InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guilty Hero ❯ Jailbird ( Chapter 37 )

Thank you very much to all who reviewed! I apologize if I did not reply to every review—it is getting more and more difficult to keep track of who I've replied to and who I haven't. Please forgive me! I do promise that I read and appreciate every review. ^__^

All right, author's note time!

First on the list—the Inu-Yasha Fan Guild! Voting has already started, but will continue on to the 26th. GH has been nominated for four categories (thank you very much to all nominated and seconded GH ^__^), so if you are part of the Guild, please consider casting a vote for GH. Thanks a bunch.

Second on the list—Good news, bad news time. The good news only applies to me, unfortunately, but I am praying very hard that I will have a second job by Monday, something I have been in desperate need of for quite some time now. However, obtaining a second job, while padding my bank account, will cut back severely on my writing time. I will do my very best to keep updating as frequently as possible, and I will not, I repeat, will NOT give up on GH. Or writing in general. So, not to worry the story will continue, just a bit slower than usual. I hope y'all understand. ^__^

Third—I got a good chuckle out of all your reviews (all good-natured, I promise ^__^), and I hope you're all surprised by this chapter.

All right, enough chit-chat. On with the story!

In this chapter: Happy times for all.

Guilty Hero

Chapter 36: Jailbird

The weather was horrible. Dark, foreboding clouds hovered overhead like a sinister presence while an icy wind bit at any flesh one was foolish enough to leave exposed. However, none of this mattered to Inu-Yasha as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, snarling so loudly that not even the wind could snatch the sound away.

“Bastard!” he howled. His sneakers beat a steady rhythm on a slatted metal rooftop for mere seconds before he pushed himself into the air once more.

This pattern had been repeated countless times since he had stormed out of his apartment in a blind rage. Usually, he found something soothing in the repetition of leaps from building to building, but the action had done little to assuage his anger this time around. It seemed that nothing could calm him down, and nothing could distract him from the wild, uncontrollable emotions that ran rampant inside him. In fact, the only reason he finally skidded to a halt and nearly bashed his head on a water tower was because it was his body that had given out, not his temper.

As he lay flat on his back on the filthy rooftop, staring at the grime-covered underbelly of the water tank and gasping for breath, his mind was still racing as fast as his body had been a second ago. Why? Why was it so necessary for the mayor to torture him so? Why did Sango and Miroku sit back and do nothing while Muso single-handedly destroyed one of the two things Inu-Yasha had to cling to for his sanity? And why did Kagome, who he previously thought was the other thing that was keeping him sane, feel the need to deny him a simple request?

“Damn fools…” he wheezed, growling despite his shortness of breath. Red still hung over his vision like a veil, his anger hardly abated by his weakness of body. “They don't give a—” A horrible cough ripped through his throat for the second time that day, stopping his sentence and making him double over with the force of it. Quickly rolling onto his side as he continued to choke, it was several moments before he spat out a disgusting mouthful and then dropped onto his back once more, aching for breath.

“Damn it all,” he whispered, his trembling claws raking scratches in the cheap stone covering the roof as his prodigious anger fought for control against the weakness in his limbs. Another cough wormed its way out, making his chest ache from the force. He simply couldn't understand it. Nobody was doing anything about their current situation. Sango and Miroku apparently weren't as furious as he about losing a vital part of the city's protection, and Kagome didn't seem to give a rat's ass if he completely lost his temper or not.

“'I can't open that for you,'” he snarled, narrowing his eyes as he thought back on his previous conversations. “'We're doing all we can.' Like hell you are!” He balled one hand into a fist and pounded it on the stone beneath him, wanting dearly to fly off into a rage but finding his body less than willing. “Those bastards aren't doing a damn thing! Nobody's doing a damn thing!” He paused once for another coughing spell, then growled once it was over and carefully sat up.

“Nobody's doing a damn thing…” he mumbled again.

He stopped speaking as he glared thoughtfully at his sneakers. The only sounds serenading him were the frigid breezes whistling past and his wheezy breaths as he slowly recovered. However, while much quieter than he had been mere seconds ago, his gaze was still burning with anger while his mind raced a thousand miles a minute, until at last his breathing evened out and he looked up.

Anyone looking into his eyes would have been frozen with fear, for his pupils were mere pinpricks and his irises were tinged with red, giving him a feral look. Slowly, a mirthless grin spread across his face as he bared his fangs at the pigeons fluttering about the roof.

“Maybe it's time I did something.” And in less than a second he was on his feet and leaping away, scattering the pigeons and leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind him.

oOoOoOo

“I'm sorry, Mr. Yamaguchi, but I do not have the time to discuss the issue of payphone installations on every street corner. That is something to be brought up at the city council meeting on Tuesday, but for now, we must end this conversation. Good day.” Waiting a little impatiently for the frustrated Mr. Yamaguchi to stride out of the room in a huff, Muso firmly shut the door behind him, then sighed and wandered back to his desk.

The day had been a busy one; busier than usual, with the press conference that afternoon. It had been meeting after meeting, followed by an intense round of questioning from the reporters at the conference, and then back to meetings. He was beginning to wonder just how many hours he had spent coddling up to the city politicians all while pushing his plans forward.

Glancing up at the ornate grandfather clock resting against the far wall, Muso realized what time it was. Naraku had ordered that he be kept up-to-date with the goings-on in the city, to make sure that everything was going exactly as planned, and Muso didn't dare leave him in the dark for too long. A dark, malicious undertone seemed to creep into Naraku's voice every time the topic of Kagura came up, and Muso didn't want to think on the implications of that.

With a light sigh, he reached over his desk and buzzed his secretary on the phone. “Miss Tanizaki, I am in desperate need of a dinner break. I want nobody coming into this office for any reason for the next half an hour, all right? You may use any means necessary.”

“Of course, Mr. Mayor.”

With his privacy ensured, for Miss Tanizaki was a most trustworthy woman, Muso reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Naraku was never called from the office phone, from fear that someone might listen in. Before he dialed in the number, however, he shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie, taking a deep breath as he did so. Calls to Naraku made him nervous, and, while he knew he was in much better standing with the demon than Kagura apparently was at the moment, it didn't make their conversations any less nerve-racking.

“Whew.” He took one last moment to collect his thoughts and brace himself before he picked his cell phone off the desk and flipped it open.

It was that very second when a shockingly loud crash resounded throughout the office, making Muso practically leap out of his skin in surprise. He had just enough time to turn around to see that someone or something had smashed through the only window in his office before he was jerked up by his shirt collar and lifted off his feet. He was being shaken so hard that he was unable to get a glimpse of his attacker, but the voice shouting at him the whole while gave him a clue.

“You bastard, you damn bastard!” a familiar voice snarled, and, once the room stopped spinning, Muso finally was able to look into the furious amber eyes of Inu-Yasha. Never had he seen the demon so angry, not even during the day of his campaign rally.

“I-Inu-Yasha…” he choked out, for the demon's grip on his shirt was rather tight. “What a… pleasant surprise—”

“Why are you doing this?!” Inu-Yasha interrupted, paying no heed to Muso's weak attempt at a greeting. “Why are you doing this to the city?! To the Order?! To me?!”

Though shocked from the greeting he had received, Muso was very adept at hiding his nervousness when it came to dealing with angry demons, and he had already recovered from the initial welcome “Inu-Yasha, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about,” he said smoothly, sounding more as though he was discussing things over coffee rather than being held up by the neck against his desk.

Inu-Yasha's tirade faltered a bit at the surprising tone his victim had taken, but was far too angry to be stalled for long. “Don't play games with me, asshole. You must be out of your mind to do something as crazy as this!”

“Oh, wait a minute, are you talking about the defense branch?” Muso continued, sounding perfectly innocent. “That would explain why you're so upset. I mean, with the defense branch going under, you won't be a part of the Order for too much longer, will you? Tsk, tsk.”

“Shut up,” Inu-Yasha growled, shaking Muso so hard that the desk rattled from the force. “You know nothing about what you're doing!”

“And what about that little woman you have following you everywhere? She's employed by the Order, is she not? I'm sure that her job might be compromised as well. Well, I can certainly see why you'd be upset. What a shame.”

“SHUT UP!” Inu-Yasha's thunderous voice bounced off the walls. “You are a fool, a goddamned fool! You have no idea what you're doing if you take this branch away! What the hell are you thinking, risking so much just for your naïve little dreams?! This is the stupidest thing you could possibly do--”

“Risking what, Inu-Yasha? The city's safety from those hordes of demons, just waiting to pounce as soon as this one small band of fighters is taken away? I sincerely doubt that is what has you so upset. And speaking of stupid things to do--”

The door to his office suddenly banged open and half a dozen police officers rushed into the room, all with guns out and trained on the enraged half-demon. “Release him and back away with your hands in the air!” came the commanding shout from the leader, but his demand was given no heed. Inu-Yasha, being so furious, barely noticed the distraction for his intense glare was focused solely on Muso. However, he realized as a smug smile grew on his prey's face that something was wrong, and only then did he look up.

Slowly casting his gaze around at all the officers and their weapons, he then returned his glare, which had not lessened in the least, back on Muso. Muso could practically see the debate going on behind Inu-Yasha's molten amber eyes. Was it worth it, taking down six cops if only for him to continue his tirade?

For several moments, tension was thick in the air as the cops kept their guns locked on Inu-Yasha, occasionally repeating their command as the demon remained frozen, keeping Muso off his feet and pinned against his desk. It took so long that even Muso was beginning to wonder if Inu-Yasha really was going to physically hurt him, despite the consequences.

Just as the leader slowly took a step closer, ready to bring down the demon, Inu-Yasha's fearsome snarl melted away. Hanging his head, his shoulders slumped and he released his grip on Muso's collar, dropping him back to his feet. The police were on him in an instant, cuffing him and dragging him away from Muso, some still keeping their weapons in hand should Inu-Yasha act up.

“Who's the fool now, silly pup?” Muso called after him as he was shoved roughly toward the door. The only reply he got was a weak glare—Inu-Yasha appeared too tired to bother anymore.

“Take him down to the station, and keep him on a constant guard. He could break free at any moment,” the leader ordered, ushering his men out.

“And take him out the back way!” Muso called after them. “There's no need for the press to stick their noses into this little scene,” he explained to the officer still left in the room, who was looking at him quizzically. Yet, Muso added silently.

oOoOoOoOoOo

He felt as though he was moving through a thick fog. He barely noticed as he was shoved into a cop car and driven to the station, neither did he notice being forced down onto a bench in a cell. The sound of the bars slamming shut made him start, but he only had the energy to lift his head and stare blankly at the cop for a moment before slumping down again.

He simply could not believe what he had just done. He had attacked the mayor. Sango and Miroku would have his hide for doing such a foolish thing. And Kagome… Kagome would be so disappointed in him, on top of being upset over his irrational behavior back at the apartment.

“Oh, the apartment,” he moaned under his breath, resting his forehead in his hands. In his blind rage, he had completely forgotten how he had treated Kagome. Now that he was in a slightly more sane state of mind, he cringed at the thought. She had only been doing what she thought was best for him, something on which he trusted her completely.

However, despite that fact he seemed to not believe her. If you really do care about me, then you'll open the goddamn cabinet door! He let out another groan at the thought. She did care, that was why she didn't open the door for him. What the hell had he been thinking, shouting something like that in her face?

He could only imagine how much worse the situation would have turned if he had gotten his hands on the liquor. While he barely remembered the previous incidents, he knew full well how violent he became when he combined whiskey with anger, and knew that not even Kagome was spared. He shuddered at the thought, and was once again grateful that she hadn't caved in.

“Whiskey…” He slowly lifted his head out of his hands and stared at them, just realizing how badly they were shaking. Wishing fervently that he hadn't allowed his mind to wander and bring up that subject, he tried to remember how much time had elapsed since he had stormed out of the apartment. Was it six o' clock yet?

Uttering a low growl, he leaned back on the bench and rested his head against the wall, focusing his glare on the ceiling. However, in response to that an officer smacked the bars of the cell.

“Oi, keep it down in there!” he said sternly, fixing the demon with a pointed stare. “No funny business. We are prepared to deal with you, half-demon or not.”

For a moment, Inu-Yasha simply studied him evenly. He was slightly confused by the situation. He knew the police had special cells and weapons to hold unruly demons, and, though the police knew little how to fight them, they at least had the knowledge of how to deal with demons once captured. However, looking around, he realized that he had been put into an ordinary holding cell, the handcuffs they had used were made for humans, and the only watch they had put him under was the scrutiny of one policeman. Had he the desire to, he could break free in no time at all, but knew that escaping would make this very bad situation even worse. Instead, he chose to get some information from his captor.

“What's gonna happen to me?” he asked shortly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

The officer paused for a moment and, finding nothing threatening in the demon's voice or posture, answered. “It depends on what the mayor says. We're waiting for the chief of police to get the full story from him. It's most likely he's going to take you to court. Attacking a political figure is a serious offense.” He paused to give Inu-Yasha a stern glare. “There is the slim possibility that he won't press charges against you, in which case you would only have to pay bail and then you could go home tonight, but I hardly expect that will be the case.”

Inu-Yasha sighed. If Muso was willing to disband the defense branch, he was most likely eager to keep him behind bars as well. There was little hope he was going to be released anytime soon. Resting his head in his hands, he asked the officer one more question.

“What time is it?”

A little confused, for the demon's behavior was not what he had expected it was going to be, the officer hesitantly glanced at his watch and replied, “About seven thirty.”

A low moan was the response he received. Keeping his gaze on his sneakers, Inu-Yasha tried not to think about the ramifications of his actions tonight. He tried not to think about all the hell the mayor was going to put him through as punishment. He tried not to think about how Kagome, Sango and Miroku were going to take the news. He tried not to think about how he was already an hour and a half overdue for his daily drinks, and how it was more likely going to be several more hours before he would receive them.

Instead, he shut his eyes and imagined himself back at his apartment, reclined on his couch with his warm red afghan covering his legs and Kagome curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. That was where he wanted to be right now and where he would have been had he not lost control.

“Such a fool,” he muttered softly.

oOoOo

“Miss Tanizaki, if the chief of police calls, tell him I'll be with him in just a moment,” Muso told his secretary, suppressing a cough. He was still a little short of breath from his ordeal, for Inu-Yasha's grip had been rather tight.

“Of course, sir. He will be calling shortly, though.”

“Yes, yes.” Turning his intercom off, he took a quick glance around the disheveled room to make certain no one was there before snatching his cell phone off his desk and punching in a number. Two rings went by, and then he heard Naraku's voice.

“Muso.”

“I assume you know what happened?” Muso asked quickly, for he knew he had little time.

“Yes. Kanna just showed me the footage. It seems Inu-Yasha has a tough time reining in his emotions.” There was a sinister mirth behind the statement.

“Yes. However, I need to know how you want me to respond to this. The chief of police will be here any moment.”

“How do you think we should respond, Muso?”

“Well… We would have an advantage either way. I could crush him under the weight of the judicial system. Take this to court, fine him for all he's worth and make the entire thing public. Or, I could refuse to press charges, allow him to go free, and then bring this incident up later, when it would be to our advantage. Despite the political support I have already gained to take down the Order's defense branch, the public has yet to be swayed. This might be just the tool I need to accomplish that.”

“I think your course of action is clear. Do not forget, we need to allow Inu-Yasha to pull himself together.”

It was just then when Muso noticed the red flashing light on his office phone, a signal that he had an incoming call. With a sigh, he said, “I don't understand what your plan is, Lord Naraku, but I will follow your orders.”

“You are smarter than some in that aspect.”

Shuddering a little at the implications of that, for Kagura had immediately come to mind, Muso quickly snapped his cell phone shut. Pausing for a moment to shake off the effects of his conversation with Naraku, for he always felt small and diminutive after such conversations, he picked up his office phone and punched the flashing button.

“This is Muso.”

“Muso, this is Chief Matsuhara. We need to get your side of the story before we can start the legal proceedings concerning the attack. Also, before we begin, I must ask, has an officer been over and inspected the scene? We need to have photographic evidence before any clean-up.”

“Yes, an officer has been through to inspect the scene. However, Chief Matsuhara, there is no need to start any legal work.”

There was silence on the other line for a moment. When he spoke again, he sounded a little less stern and business-like as his greeting had been. “Um, I'm sorry? You do realize a demon broke into your office and attacked you, don't you?”

Muso laughed. “Of course I remember it quite well, thank you. However, despite his actions, I am not going to press charges.”

The chief grunted in confusion. “I don't understand. You have grounds to keep this monster, a potentially dangerous monster I may add, behind bars for years, and you're just going to let him go with a fine? If you don't mind my saying so, that is a rather foolish idea.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Well…” He hesitated before answering. “You are new to the post. You have yet to establish a firm position to the people. Also, you've already been attacked. If you allow this demon to go free, it will make you appear weak and pathetic, and that is the last thing this city needs right now. Also, any other politicians who covet your job will be there to trample over you. Not a wise move.”

“Indeed. However, I am hardly concerned. You do understand that by pressing charges against this demon, I would be going against my campaign? I simply cannot allow that to happen. I would look like an absolute fool, if that were the case. I say the city needs someone with smarts, not a strong arm.”

“So, you would rather look the fool than the weakling, is that what you're saying?”

“In a way, I suppose.”

“Hmph.” The chief sounded unconvinced. “This city would rather have the fool. Fools are easier to manipulate.”

“Well then, it's a good thing I'm neither a fool nor a weakling. Not to worry, Chief Matsuhara, this city is in good hands. My actions today will be more than accounted for in my actions later on. Now, to make this perfectly clear—I am not going to press charges. Make him pay bail, and then let him go home, understood?”

A heavy sigh was heard. “It's your call, Mr. Mayor. I just think you're making a mistake.”

“Thank you for your support.”

oOoOoOo

Kagome stared blankly at the flickering TV screen, paying absolutely no attention to the obnoxious game show host spouting over a million-dollar prize. Her eyes were glassy and red, a sign of the tears she had wept not long ago.

As she had planned, she had waited for two hours before slowly trudging over to the Cornerstone Tap to pick up her wayward patient. Expecting to find a barely lucid, weepy and remorseful half-demon, she was instead surprised by the sight of an empty bar. She had asked an unusually irate Iro if he had seen the demon at all that day, and the answer she received was a fifteen-minute lecture on the rudeness of taking away well-paying customers and single-handedly causing business to drop off by doing so. Taking this as a sign that Inu-Yasha had not frequented the Tap, she left in the middle of Iro's rant and proceeded to check the convenience store where he usually purchased his bottled liquor. She was given a negative response to her inquiries there as well, and it was then when she started to get very worried.

She had called Sango and Miroku, hoping to hear that Inu-Yasha might have gone to them, but instead was given the whole story behind his blow-up. While pleased to finally find out what had made him so upset in the first place, she now was even more concerned over the demon's well-being. As he had proven to her, he was unable to cope with such a blow, and she hated to think of what he was doing to himself while out alone in the city.

Sniffing thickly as her thoughts once again drifted onto the topic, she reached over to the nearly empty box of tissues on the side table and blew her nose, trying to remain in control over her emotions. She had been weeping off and on all evening, tortured by not knowing where Inu-Yasha was. She hated not being there to comfort him, to soothe his battered mind and to keep him on the right track.

She couldn't help but think of how hard he had worked over the past week to stick with his regimen. The sleepless nights that he suffered through; the ever-present feeling of desire that he had to constantly fight; the sickness he felt while his body tried to function without aid… But this also brought to mind his successes. He had not been drunk in a week. He was able to fight through each day and make it until six o' clock. He was slowly discovering new things to do with his day. And, what made Kagome the most proud, he was starting to learn to open up. There wasn't a big difference, but the significance behind his actions meant more than anything else to her.

It was because of all his victories that made this one failure so heartbreaking for Kagome. With a choked sob, she quickly snatched another tissue out of the box and buried her face in it. However, before she could begin another full-on weeping session, a sound caught her attention, a sound she had been waiting to hear all evening.

Emerging from behind the tissue, she looked down at the sofa cushion next to her and saw that her cell phone, which she had kept by her side all day since Inu-Yasha had destroyed the home phone, was lit up and vibrating across the cushion, buzzing evenly with an incoming call. She had it open and pressed against her ear in a second, desperate to hear anything concerning Inu-Yasha's whereabouts.

“Yes, hello?!” she cried anxiously, her voice a little hoarse from crying. She prayed it was Sango or Miroku, calling to say they had finally gotten ahold of the demon, or Iro calling to tell her Inu-Yasha had made his way into the bar.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Then, a very small, hesitant voice said, “Um… Kagome? It's me.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Out of all the people she had expected to call about Inu-Yasha's whereabouts, she had never expected the demon to contact her. “Inu… Inu-Yasha?”

He was quiet again. She could practically feel the guilt coming off him in the silence. Finally, he murmured, “I need you to come pick me up.”

She let out a soft sigh; he had called her because he needed to be picked up from the Tap for drinking too much. Well, at least he was still sober enough to dial her phone number, she supposed.

“All right, Inu-Yasha,” she said, disappointment evident in her tone. “I'll be over at the Tap in just a couple minutes.”

“No, Kagome, I'm not at the Tap.”

That was unexpected. “Then where are you?”

An even longer pause than before met her question. “The police station.”

oOoOoOo

Inu-Yasha slowly hung up the phone, feeling quite dejected as he allowed the officer to steer him back to the cell. His conversation with Kagome had ended with a terse, not-very-pleasant-sounding, “I'll be right there,” and then a sharp click as she hung up on him.

“That sounded pleasant,” the cop remarked as he closed and locked the bars once Inu-Yasha was back inside. “I'm sure Kagome was thrilled to get your call.”

Depressed by the tone of her voice, Inu-Yasha discovered that he had once again lost the energy and willpower to think of a snappy retort. He instead opted to slouch down on the bench and stare quietly at his shoes, very successfully ignoring his guard.

For a few minutes they both sat in silence, the officer idly spinning his keys while Inu-Yasha focused on keeping his shaking limbs under control; it proved to be an excellent distraction from thinking about Kagome's voice, but it only succeeded to drive his mood further downward, if that was possible.

The door to the jail room suddenly banged open, making the guard jump and quickly straighten up. Inu-Yasha, exhausted past the point of being startled, slowly lifted his head, and blinked as he looked at a familiar face.

“Chief Matsuhara,” he said dully. “It's been a while.”

Raising an eyebrow at the demon, the chief flicked his thumb at the door and barked, “Out,” at the guard. Once he was out of the room, the chief kicked the door shut, and then turned to face Inu-Yasha. “Well, well, well…” he said slowly. “You know, when I got a call saying the mayor was attacked by a crazed demon, I never expected it to be you. In fact, I didn't even find out until one of my senior officers told me out there. He remembers you from your… past experiences here.”

“Ah.” That explained why he was in a human holding cell as opposed to a demon one. Some of the cops that remembered him from his rather embarrassing history with the police station felt sorry for him, something that he had always hated. He supposed putting him in a human cell was them trying to be nice, and it irritated him to no end.

He sighed as Chief Matsuhara pulled a chair up to his cell and settled comfortably down in it. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his breast pocket, he stuck one in his mouth and then offered one to Inu-Yasha, who could hardly wait for it to be lit.

“You aren't looking so good,” Matsuhara commented gruffly, watching the cigarette shake in Inu-Yasha's fingers after he took a long drag. “And after that insane stunt you pulled today… It makes me think something's wrong with you.”

Inu-Yasha simply grunted in reply, clearly displeased with the topic of conversation. Making note of the demon's taciturn actions, Matsuhara shrugged and leaned back in his chair. The two sat smoking for a couple minutes, but Matsuhara was curious enough to face the demon's temper.

“So… We haven't seen you in here in about six or seven years. You still drinking so much?”

Inu-Yasha sighed. His past experiences with the city police, and with Chief Matsuhara in particular, were more numerous than he liked. Obviously he had worked with them during the demon war, but his meetings with them after were more common.

While dealing with the early stages of grief and guilt after Kikyo's death, his drinking had been out of control. Daily binges at the Tap were not uncommon and, being unused to drinking at that point, he never knew his own limits. Almost every time he tried to make it home under his own willpower, he usually found a park bench or a comfortable patch of concrete to pass out on. The cop doing his nightly rounds would find him and bring him back to the station, where he would wake up with an unbelievably bad hangover in a jail cell. This routine happened over and over again for about a year, and then he finally started to learn his limits, and the visits to the jail started to decline.

Glancing up at the chief, who was trying unsuccessfully to cover up his concern, Inu-Yasha shook his head. He owed Chief Matsuhara quite a bit. Any other demon would have been arrested for public intoxication, and his numerous visits would have gotten him in deep trouble with the law. However, since Matsuhara had seen Inu-Yasha in action during the final battle and knew that the demon was going through a rough time, he kept every drunken pick-up off the record. It was a huge favor to him.

“No, I'm not drinkin' so much,” he finally muttered in reply, exhaling a lungful of smoke. This, of course, made him think of Kagome, and his insides cringed with guilt once more.

“Is that what made you do such a stupid thing today?” Matsuhara asked, the light hint of mirth in his tone. “No booze in your system to keep you drugged enough from making it out of your apartment?”

Inu-Yasha frowned, knowing that, had Kagome not been there, he would have been too drugged to leave. It was hard to decide which action's consequence would be worse, though. “Could be part of it, I suppose. I don't really wanna talk about it.”

“Well, you just need to know how lucky you are. Muso had a lot to gain and you had a lot to lose had he pressed charges against you. I don't know what possessed that man to drop charges, but you should be grateful.”

A fierce scowl broke Inu-Yasha's features. “I'm grateful for nothing to that damned bastard,” he growled, baring his teeth around the cigarette.

The chief raised an eyebrow. “Something happen I need to know about?”

“Oh, you'll find out soon enough.”

It was then when the door opened and an officer stuck his head inside. “Uh, chief? There's a Kagome Higurashi here to retrieve Inu-Yasha.”

Matsuhara turned to glance at Inu-Yasha, a sly grin spreading across his face. “You called a girl to bail you out, did you?” He was one of the few people who knew of Kikyo's untimely demise, and knew that it was the source of Inu-Yasha's drinking. The fact that Inu-Yasha now had a woman in his life was pleasantly surprising for him.

Had Inu-Yasha not been so distracted, he would have snapped something rude in reply. However, at the mention of Kagome's name he had shot to his feet and quickly stomped his cigarette out on the floor before going over to the bars of his cell, staring at the doorway with a strange mixture of guilt and eagerness.

Climbing out of his chair, the chief went over and opened the door all the way, gesturing for Kagome to come in. He watched as the slip of a woman edged inside, her eyes locked on Inu-Yasha and his eyes on her. Shaking his head, the chief said, “I'll leave you two a few minutes to talk,” before quietly walking out and shutting the door behind himself.

For several moments the two stared at each other in total silence. Inu-Yasha was squirming in guilt under Kagome's gaze, for she looked dreadful. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and her mouth was set in a firm line of disapproval. Her hair was tousled and disheveled, and he realized that she was wearing her house slippers, a sign that she had left his apartment in a rush.

Swallowing hard, he said at last, “Kagome, I—”

“You know, when I said that there were other methods of dealing with anger, attacking the mayor was not really what I had in mind.” Her voice was harsh and accusatory.

“I-I… How did you know?” he finally asked weakly, unsure of what else to say.

“They told me what happened while I was filling out the paperwork,” she replied shortly. “I'll have you know that I am very disappointed in your actions today, Inu-Yasha. I expected better from you, I really did.”

The effect of her words was similar to having a knife jabbed repeatedly into his chest. He felt like he had failed Kagome in every way, and he hated that feeling. Guilt was welling up inside him, constricting his throat and making it difficult to speak, but he forced himself to at least offer something. “I… I don't know what came over me. I should never have treated you that way, no matter how upset—”

“No, Inu-Yasha, no. I do not want to hear your excuses.” Turning sharply on her heel, she strode back to the door and threw it open. “Officer, we're ready to leave now,” she said curtly to the man standing right outside. Noting the look on her face, he came in and unlocked the cell as quickly as he could.

As Kagome briskly walked out of the room, Inu-Yasha slunk silently after her, looking for all the world like a puppy with its tail between its legs. He didn't even take joy at the feeling of freedom after being in the cell for so long.

Passing Chief Matsuhara on their way out, he leaned down to the pathetic demon and whispered, “Good luck,” with a nod at Kagome's stiff figure.

“Thanks,” Inu-Yasha moaned in reply.

The drive home was pure torture for Inu-Yasha. Kagome was silent, her undivided attention on the road and her posture displaying how upset she was. Inu-Yasha could hardly bear to look at her. Stewing in guilt and regret, he slumped down in his seat and stared out the window. And, despite the fact that he had a very angry woman sitting next to him, he couldn't help but ponder the fact that he was now four hours overdue for his whiskey, and he was definitely feeling it. However, with Kagome so upset, he was beginning to doubt he would receive any that night.

Finally making it back to his apartment, Inu-Yasha had finally realized that it would be fully up to him to win Kagome's trust back. So, catching her off-guard once they were inside the building, he scooped her up and made the leap up to the seventh floor in a single bound. She remained silent, although there was a look of shock on her face, and her body stiffened considerably. Landing a bit shakily, for he was terribly exhausted after all the events of the day, he carefully set her on her feet. When she quickly turned away from him to open the door, he snagged her arm, preventing her from walking away.

“Kagome, please. Hang on a second. Won't you let me speak?”

Standing still for a moment, still not meeting his eyes, she said stiffly, “I'm not going to talk on the landing. We can talk inside.” She then jerked her arm out of his grasp and strode inside.

With a heavy sigh, Inu-Yasha slowly trudged in after her, each step taken with a heightened sense of foreboding. He couldn't remember seeing Kagome this upset before, and was uncertain as to how he should handle things.

Once inside, he carefully shut the door behind himself and then slowly turned around. Kagome was standing right in front of him with her arms crossed, tension radiating from her. Inu-Yasha swallowed hard. It was now or never.

“Kagome, I'm so sorry for what I've done—”

He stopped abruptly when she suddenly rushed at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest as she burst into tears.

“I-I… Uh, what?”

“Oh, Inu-Yasha,” she wept, her voice muffled by his shirt. “I'm so happy!”

Now he was really confused. Those words were the last things he had been expecting to hear at this point.

“I'm so happy,” she said again, still bawling into his chest with her arms wrapped tight around him. “You have no idea how happy I am right now.”

“U-um… Kagome, you do know what happened, right? I mean, I was a total asshole to you, I went out and attacked the mayor, got myself thrown in jail… I don't understand, what's to be happy about?”

She pulled away from him a little bit, still keeping him in her embrace but pulling enough away so that she could talk to him properly. “You aren't drunk!” she cried through her tears, looking and sounding terribly upset. “You aren't drunk! I th-thought you had gone to th-the Tap when you ran out, but you didn't, you attacked the mayor instead! I'm so ha-a-appy!” She buried her fact in his shirt once more, crying harder than before.

Finally understanding the meaning behind the waterworks, Inu-Yasha sighed, slowly enveloping her trembling figure in his arms. He rested his chin on her head and slowly rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her.

“I really am a damn fool,” he murmured quietly into her ear as she sobbed. “I'm so sorry, Kagome. All this time you were worried about me drinkin'… I'm so sorry.”

“I-I just… I just didn't w-want you to lose everything you'd gained!” she hiccupped weakly, giving him a gentle squeeze.

“I'm sorry, Kagome,” he said again.

“You've w-worked so hard! I was so af-f-fraid that you would forget all that y-you had done!”

“Shh…” he said soothingly. “Calm down. It's okay.”

For several minutes they stood there in the foyer, Inu-Yasha rubbing Kagome's back as she slowly stopped crying. He finally understood why she was so hysterical. After stressing all day about where he was and what he was doing while fighting to keep down her hurt feelings from that afternoon, he guessed that finally seeing him was the last straw. On one hand, he felt absolutely horrible for putting her through it all. But on the other hand, he couldn't help smile when he realized how much she cared.

With her sobs finally slowing down, Inu-Yasha gently pulled her away so he could look at her. She stared up at him, her eyes red and watery, her nose runny, and her cheeks a splotchy crimson. “I'm sorry…” she said hoarsely, wiping her eyes with her shirt sleeve and quickly looking away. “I didn't mean to lose control like that.”

“I know what that's like,” he replied tiredly.

“Yes,” she sniffled, glancing up at him with a little more strength than before. “Speaking of which—you attacked the mayor?”

He shook his head. “Let's not get into that now. Save it for tomorrow.”

With a short nod, Kagome took a few more steps away from him, straightening her shirt and smoothing down her hair. “All right then. I think we've had enough excitement for one day. Let's get you into bed, and we can discuss everything tomorrow--”

“Kagome, wait.”

She paused, for she had turned to go into the kitchen. “Yes?”

Inu-Yasha stared intently at her, looking very serious. “You do accept my apology, don't you? I mean, I hate a lot of what I did today, but seeing what I did to you… I hate that the most. Will you please forgive me?”

This was so unusual for her, hearing Inu-Yasha speak without any hint of anger, sarcasm, or disgust in his tone. For once he was simply being sincere.

Smiling at him, she replied softly, “Of course I will.”

That was all he needed to hear. Despite everything he had gone through that day—losing his job, losing his livelihood, yelling at all three of the people he cared about, unsuccessfully attacking the mayor, and being thrown in jail—Kagome still helped him end the day with a smile on his face.

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Thank you all for reading—I hope it was a surprise. ^__^ Please leave a review and tell me what you think!