InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Head Over Heels ❯ Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagura: I should be home right now in a bathtub overflowing with bubbles reading a good book; not here living out some twisted version of Bronte�s Wuthering Heights.

On the lighter side at least I was in jeans and a t-shirt. Nope, no flowing white night gowns for this chickie.

I raised my fist and knocked.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Hentai / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.15.2006 | Pages: 8 | Words: 7.3K | Visits: 540 | Status: Completed

Chapter Ten

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

I had to tell Sesshomaru that something was wrong with Jane.

Some rational part of my mind kicked in chiding, what if he killed her? Then I would be running to the murderer like some blonde dolt in a B movie horror flick.

My inner self laughed at me. `Yeah that's it Kagura. He was SO hurt by your rejection that he turned on the nanny and ate her.'

I wonder if he would've enjoyed her with a glass of fine Chainti or just a dab of Tabasco.

But our dinner was pretty extravagant so it was unlikely he'd have room left for even part of a nanny.

Hot sauce or wine aside this line of thought was getting me nowhere and made no sense. I had no reason to suspect him of homicide.

Jane lifted her head and I felt a tug of sympathy at the sight of her tear stained face. Life was never fair but some days it seemed more unjust than others.

If Jane was the victim of foul play it was subtle, there wasn't a scratch on her. Her shirt still held that freshly ironed look I'd noticed earlier when she came for Rin at dinner.

I pushed down my sinister suspicions and decided to just ask her.

“Did someone hurt you?”

Jane's eyes widened but she shook her head, releasing a flood of relief in my chest.

But I was still left with the dilemma of how to explain this. Honestly I should've ignored her and gone back to bed.

Jane wasn't a particularly powerful spirit, so she'd have little retaliation. And she was already dead and beyond help. I had no moral obligation here but it just seemed wrong.

I guessed from what Sesshomaru revealed about Rin, she may have seen her family murdered. Why revisit more death on a little girl who'd already seen too much?

I hate having a conscious. But luckily I was already dressed and awaken so what else could I do?

I rolled off the bed and nearly missed landing on my feet. The room moved with me but the longer I stood the slower it spun. Soon I would be fine, yet another advantage to being a wind yokai. We have few hangovers and when we are so cursed it's over quickly.

I opened my door and peered out the hallway. It was pitch black.

Great. Now how was I supposed to find his room?

The light from my room wasn't enough to help me locate the hall light switch and this was an old house, built during the era of gas lights.

Hey I bet Sesshomaru, old man that he is, remembers gas lights and maybe dinosaurs too.

Anyway, when houses were converted to electricity the switch plates weren't always installed in obvious places. So there was no telling where the hell the light switch was. I'd either find it by dumb luck or stumble into someone first. If there was anyone awake to stumble into.

When it came time to decide which way to turn I went right. I'm right handed so whenever lost I always go right. That way if I have to back track later on I'll know to turn left.

The hall was narrow and I stretched out my arms letting my fingers brush against the walls as I took it one step at a time.

Who knew what time it was? Sesshomaru didn't strike me as the heavy sleeper type so maybe he'd hear me and come looking for the source of the noise.

So far I'd taken fifteen steps and passed two doors.

My fingers encountered picture frames and I wondered if they contained actual family photos or some piece of random art. I knew I'd be back to look in the morning.

Finally I saw the outline of a door in soft light at the end of the hall and heard faint music.

Only one person could be awake at this hour so I was certain this was the right room. My feet moved without my wish and soon I was standing outside the door. I recognized the smooth voice of Frank Sinatra.

“Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep

Then love came and told me I shouldn't sleep

Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I

Lost my heart, but what of it?

She is cold, I agree

She might laugh, but I love it

Although the laugh's on me”

After hearing the song there was no way for me to bring myself to knock on that door without feeling like eight kinds of an intruder.

The lyrics were…interesting. He'd called me a witch and a smarter woman would write this moment off as happenstance. But like George Noory I do not believe in coincidences.

I've had a glimpse of the world behind the curtain of reality and now I take nothing with a grain of salt.

Sesshomaru was behind that door licking his wounds, thinking about me.

And here I was at his door, as prompt as any idiotic mail order bride or call girl pizza delivery service; though after the `incident' in the living room he appeared to have more of a taste for pizza than matrimony.

Oh fucking hell. Why does the weird crap always happen to me?

I should be home right now in a bathtub overflowing with bubbles reading a good book; not here living out some twisted version of Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

On the lighter side at least I was in jeans and a t-shirt. Nope, no flowing white night gowns for this chickie. While stupid I may be gothic I'm just not. Steve Madden hasn't made a good pair of Goth shoes to date and I'm taking that as a sign.

I raised my fist and knocked.

Two heartbeats passed and I wondered if he'd heard me. Then the music was abruptly cut off and I knew he was on his way.

_-_-_-_

Sesshomaru:

I sat in my chair reading pamphlets from over priced all girl prep-boarding schools. Each one was more overpriced and overrated than the last.

It didn't appear my little mortal monkey or my money would be leaving me anytime soon. Not if these schools were the best Jaken could come up with.

It was a good thing my intention wasn't to put the witch out of my mind because the song on my stereo was infectious.

Of course it didn't help that I'd put it on repeat fifteen minutes ago and this was it's fourth time through.

I had a fresh unopened bottle of bourbon by my elbow but it wasn't as entertaining to drink alone.

I wasn't an insomniac because I hadn't even tried to sleep.

I'd been so close to ending this. She'd melted in my arms before she thought better of giving in to her baser instincts.

Admittedly that was a horrible attempt at seduction. It hadn't gone quite as planned; my fingers grew a mind of their own and wandered. I was nearly to the mole from my vision before she stopped me. It was for the best.

Had she allowed me to have my way, I would've had her under me and the whole encounter would have been over in less than ten minutes. And she deserved so much more of my time and attentions than a lousy ten minutes.

I wanted her to pay for the feelings she evoked in me and that would take forty five minutes at least.

Gods what the hell was wrong with me? There was no escaping the Wind Witch. She was at the movies, at the park, in my head and only five rooms away.

This was not acceptable. I picked up the bourbon, uncorked it and drank straight from the bottle.

The wicked enchanting scent of mimosa met my nostrils and I tilted the bottle back farther.

The liquor burned on the way down but the pain did not come with redemption. My hand found the stereo remote and I turned up the volume.

The pamphlets spilled from my lap and flew to the floor where they landed in haphazard piles. With Rin's pamphlets at my feet and the Witch's eyes in my head I was a burning pit of disgrace.

A knock came at my door and I knew before I rose to my feet who it was. Rin never knocked, even though I'd taught her how.

My hand rested on the doorknob for a moment. I heard her breathing, coming in fast and shallow breaths on the other side of the thin door.

Hmm… Had my luck turned?

I opened the door quickly hoping to catch her off guard. She was still fully dressed and stood there staring at me with those huge eyes of liquid fire.

“Sesshomaru?”

There it was again. My name on those lips and this time she was on the threshold of my room dangerously close to my bed.

“Yes?” The irritation in my voice wasn't added for her benefit.

“You're awake.”

I put a hand on the doorframe and leaned over her. My shirt was untucked and my hair was disheveled. I'm sure I appeared quite the anti-hero as I loomed over her.

“No. I'm asleep and you're dreaming.” I smiled and enjoyed her small gasp at the flash of my teeth.

“Funny man.” She chided then frowned.

“Witch what do you want with me?” It was a loaded question.

She stumbled, “I…umm.”

My hand hovered near her chest hungering for the feel of her breasts. I was seconds away from disposing of her shirt and attacking them with my thumb. She was walking a very thin line and this time I really was feeling the effects of my drink.

I ran a finger up her arm and caught my hand on her shoulder. I gave in then pulled her against me. I wrapped her in my arms and rested my chin near her ear. “Sleep with me.”

She stiffened and pulled away. I was expecting her to be angry but she was laughing. My lust receded and I demanded, “What?”

She giggled.

She actually giggled. “Is that the best you can come up with? Sleep with you?”

I crossed my arms and entertained visions of stringing her up by her lovely toenails. “I am direct. I thought that's what women want.”

“It's not very romantic.” She replied still smiling.

That was fine with me. What I wanted to do to her had nothing to do with romance. “What are you here for?”

Her face fell and she looked away. “There's something wrong.”

“What?”

And she stood there and said nothing. My temper flared and I barked, “If you aren't here for sex than go back to your own room.”

She blushed, her eyes flashed and she railed back, “I like you but I'm not here for sex! There's something wrong with your nanny!”

“How the hell would you know? You're on the opposite end of the hall from her.”

Her voice was soft, “I just have this feeling that you should…check on her. Please.”

Rin. Jane's room was attached to Rin's. “Is Rin okay?”

I was moving down the hall and my hand found her forearm. I pulled her along with me leaving Sinatra to lament in peace without us.

“I think Rin's fine it's Jane…”

The witch was worried and while I wasn't sure if my feelings for her were healthy, I knew enough to trust her judgment.

We came to the guestroom I'd given her. I dropped my hand from her arm to her ass and pushed her into her room. She said nothing as her bare feet slid across the carpet.

“Whatever it is, I'll take care of it. We have a top of the line security system so stay here and go back to sleep.”

She nodded and I shut the door behind her.

_-_-_-_

Rin's room was an old an in-law suite I had converted to a bedroom, playroom and nanny suite.

I pressed open the door and slipped inside.

The room was dark, quiet and peaceful.

Rin lay safely tucked in her bed clutching a ridiculous Winnie the Pooh bear she'd gotten for Christmas.

I stood for a moment watching the steady rise and fall of her small chest under her pink Dora the Explorer night gown. She was so fragile.

The door that connected her room to the nanny's rooms was open. It led to a sitting room that was lit by the light of a soft reading lamp.

There was nothing out of place. I moved towards the bedroom door and stepped on an open book.

I bent down and picked it up. It was one of those women's romances, A Knight in Shining Armor. I turned to lay it on the coffee table and found Jane slumped across the end of her couch. Her head lolled back on the armrest, her blue eyes open and unseeing. One arm hung listlessly from the couch brushing the floor.

She was now plainly my ex-nanny.

Damnit! It was hard to find a decent nanny and Jane had just proved herself.

I ground my teeth but didn't bother checking her pulse. It was pointless. As far as I could tell she died of natural causes.

A mug of peppermint tea sat on the coffee table. It was still warm.

I left her where she lay and shut the door.

_-_-_-_

I have an extensive sword collection that was bequeathed to me by my father. The prize is missing, but that is something I mean to correct in time.

Tonight though I only needed one sword, the living fang of heaven, Tenseiga.

I unlocked the glass case and pulled out the long katana in it's scabbard. Tenseiga was light in my hands and warmed to my touch.

I locked the case, tucked the sword under my arm and flew from the room. Tenseiga was only effective if used soon after death, the hot tea was a good sign but I wasn't sure if I'd found her in time.

_-_-_-_

Kagura:

He almost shut the door on my ass, but only after rubbing his hand all over it first.

Truth be told he was starting to remind me of Miroku. Now I had the faint understanding as to why Sango put up with the perv.

Telling Sesshomaru about Jane hadn't gone so bad. I was expecting questions and lots of them.

After that movie, The Sixth Sense I've been queasy about telling anyone about my curse. And whenever my powers surface I always expect to be recognized, called out on the carpet then forced to perform on daytime TV.

I doubt that Sesshomaru even knows who Riki Lake or

Jerry Springer is but still… I was so relieved when he didn't question me that I wasn't too upset that he'd grabbed my butt.

My room was empty; perhaps Jane had gone to trail Sesshomaru. Well, that was a relief.

I threw up my arms and flopped across the wonderful bed. It wasn't as if there was anything else I could do. I might as well chill out in comfort for a bit.

Instead of thinking about the dead, my mind drifted to Sesshomaru's embrace and the heat of his breath in my ear. `Sleep with me'.

It wasn't a request but a command. One that my whole being had answered with an enthusiastic Hell Yes!

Just think all of that pent up angst running just below the surface of his skin. And this was the same man I'd almost written off as gay!

Well it appears that still waters really do run deep. Beneath that detached air he put on was a tsunami.

Stupid girl that I am, I love dangerous men. Sesshomaru was just that perfect balance of hot danger and odd dependability. Anyone who fussed over a silly mortal girl as much as he did wasn't all bad.

But that's what he wanted me to think. He thought he could play big bad wolf and blow down Little Red's flimsy front door. I wonder how it felt for the wolf when the little pig turned on him and blew him down.

Intriguing… why would he want me to fear him one moment and give in to him the next?

Men!

I'll never understand them. But I had time and from the sounds of it so did Sesshomaru.

_-_-_-_

I was up early and made my way back to the kitchen. I found the pictures on the wall from last night but they weren't anything special just a Japanese landscape. A brisk older woman was waiting for me by the kitchen island. I guessed from her notepad and walkie talkie that she must be the housekeeper.

“There's coffee and muffins on the side board. I can pack `em to go for you if you like.”

Wow, I can tell when I'm not wanted. “I'd like it to go.”

She nodded and I noticed her long dark hair was twisted back into a tight bun at the base of her neck.

I followed her around the kitchen as she prepared my coffee. After all I've never seen a real housekeeper cept for Alice on the Brady Bunch and somehow I don't think she counts. “So has Sesshomaru eaten yet?”

Maybe he was too embarrassed to face me? Ahh, who am I kidding… embarrassed? That man has balls of steel. But what happened to Jane?

“He is otherwise occupied but sends his regards.”

I sighed, “His regards huh? And I bet those were his exact words.”

She surprised me by laughing, “You do know him then, don't you.”

I guess I know him as well as one can know a person they've only met a few times but dreamt of being naked with every other waking second.

I was plagued with wanting to ask the lady how many other women had been over to spend the night. Somehow I doubted she would have told me.

The housekeeper never did give me any interesting information and there were no ambulance or police cars outside the house when I climbed into my cab. The roads were filled with wet slushy snow but the worst of the storm was over.

I was dropped at my apartment where I fed a lonely Sushi fish and showered. The local news had no reports on Jane but they might not have heard yet or if it was a normal death it might not be newsworthy.

My coffee was gourmet and the muffin exquisite. I held the paper cup in my hand dying to know what happened after Sesshomaru left me.

I saw it was already eight and I was almost late for work.

Damn it. If only I could figure out how to live with out needing food, heat and electricity, my life would be SO much easier.

_-_-_-_

Notes:

In Silence of the Lamb's Hannibal Lector makes mention of drinking a glass of Chianti with someone's liver.

The Frank Sinatra song is Bewitch.

George Noory hosts a late night AM radio talk show about the supernatural, extra terrestrials and conspiracy theories. Kagura is probably familiar with him because she has a lot of late nights.

The Devil's Dictionary:

Witch: 1) An ugly and repulsive old woman, in a wicked league with the devil. 2) A beautiful and attractive young woman, in wickedness a league beyond the devil.

Senate: A body of elderly gentlemen charged with high duties and misdemeanors.