammit, I wanna know why!”

Miroku tried to get a word in, speaking rapidly and quietly in an attempt to calm the infuriated demon. “Inu-Yasha, from the second Sango and I knew about this, we have been working to get every politician on our side that we can, but Muso has already wormed his way into so many aspects of the government—“

“I don't give a damn about this political shit, Miroku! What I do give a damn about is the Order, and what this means!! What happens when Muso disbands the defense branch, huh?! What happens after that?!” Inu-Yasha's voice was reaching a strangely high pitch while he shouted, a sign of his tangled emotions.

“Well…” Hearing nothing but silence from Inu-Yasha's end, Miroku realized that the demon really did want to know the answer. He knew that lying to Inu-Yasha was no longer an option, now that he had found out the news, so with a heavy sigh he began to explain.

“Should Muso succeed, then the entire defense branch will be gone. All funds for the branch will be cut off, all activities will cease, all city protection duties will be turned over to the police force and… all personnel for that branch will be terminated.”

For a few moments, no noise came from the other end, until at last Inu-Yasha asked in a small, desperate voice, “Even me?”

“Even you.”

There was silence for a beat, but Inu-Yasha soon found his voice, and it increased in volume to longer he spoke. “You both are damn fools for allowing this to happen. Don't you care about the city? Don't you care about the goddamn branch?! Besides, who was the one who practically created the defense branch in the first place?! Are you just gonna disrespect Kikyo's memory by letting that ass of a mayor tear it down when he's been in office barely a week?! You can't do this to her!! Dammit, you can't do this to me! I need the Order, and who the hell are you to take it away from me?!”

“Inu-Yasha, please, we have not just sat idly by while Muso has—“

“I don't want to hear your damn excuses! I've had enough!” By this time Inu-Yasha was shaking with anger. One of his hands held the phone jammed to his ear while the other had gouged four deep gashes in his side table. He was so upset that he hadn't noticed Kagome running into the living room, wet hair flying wildly as she pulled her arms through the sleeves of an old sweatshirt, and staring wide-eyed at him with worry the entire time.

“You are both the most thoughtless, insensitive bastards I have ever had as friends! How could you, dammit?! How could you let him do this to me?!”

“Please, Inu-Yasha, just calm—“

“No! No more! That is it! I just have one thing left to say to you assholes—GO TO HELL!” With one final roar of rage at them, he smashed the phone down on the table, shattering the plastic casing and sending a few bits of metal flying.

Kagome stood stock still, hardly daring to move. The only sounds were the muffled voices of reporters from the television and Inu-Yasha's gasping breaths, making the tension in the room almost palpable. Slowly, she glanced over at the television to see what had happened to make him so angry, but all she could see was a mass of reporters and several cameras and microphones. Finding that to be of no help at all, she turned her attention back to Inu-Yasha, hesitantly stepping closer to the side table.

“Inu… Inu-Yasha?” she asked slowly.

At the sound of his name, his head snapped up and he stared eerily at her. Clearly still angry from his recent phone conversation, he suddenly grabbed her arm and snarled, “Get in here,” then proceeded to drag her into the kitchen.

“Inu-Yasha? Inu-Yasha, what is going on, what—ow, that hurts!” She couldn't help but yelp when he pulled her so forcefully past the kitchen table that she banged her free hand on it in passing. “Inu-Yasha, what is the meaning of this?!”

Coming to a stop, he released his vice-like grip on her arm and jabbed a shaky finger at the cabinet door. “Open it,” he demanded. While his voice was soft and barely held under control, the look in his eyes nearly had Kagome considering obeying his command. However, she had dealt with his volatile temper before and was more than prepared to take the brunt of the attack.

“No. It's not yet six, you can't have any whiskey yet.” She had to voluntarily stop herself from flinching when she heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Kagome,” he said softly, his voice shaking as he tried to keep it under control. “You do not want to argue with me right now. I need a drink. Just open the cabinet.”

Sighing sadly, Kagome cast her gaze to the floor, not wanting to meet his fiery orbs. “Inu-Yasha, you know I can't do that.”

“Yes, you can! Dammit, Kagome, do not do this to me!”

She had to give him credit; he was making a valiant effort to rein in his temper around her, but it was still clear the restraint wasn't going to last. That, however, did nothing to sway her position.

“Will you please just tell me what happened to make you so upset? If you'll just talk to me, I could help!”

“I don't need to talk; I just need a drink! Stop arguing with me and open the damn door!”

Enough was enough. Quite frustrated, she slapped her hand on the counter, making him start at the sudden noise. His furious expression did not fade, however, and she met it with one of her own. “You need to listen to me, Inu-Yasha,” she said firmly, keeping her voice low and severe. “I understand that you are upset over… something. But you need to deal with your situation, not run away from it. There are other, much better ways to cope with anger and frustration than drowning those feelings with liquor. It's time you learn what those are.”

For a moment, Inu-Yasha simply stood glaring at her, his face contorted into a terrible grimace. Kagome stared evenly back, raising her chin in a way that was almost defiant of his behavior. She had paused to give him a chance to speak, but since he seemed unable to unclench his jaw, she let out a soft sigh and relaxed her posture.

“Inu-Yasha, if you want to succeed with this, you have to learn how to handle such problems. I care about you and I want you to be successful—“

“You care about me, do you?” he hissed, interrupting her. “Well then, maybe you would care to know that Muso is eliminating the defense branch of the Order. He is taking away the city's only protection.” Every word was being spat out with malice, and Kagome found it difficult to tell if it was directed at Muso or at her. “He's taking away my job. He's taking away the only semblance of a life I've had since Kikyo died! He's taking away Kikyo's livelihood! Everything Kikyo did, she did for the Order! And now, all of that is being tossed aside at the whim of a crooked politician!”

His feeble control over his temper had disintegrated long ago, and he was now trembling violently from rage. “I have every right to be upset over this, Kagome! This branch of the Order is one of the few things I care about in this godforsaken world, and now it's being taken away from me! Now, I don't give a damn if there are `better ways to cope!' If you really do care about me, then you'll open the goddamn cabinet door!” He stared wild-eyed and panting at her, his eyes flashing a brilliant amber in his anger.

Kagome met his gaze with a sympathetic one of her own, sincerely upset to hear the news. “Inu-Yasha… I'm so sorry. I had no idea that's what had happened.”

Hearing the softness of her tone made Inu-Yasha's furious expression lessen slightly. Clearly, he was hopeful that she might finally heed his command.

Looking awfully apologetic, she continued quietly, “But I'm afraid I still can't open that door for you. Not as your nurse, and not as your friend. Please understand--”

An enraged snarl cut her off. Whirling around with a speed she had never seen before, Inu-Yasha was gone, out the door in seconds and leaving Kagome with a foul curse. She quickly ran out onto the landing, but she caught only a glimpse of his white hair before he disappeared out the rooftop exit, leaving the door wide open behind him.

For a moment, she considered running after him but she knew that she would never be able to catch up. And even if she did, it was not as though he was in any state to listen to reason. Shaking her head sadly, Kagome retreated back into the apartment and quietly shut the door. No need to chase after him if she knew where he was most likely to end up. She could give him a couple hours to cool his head, and then make her way to the Tap to hopefully have a more successful talk with him.

As she carefully wandered over to the side table and picked absently at the now useless telephone, she thought back on what he had told her. The Order's defense branch was being eliminated… She shook her head, then slowly lowered herself onto the sofa, resting her head in her left hand while her right still grasped the phone. It was so obvious to see how badly Inu-Yasha was hurting at the news, and she hated to see him that way. As she had taken the brunt of his verbal attack on her, something was tugging inside of her; the urge to reach out to comfort him and to take away the anguish it caused him had never been stronger.

Tears started to slide down her cheeks as the telephone slipped out of her hand. She wanted so badly to help him and yet, once again, she had to watch as he tried to stumble through on his own and hurt himself more in the process.

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