InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kurayami no Naka de Hikari ❯ Breathless ( Chapter 10 )

Kurayami no Naka de Hikari

Notes: 14 pages/8,604 words – Finally got another chapter finished. Sorry for the delay, life has a way of telling you 'bite me I need to happen' and steals away time that could have been spent writing instead. Anyway, this chapter is a few pages longer than normal so yay for you guys! I've been waiting to write the ending of this chapter since I STARTED this story! Don't hate me! *runs and hides*

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters thereof. Even though that is the case, please don't steal my plot, concept, or story out of respect for my creative endeavor as I would not do this to anyone out there.

- l - l - l - Change of scene, time, etc.
'Thoughts/dreams' will be in single quotes (IE: ' ')

Chapter 10 – Breathless

It took only about ten minutes for Miroku to reach the familiar parking garage of the hospital. He was extremely nervous and was hoping Sango wouldn't hurt him too badly while he was trying to explain everything. She had a tendency to act first and act questions later... with him at least... mostly if it involved other women. She was very bad at hiding her obvious jealousy.

He grabbed his ticket and headed to the lower level where he knew Sango would be parked, though for the life of him he didn't know why. He visited her often and felt uneasy about her parking where she normally did due to the secluded nature of her selection and the fact that the maintenance people didn't always check the lights to make sure they worked properly in this employee section. Most patients would park on the higher levels that were maintained much more regularly.

He pulled into an empty spot under a flickering light and cut the engine, pocketing the keys. Sango was by no means helpless, but Miroku didn't like the idea of her parking in this dark, deserted section of the garage. If she was taken by surprise, she might be overpowered by shear physical strength, not that he believed it was likely, just possible.

He made his way deeper into the dark and picked out the silhouette of her car. He was slightly surprised to see if still parked there since it was well after two o'clock and she should be off call by now. He'd just leave a note on her windshield then go inside and try to track her down. Hopefully she wouldn't come out while he was looking for her because she might decide to crumple up the note without reading it when she saw it was from him.

He dug into his pocket and pulled out an old receipt and flipped it over as he pulled his keys back out and pulled the mini pen off the chain Sango had given him. She didn't carry a purse and had grown tired of always being expected to have a pen handy since she was a woman and had instead bought all three of them the key chains to avoid the annoyance.

He leaned on her hood and quickly scrawled a note on the receipt and placed it under her windshield. He was getting ready to head into the hospital to go look for her when he noticed something on the ground next to Sango's car glinting dully in the flickering light.

Miroku leaned down and picked up a set of keys that were lying on the ground and his heart jumped into his throat. They were clearly Sango's keys, the miniature boomerang hung on the key ring that her little brother had given her. Sango had a thing for boomerangs and it was sentimental since it was from her brother. She wasn't the type of person to drop her keys getting out of the car. She was likely to forget them on her kitchen table or in her locker, but she was very responsible with her things while she was out.

He noticed a dark spot on the ground and kneeled down to get a closer look. It looked like an electrical burn of some sort except... there was a strange feeling in the air... He could sense a youkai... no TWO! One had fairly strong youki and the other had less but still not something for humans to mess with. He could sense Sango as well and a sense of panic entered him. He knew... someone had grabbed Sango!

"Damnit!" Miroku cursed as he ran for the hospital to see if he could get ahold of the security videos to see who took her.

He had the youki of the demons memorized, if he came across anyone who had been in contact with them, he'd know immediately. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he dashed inside and dialed Inuyasha's number. There were times when he was EXTREMELY glad his best friend was an inu youkai!

- l - l - l -

Kagome felt better after she cried but felt suddenly awkward afterward. She sat with her head down and her hands in her lap. Inuyasha had gently slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close as if saying now that he'd found her, he wasn't going to let her disappear again. Strangely, she didn't feel like she was being unfaithful sitting like that with Inuyasha.

He hadn't said much since he said he was going to protect her. People had looked at them strangely too but one glare from Inuyasha had ended those looks. Kagome was really unsure what to think of the recent events. She liked Inuyasha, but she hardly knew him. Even though she knew Naraku treated her badly, he was familiar, someone she knew. Inuyasha was still mostly a mystery to her so she wasn't sure where to go from her current position. She was extremely confused and lost in her own thoughts.

Inuyasha grumbled as he heard his phone start to ring in his pocket. The tune was some obnoxious ringtone Rin had set that Inuyasha hadn't felt like changing, but he knew this tone was for Miroku. The pervert had been calling nonstop since really late in the night. Inuyasha had been in no mood to hear the trouble the monk had gotten himself into at the club, though, so he'd merely ignored it and focused on drinking as much coffee as he could stand to stay awake. He pulled the phone from his pocket with a sigh and hit the button to answer the call.

"What trouble did you get into this time?" Inuyasha growled into the phone irritably. He was grouchy from lack of sleep and just wanted a little alone time with the raven-haired beauty tucked against him. 'Beauty?' His eyebrows rose in surprise as he slyly glanced down at her, but he couldn't fight with his inner voice on that thought... Kagome WAS beautiful, though the depressed look on her face made his ears droop a bit in sympathy.

"Oi! Are you listening, Inuyasha?!" Miroku's frantic voice asked in the line and snapped Inuyasha from his private musings.

"Yeah, sorry what did you say?" Inuyasha asked again as he tore his eyes from Kagome, who was now looking up at him curiously.

"I said someone grabbed Sango from the garage last night!" Miroku cried into the phone in a panic.

- l - l - l -

Sango woke up slowly, her body felt oddly heavy and she was having trouble moving. Her mind was oddly fuzzy and was only vaguely able to distinguish that it was cold. She bit back a groan and forced her eyes open, she was still so groggy but couldn't remember why.

Her vision was blurry and everything seemed to be moving as if she were on a boat though it didn't FEEL like she was moving. 'Where am I?' Her thought filled her head as she looked at her surroundings in confusion. She was in a small, dark room with no windows. There was a dim light shining under the door, which was the only illumination she had. She was lying on a small, hard bed and vaguely noted something around her wrist.

She slowly forced herself into a seated position, her head swimming at the simple motion. She tried to raise her head to steady herself and found she was chained to a rickety headboard with a pair of metal cuffs. Memories were trying to filter through but were hitting a fuzzy barrier as she tried to clear her head.

She remembered leaving work that night... it was dark around her car... did something startle her? 'Why... can't I wake up and remember?' Sango silently thought as anger started to flare. She wasn't this scatterbrained! Why didn't she remember anything after she left the hospital?

After a few more moments of confusion, a powerful memory slammed into Sango's head hard enough to make her lose her balance and slump back down on the bed. There were too men, youkai actually. They had pinned her to the ground and sent some sort of paralyzing electric shock into her. Panic took over as she fumbled for the handcuff around her wrist and she tugged fruitlessly.

She lay back on the hard bed, trying to master her panic but failing miserably. She didn't know where she was, her head felt stuffed with cotton, and she had no clue what her captors were going to do with her. There were so many unknowns that Sango couldn't even begin to form an escape plan, especially with whatever they had pumped into her veins. That was the only thing she could come up with to make her feel so groggy and out of focus.

Sango tugged on the handcuff one last time before sighing in temporary defeat and relaxing back into the lumpy mattress. At this point, she knew she needed to conserve her energy, until the drugs had worn off, at least.

After about ten minutes of staring at the dark ceiling, Sango heard heavy footsteps in the hallway outside of her room. Her body instantly tensed as the footsteps slowed the closer they got. She could hear the low rumble of voices as the footsteps stopped right outside of the door. She felt around on the floor and rustled around on the bed to try to find something to defend herself. She cursed as her hand didn't come across anything useful and she forced herself into a sitting position. She would at least meet her captors with pride; she'd have to come up with a plan.

"I told you, not yet, Manten." She could hear the voice clearly as the door cracked open. "I've put her up; I'll test her skills personally." She heard a deep rumble as a voice argued back.

"There's an English girl down the hall, make sure she's fed. Dose her again while you're at it." The owner of the voice must have stopped arguing because she heard heavy footfalls retreating and the door creaked open slowly.

Sango squinted her eyes at the sudden, bright light. It illuminated the tiny room and Sango saw that the only thing in the room was the bed. It was completely bare otherwise except for a dusty vinyl floor. The tall figure was silhouetted in the doorway and she vaguely took in his appearance, trying to memorize the details. It might be important to know who her kidnappers were when she escaped. Unfortunately, the only thing she could really make out was that his was tall with long hair in a braid hanging to his waist and his eyes gleamed a dull red color in the low light.

"Hmm? I'm surprised you're awake already from the dose I gave you." The voice from the night before filtered into her muddled thoughts. Her hearing was quickly clearing, though. It must have been a matter of focus and need that made Sango able to overcome the delirium.

"I don't normally snatch locals; it's too easy for the cops to trace the disappearances. You'll fetch a good price for a foreigner, though." He could hear the smirk on his face as he walked into the room and flipped on a light switch by the door.

Sango's eyes instinctively squinted part of the way shut at the sudden bright flood. She forced herself to memorize the tall youkai before her. His hair was black as pitch with messy bangs and he did indeed have a long braid to his waist. His eyes were blood red and there was a nasty sneer on his face which revealed a pointed fang hanging over his lip. In the middle of his forehead there were too marks that were a faint pink color but Sango didn't know if it was natural or some sort of tattoo. She stared intently at him with daggers in her eyes; she dared him with her look to come closer.

He smirked at her and strode forward confidently and gripped her chin painfully in one hand. Sango pulled back indignantly and raised her hand to push his hand away, but he grabbed her wrist tightly and twisted her arm behind her back. She would have done Inuyasha proud with the growl that she let out as pain shot down her arm and anger filled her. 'How DARE he kidnap me!! As soon as this crap wears off, I'll kick his ass!' She thought angrily as she struggled as much as she could. He handled her like a kitten, turning her face this way and that.

He grabbed the hair tie that held her hair back and snapped it in one smooth motion, letting her long, brown hair flow freely down her back. Sango tried to bite his hand and he casually slapped her across the face before he shoved her onto her back on the bed. Her ears rang from the impact and she was dazed as she felt his hands running down her arms, across her stomach, down her calves.

"Tone arms... flat stomach... muscled legs..." She heard him saying as he checked her body over like you would check the muscles of a horse you were looking to buy.

She screamed in anger when she felt his hands reach up her shirt and cup her breasts and give them a nice squeeze. She yanked at the handcuff and tried to club him with her free hand. He parried the blow and twisted her arm into an awkward position, causing tears of pain to gather in her eyes.

"Try to strike me again and I'll say the hell with selling you and leave you dead in a gutter somewhere!" He snapped as he glared down at her, earning a cry of pain from Sango as he applied more pressure on her awkwardly positioned wrist.

"Bite me, thug!" Sango yelled as she spat in the youkai's face. To hell with the fact he could kill her with his bare hands! She wasn't going to let this pervert fondle her! This action was met with another blow, this one to her still-exposed stomach and she grunted as all of the air left her lungs in a rush. She felt dizzy and she couldn't pull air into her lungs. She saw spots before her eyes when the youkai rolled her onto her side and she was finally able to draw breath.

Sango gulped in air greedily, her heart pounding from fright. This guy wasn't messing around! That's when she felt a pair of hands cupping her ass and instinctively slapped the youkai across the face harshly. A low growl met her slap and Sango saw his eyes flash red before a fist lunged at her face... then? Only darkness...

- l - l - l -

"What do you mean 'someone grabbed' Sango?" Inuyasha demanded as three people walked down the sidewalk outside of the hospital. After Miroku had called, Inuyasha and Kagome had rushed over to the hospital from the bus they'd been on. Miroku had met them outside and had explained how he was going to meet her when she got off work and what he'd found at her car. He'd been with the police and security guards all night trying to find some clue who had taken her.

"Two men grabbed her on the security video." Miroku explained as the three made their way to the parking garage. Apparently he had something to share with Inuyasha or they wouldn't have bothered.

"Well?! Who took her?!?" Inuyasha demanded angrily as he growled low in his throat.

"The lights around her car were blown. You couldn't see their faces." Miroku explained as he picked up the pace. Inuyasha and Kagome picked up the pace to keep up. "I memorized their auras, though. I figured you could pick up their scent and see if we can track them down."

"That sounds like a good start. We'll track them down and beat them senseless until they let Sango go!" Inuyasha said as a dark smile came across his face and he began cracking his knuckles.

"That's dangerous and reckless!" Kagome scolded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You can't go rushing in somewhere without a plan! What if you're hurt?!" She demanded as she gave Inuyasha and Miroku a stern look. "Or worse, what if they hurt Sango when you demand her back?!"

"Kagome-sama is right, Inuyasha." Miroku said as the three turned into the garage and got in the elevator to go to one of the basement levels. "Once we find them, we'll need a plan."

"Keh! Fine, have it your way!" Inuyasha grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "As long as your plan involves me kicking some ass!"

"I think that might be necessary, but we're not rushing in there blindly." Miroku said as the elevator opened and they walked into the semi-darkness. Even though a doctor had been kidnapped, the maintenance men still hadn't deemed it necessary to swap out the flickering and blown out lights.

Miroku lead them further into the gloom toward an area that was particularly dark. The police had already left, but Miroku had waited for Inuyasha so they could at least get a scent to follow. There were only so many places in and around the city that would attract the type of men that would kidnap young, attractive women. Inuyasha made sure to keep Kagome close, there was no way he would let them surprise him and take her too.

"They impounded Sango's car to see if they could lift any prints, but they didn't seem too optimistic about it." Miroku explained as they walked over to an empty spot with an oil mark in it. "In fact, they didn't find much evidence of anything beyond the security video." Miroku's eyes were intense an angry, but there was so much worry there as well that Inuyasha felt his ears drooping. He was worried about Sango too, but Miroku was in love with her AND they'd had a fight right before she'd been taken. Inuyasha could smell guilt and regret in his scent beneath the intense worry scent.

"Don't worry, Miroku." Inuyasha said seriously as he put a clawed hand on his shoulder. "We'll find Sango for sure." Miroku nodded in approval and a slight smile appeared on his lips. The worry scent lessened but it didn't disappear. He had gained mastery of his emotions and was directing his worry to finding Sango so determination and resolve filled his scent.

"It feels weird here..." Kagome said as she laid a hand over her chest and closed her eyes. "Right here, I feel something... bad..."

"Yes... I felt it to, Kagome-sama. It's the aura of a youkai." Miroku explained to the untrained miko. He had been learning to use his spiritual powers since he was a child and was impressed that she had picked up on the strange aura so quickly. It normally took years of training to be able to detect auras that way.

"There are two... I can feel a separation of some sort." Kagome said as she opened her eyes and looked at Miroku and Inuyasha.

"I'm impressed, Kagome-sama. You're an abnormally quick study." Miroku stated. "The auras are similar so I'd say the two in the video are related. Brothers probably." He explained as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He went into the Apps area and pulled up a video player and passed the phone to Inuyasha and Kagome. The two watched the security footage and Inuyasha grumbled about the poor quality of the video. Miroku doubted they would have been able to make out the youkai's faces even if the lights had been working!

"So, did you catch any scents?" Miroku asked when Inuyasha passed his phone back.

"Yeah... I don't recognize it, but it's the only youkai scent in the air. Were any of the cops youkai?" Inuyasha asked just to make sure he wasn't scenting one of the police officers.

"No, they only sent humans." Miroku said while he drew his keys out. "I should go check on Koharu." Miroku said with a sigh. He had left the girl at his apartment the night before and hadn't been in contact since. She was probably freaking out; hopefully she hadn't trashed his apartment or decided to grill his clothes or something crazy. He wouldn't put it past the girl; she was the clingiest person Miroku had ever come across.

"You still haven't gotten rid of her?" Inuyasha asked as he rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me that kid's at hour place still." Miroku sighed and his scent spiked with agitation. Apparently, she WAS still there.

"She's probably smashed my TV by now since I didn't come home last night." Miroku said with his shoulders slumping.

"Wait... aren't you and Sango together?" Kagome asked as her eyes took on a dangerous glint. Inuyasha's ears twitched as he sensed impending doom for the monk. "I've seen the two of you sneak off enough times so why is there a girl at your apartment?"

"Ah... it's umm, nothing, Kagome-sama." Miroku said as he saw Inuyasha shaking his head behind Kagome's back. One of the greatest things about having a best friend who was an inu youkai was that he could warn you when you were on dangerous grounds with a female. His sense of smell was incredible!

"Anyway, there are only a few areas of the city where criminals like them tend to hang." Inuyasha said to change the subject from Miroku's infidelities. "They don't really come out until night, though."

"All right, then we meet up and go find her tonight." Kagome said as she turned to look at Inuyasha.

"I don't think so, Kagome." Inuyasha said with a smirk. "There's no way you'll be along."

"And why not?" She demanded in a quiet voice as she settled and intense stare at Inuyasha.

"Why the hell else?!" He demanded as he gestured grandly with his hands. "It's too dangerous!"

"Sango is my friend too!" Kagome rose up on her toes to try and match Inuyasha's height. "So what if I haven't known her for long! She's still my friend!"

"I don't have time to babysit you!" Inuyasha growled as he stood to his full height and looked down at the petite woman.

"Babysit?!?" Kagome demanded indignantly as she uncrossed her arms and glared up at Inuyasha.

"Umm... I think she should come, Inuyasha." Miroku interjected sternly. "She'll be an asset. With her spiritual powers, we'll have an easier time finding them. I know the scents in the city overpower your nose at times."

"Keh! Not enough to put her in danger!" Inuyasha barked at the tall monk.

"Fine! I won't bother you! I'll find Sango on my own and maybe I'll only tell Miroku!" Kagome spat as she spun on her heel and stalked down the sidewalk toward her school.

"H... hey! Wait up, Kagome!" Inuyasha called as he took off after the raven-haired female.

- l - l - l -

Miroku groaned inwardly when he pulled into the parking lot in front of his apartment building. He could already see every window hanging open as if Koharu had been going from window to window and peering out for any sign of him. After just a moment, a pair of worried brown eyes peeked out of the window and disappeared a moment later.

By the time Miroku got into the building, he hear the 'ding' of the elevator followed moments later by a familiar body crashing into his. He sighed as she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his back.

"I was so worried!" Koharu's muffled voice cried as she clung to the tall monk. "You were gone so long and you didn't call! Where were you?!" She released him and walked around in front of him at the end. She stared up at him furiously with her arms crossed over her breasts.

"I had a family emergency. Let's go upstairs, you're creating a scene." Miroku said as he ushered her back toward the elevator. She glared at him as he led her by the hand and punched in the number of his floor. After several, long minutes, Miroku and Koharu walked out of the elevator and headed to the unlocked door of his apartment.

He walked in and gestured for Koharu to sit on the couch. What he didn't expect was the loud crack that echoed around the room and the stinging in his cheek. Stunned, he looked down into the angry brown eyes of Koharu in confusion.

"Liar! I called Mushin-sama and he said he hadn't heard anything from you! There was no family emergency!" Koharu spat vehemently as she glared darkly at Miroku.

"It was a family emergency. My friends are family more than anyone." Miroku said calmly as he took a seat on the couch.

"You're a liar... you went to see 'her'!" Koharu spat in a blind rage as she stood and glared down at Miroku, fists clenched at her sides. "That pretty girl with the long hair in a ponytail!" Miroku raised an eyebrow slightly.

"So you have been stalking me, Koharu?" He asked calmly, purposely leaving off the 'chan' she insisted on.

"You're mine! We're having a baby and getting married!" Koharu cried as she gestured to her swelling stomach and then to the ring on her finger.

"Koharu, I think it's about time I tell you the truth about that night." Miroku said calmly as he finally decided enough was enough.

"We made love all night!" Koharu cried, her voice dripping with venom. "Because we're in love!"

"No Koharu, that's not what happened." Miroku said calmly, meeting her gaze head-on. "I saw some guy slip something in your drink so I managed to save you from him when he tried to take you home. You were really messed up on alcohol and whatever else that pig slipped you so I took you to my place so you could sleep if off. Nothing happened between us. I'm not the father of your baby."

"That's a lie! You asked me to marry you!" Koharu cried as tears filled her eyes.

"I didn't, Koharu." Miroku said calmly, feeling the same twinge he always felt when he saw a woman cry. Especially one who so desperately needed someone's help. "You've made that all up in your head. That ring was meant for another, and she needs me right now. You can stay here until we can find alternate arrangements, but I can't be the one to look out for you anymore. I'm sorry, Koharu."

"I don't believe you!" Koharu cried in anger and anguish and she lunged forward, grabbing two fistfuls of Miroku's shirt.

"I'm sorry to be so blunt about it, but that's the way things are." Miroku said gently as he carefully pried her hands off of his chest.

"Please Miroku..." She begged as tears ran down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. "I NEED you... I LOVE YOU!" She shrieked as she flung herself at him, straddling him and kissing him firmly on the mouth. Miroku was gentle, but firm as he pried her hands off his cheeks and pulled his face away from hers.

"This is the way it has to be, Koharu." Miroku said calmly as the crying teenager fought with all her strength to unbuckle his belt, pull his shirt up over his head, or lean down and kiss him. Miroku felt bad for causing the desperate look that filled her eyes, but she was just a child and it would only hurt her more if he lead her on or let her continue to believe her fantasies were a reality.

"No Miroku!" She cried as she ripped her shirt off over her head and threw it to the side. She was wearing nothing underneath and sat in his lap bare as the day she was born. His eyes widened slightly as he glanced down at the pale skin that was exposed. He hadn't expected that. "I won't let anyone else have you!" She growled as a dark look came into her eyes.

Miroku's eyes widened in horror at what happened next... Koharu flung herself backward off the couch! There was a coffee table below her with a glass top. Acting in pure instinct, Miroku flung himself forward and grabbed her around the waist, twisting awkwardly to the side. It worked; he was falling to the side with the pregnant teen in his arms. Unfortunately, the awkwardness of the angle made it so she hit the floor first with Miroku on top of her. He heard a sickening clunk as her head hit the floor. He managed to hold her up enough to not put his weight down on her swollen abdomen, fortunately.

"Koharu!" Miroku cried as he scooped the nude girl's upper body in his arms. He didn't care about the awkward position they were in because her eyes were closed and she wasn't really moving. He was positioned on top of her with his pelvis was pressed against her exposed center, her legs still spread wide from straddling him moments before.

"Wake up, Koharu!" He called as he struggled to stand up. He fell forward back on top of her as his legs became entangled in a blanket that had fallen from the couch with them.

"Miroku... You hurt me... Please don't hurt me anymore..." Koharu's voice pleaded weakly as tears streamed down her bleary face.

"Thank god you're okay; let's get you to the hospital!" Miroku said quickly as he detangled himself and scooped up the girl in his arms. He laid her gently on the couch and gently covered her with the blanket that had been on the floor before he ran into the bedroom to grab some clothes for her.

When he went back out into the living room, Koharu was lying on the couch with her eyes closed and Miroku rushed to her to keep her alert. Head injuries were scary, if she had a concussion she could fall into a coma if she went to sleep. He carefully lifted her head and tucked a pillow behind her head then ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large glass bowl and filled it with cool water. He ran and grabbed a clean rag and ducked back into the living room with both. He carefully brushed her bangs back and laid the damp rag across her forehead. He gently nudged her, making her eyes open lazily.

"You have to stay awake, Koharu." He said gently as he cupped her cheek with one hand. "I'm going to get you dressed. I need to take you to the Emergency Room in case you have a concussion."

"I love Miroku..." She mumbled sleepily as he pulled the blanket back to dress her nude form.

Miroku averted his eyes the best he could, feeling uncomfortable since she was only a child. He gently slipped his arms around her and lifted her upper body from the couch, careful not to knock the cool compress from her forehead.

"Miroku..." Koharu mumbled sleepily and he sighed as he felt her lips on his throat, kissing and suckling softly.

"There's no time for that, Koharu." Miroku said gently as he leaned he away from him slightly, keeping his body out of the range of her lips.

Miroku picked up the shirt lying beside him and struggled to pull it over her head as she tried to force him to allow her closer.

"My Miroku..." She mumbled and with a surprising burst of strength, lunged at him. Miroku gasped in shock as Koharu shoved him down on the floor and landed on top of him, straddling his hips. "She can't have you!" Koharu screamed in rage as she leaned down and bit Miroku viciously on the neck.

"Damnit!" Miroku cursed as pain shot down from his neck. He cringed and pushed her roughly back, hand going to his throat where he felt liquid warmth. He brought his fingers away and the distinct crimson color of blood.

"What the hell, Koharu?!" Miroku cried angrily, he bodily lifted the girl from him and plopped her down in the couch. "What has gotten into you? This is the thanks I get for taking you in?! Damn!" It took a lot for Miroku to lose his temper, but she had pushed him too far. "You're obviously feeling better so get dressed! You need to go to the ER to make sure everything is all right!"

Koharu glared angrily and pouted through her tears and she pointedly REFUSED to put any clothes on. Still irritated, Miroku dressed the stubborn teen without her help. She fought back, refusing to allow him to slip the shirt over her head. He grit his teeth and had to overpower her to dress her. She tried to pull the clothing back off and actually succeeded in undoing his belt and pants without him even noticing. He just felt a cold hand close around his member and pull it free from his pants. His eyes bulged at the unexpected touch and he gripped her shoulders in his hands, body ridged in surprise. Before he could really react, she began pumping him gently and leaned down, closing her mouth over his member.

"Whoa! What do you think-" He cut off as he felt a sharp pain, she was biting down and glaring up at him. He'd been trying to remove her from his 'equipment'. 'Damn she's fast... and sneaky...' Miroku thought to himself as his body reacted of its own accord to the moist warmth of her mouth. "Damnit Koharu!" Miroku growled as he, again, tried to remove her. Then a gasp escapes his lips as she took his length into her mouth, sucking in sharply. He felt her tongue flick across the head and involuntarily placed his hand on the back of her head and pushed himself further into her mouth, eyes closed as a moan of pleasure escaped his lips. His eyes snapped open as what was happening registered in his mind. He gripped her shoulders again and made to pull her off of his hardened length, but felt a sharp pressure as her teeth sank into the tender flesh again.

"Koharu! Stop-" Another groan escaped as the pressure released and she again sucked roughly, sliding her mouth almost to the tip and plunging back down on his length. Miroku knew what was happening was wrong, but his only real option was to let her continue or have her bite it off. After what he'd seen in the last few days, he had a feeling she was quite capable of biting it off.

What shocked Miroku most of all was how skilled she was! She was only about sixteen but she really knew what she was doing! 'How did this kid learn how to do this?' An idle thought ran through Miroku's mind as she quickened the pace. His mind screamed for her to stop but his body responded to her motions of its own accord. Spasms of pleasure ran through him as he felt himself nearing the brink. Her pace quickened as he moaned in pleasure and he tried to force her off knowing he was about to cum. She slapped his hands away and sucked harder, pulling him into the back or her throat.

Miroku grabbed her face and thrust his hips upward as he reached the brink and she sucked harder than ever, her mouth filling with the salty flavor of his semen. Koharu pulled off of him, mouth full and spit his seed into a cup that had been upended when she'd fallen from the couch. Miroku shuddered, eyes closed as the last ripples of pleasure settled and he sat on the couch exposed. He felt a warm moist thing run the tip down the shaft as Koharu licked a stream of semen that had spilled out when she'd pulled off.

"That was wrong." Miroku stated as he pushed her face away. She reached out a hand to grab him, and Miroku forced it away. "Have you lost your mind?!" Miroku snapped. He'd never turned down a woman who wanted to display her 'affection', but thus was border-line RAPE on Koharu's part. She had forced him into it, he felt dirty... He had purposely not touched her and now she had his seed dribbling down her chin! "You're in high school! I've tried to let you down gently, but that's it! I need that ring back that you stole out of my dresser. It's for the woman I love!"

A dark look entered Koharu's eyes as she wiped her chin and she glared at Miroku. Without a word, she pulled the engagement ring from her finger and slapped it into Miroku's open palm. She rose up, pulling her skirt straight and stalked to the guest room, slamming the door behind her.

Miroku frowned and quickly did up his pants before grabbing the bowl and rag off the floor and taking them to the kitchen. It seemed Koharu was a good little actress; she had been faking the whole 'head injury' thing! Miroku sighed and walked over to the guestroom door and knocked lightly. He received no response but decided he'd talk anyway.

"I have a family friend you can stay with for now, Koharu." Miroku said through the door. "I'm going to leave so you can pack and she'll be here soon. She'll look out for you. I'm sorry things happened this way, I was trying to spare you heartbreak but it looks like I messed up. I'll look in on you every few days."

With that said, Miroku headed back into the living room and grabbed his jacket and keys. He headed down the elevator and stopped at the security desk by the door. He explained to the guard on duty that if a dark-haired teenage girl tried to leave to give him a call. He explained he was afraid for her safety and gave the name of the person who was coming to pick her up. With that said, he left and jumped into his SUV and took off.

- l - l - l -

Kagome stalked down the sidewalk, annoyed that Inuyasha didn't want to 'babysit' her in the search for Sango. Inuyasha grumbled as he followed after her, arms crossed over his chest. She understood he was worried about her protection, but she also knew she could help. The sooner they found Sango, the better!

Kagome needed to drop her stuff off with her professor and go check on her application at the same diner she worked at every summer. As soon as that was done, she'd make Inuyasha take her along on the mission to find Sango.

"I don't like it..." Inuyasha mumbled as he walked along behind Kagome. She smelled like a fruity soap with a succulently sweet, but faint perfume. It smelled some sort of candy and made his tongue ache to taste. Underneath her sweet smelling aroma, there was the scent of determination. He smiled at that and picked up the pace, taking a place beside her rather than behind. Though the view from behind had been nice. Below the over-sized hoodie she wore pulled up, she wore a pair of tight jeans that hugged her hips and butt nicely.

"Too bad, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she kept her focus on the mission. "You're not leaving me behind. I can help."

"Keh! Fine, but you're gonna have to keep your head on your shoulders." Inuyasha grumbled. "We don't need to find TWO people!"

"Please, Sango was alone and overpowered. I'll have you and Miroku around." Kagome said nonchalantly as the pair walked up the stairs into the language building. They got in the elevator and took it to the third floor where the offices of the Professors were located. Inuyasha followed as they walked down the hallway, making a left then a right before stopping in front of an unadorned door with a name plate on it. "Wait here while I drop this off."

Inuyasha nodded and took a seat on a chair across the hall from the door, arms crossed over his chest. He was mad at himself for caving in and saying Kagome could come. It was going to be dangerous and he was worried about her safety. Part of him just wanted the chance to spend more time with her. Another part wanted to keep her away from that sadistic boyfriend of hers. Inuyasha didn't really know where he and Kagome stood anymore. He had promised to protect her and she had sobbed on his shoulder, so did that mean she was accepting his offer? Was she planning on going back to the man who hurt her? Or was she just leaning on him as a friend?

It was very frustrating... not knowing... He wanted to take her away and protect her from everything that had ever hurt her. He remembered what her lips had felt like and how she had tasted and knew that he wanted more. He hadn't really paid much attention to women in a long time, not since the accident... He didn't want to lose someone else that was special to him... He still missed her... Kikyo... His first love, one of the only women to give a hanyou a chance to feel happy and loved. That dream had ended long ago... could Inuyasha really trust that he was being given another chance at love? Kagome obviously didn't have a problem with hanyous since she was currently with one, but could he trust that she would love him with the devotion he would give?

"Inuyasha, you there?" Kagome's voice broke into his musings and he looked up at the raven-haired beauty. She had pushed her hood back but the long sleeves and turtleneck obscured any skin that might otherwise have shown.

"Keh! Took you long enough!" Inuyasha grumbled to hide his embarrassment for zoning out like that. She just rolled her eyes and headed down the hallway, not waiting for Inuyasha to catch up. Being a hanyou, he was at her side in a moment with a smirk on her face. "Good boy!" She said with a grin as she pat him on the head like a dog.

Inuyasha stared at her stupidly for a moment as the realization of what had transpired sunk in. Kagome watched his face for it to dawn on him and took off down the hall at a run when understanding filled his eyes. She laughed as she rounded the corner and reached the elevator and punching the down button.

The elevator door open instantly and she dashed inside, hitting the number one as Inuyasha rounded to corner after her. Inuyasha stuck his hand between the closing doors and dashed inside, playfully pinning Kagome to the back of the elevator as she giggled.

The elevator let off a soft 'ding' as the doors slid closed and Inuyasha raised Kagome's arms to his neck, taking advantage to lower his lips to her earlobe. He gently nibbled on Kagome's ear, enjoying the shudder her felt run through her body at the gentle touch. Her fingers knitted into his hair as a gasp escaped her lips that sounded suspiciously like his name.

He trailed his lips down starting behind her ear and moving down her throat, letting his tongue leave a damp trail behind. He reached up and pulled the turtleneck away from her skin to continue to move down and felt her tense and her hands began to push him away.

"Don't!" She cried as his tongue met a rough patch on her throat. He overpowered her easily, not letting her push him away and gently pulled the neck of the shirt down to reveal a long, swollen cut going down her throat.

"It-it's just a scratch." Kagome argued defensively as she tried to pry his hands from the shirt. "I cut myself on some glass; it broke when I tried to put it on a high shelf."

"Stop lying!" Inuyasha growled as he stared at the cut. It was several days old, but from what Inuyasha could tell it had been deep. Almost deep enough to warrant stitching. "You're not safe; I know 'he' did this. You're coming to stay with me."

"W-what?!" Kagome cried, back against the wall as Inuyasha tilted her head to the side to gain a better view of the wound. "You can't decide that on your own!"

"Baka, why go back to him?" Inuyasha asked turning angry eyes to peer into her chocolate brown. Kagome saw pain beneath the anger as he stared down at her. Neither of them had selected a floor so they sat in the unmoving elevator in silence. 'Why don't I go with him?' Kagome asked herself as she could think or no words. 'I don't even know him!' A part of her screamed as she considered taking his offer. '... I want to believe him...' Kagome's mind raced as tears formed in her eyes. 'I said he could protect me, isn't this the perfect way?'

"I don't know Inuyasha..." She said quietly as she finally managed to break her eyes from his intense gaze. "I only just met you."

"I'll have a lock installed on the guest room and only give you and Sango a copy." Inuyasha said quickly. He had been thinking over this offer and Kagome's potential reasons for rejecting it for days now. When you didn't have a job and there was a beautiful woman on your mind, it gave you plenty of time to think, anticipate, and plan.

"It's really sudden!" Kagome cried as she tried to break out of the cage his arms made, his palms flat against the back wall of the elevator.

"You're not safe there... I'm begging you, Kagome." Inuyasha said quietly. Kagome gasped at the look of pure worry that filled those amber orbs of his. She felt her heart beating fast as memories of the last few weeks filled her head. She felt the pain Naraku had causes her, mental and physical, and her resolve wavered. She remembered all of the silly arguments that had escalated into such horrible experiences for her and the dam broke... tears spilled down her cheeks and she found herself nodding... She found herself grateful to have someone care enough to give her a way out of a horrible situation.

"I will..." She whispered and found that she was lying against Inuyasha for support as he crushed her into his chest. He kissed her on the neck and stroked her hair gently; relief so clear that his body relaxed completely and rained gentle kisses along her throat. For the first time in years... Kagome felt safe...

- l - l - l -

It had been a few hours since Kagome said she'd go stay with Inuyasha. Kagome was walking up the sidewalk toward her apartment alone. She had insisted on going to get some of her things alone and Inuyasha didn't argue too hard, nervous she'd change her mind. Naraku was rarely home during the day while she was in class so she wasn't worried about running into him anyway.

Inuyasha had run down to a parking lot behind the family restaurant close to the bus stop to get his bike and was going to run and grab his car from the garage at his apartment so he didn't have to worry about losing her things off the bike. She wasn't that far out of the city so by the time she had packed a bag or two, he'd be back.

Kagome reached her door and quickly unlocked it. No noise sounded from within as she closed the door behind her and tucked the key into her pocket. She walked in and headed for the study to grab her laptop and a few books and noticed the door to the bedroom was closed. It was strange because Kagome always left the doors open when she left in the morning and Naraku had been gone when she woke up that morning.

Confused and curious, Kagome turned the door knob and pushed the door open. Her books fell to the floor with a series of loud thuds as Kagome's body went numb by the scene before her. Naraku was on the bed facing the window, hair pulled back in a braid and spider tattoo clearly visible. The sound of moaning filled the air and Kagome saw blood red nails leaving bloody tracks down Naraku's back as he thrusting forward with a feral cry.

Kagome felt tears stinging her eyes as Naraku turned and looked over his shoulder. He had heard the door open and books fall but hadn't looked until he had finished.

"Who's that, Na-chan?" A female asked as a youkai with straight black hair in a bob looked, her red eyes curious.

"Home so early, koibito." Naraku said coldly as he pulled out and stood up to face Kagome.

Without a word, Kagome closed the bedroom door and crossed the carpet toward the living room. She pulled out her phone and punched in Inuyasha's number as she walked, hitting send to call. She ignored the sound of footsteps and of a door opening and felt a wave of relief when he answered and didn't let it go to voice mail.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in a worried tone. He was stopped at a red light thankfully so he was able to answer.

"Please come and get me." Kagome said into the receiver as she stepped into the living room.

"I'll be right there. You at the apartment?" Inuyasha asked as he walked his bike to the side of the street to not block traffic.

"Yeah, I'll call in a few to tell you where to mee-" Kagome cut off as a searing pain ripped down her scalp. She cried out in pain as a hand yanked her head back ruthlessly by the hair. She instinctively reached up to pry the hands away but Naraku caught her wrist and twisted her arm awkwardly behind her back. "Stop! That hurts!" She screeched as pain ripped through her.

"I told you never to see 'him' again, bitch." Naraku said coldly close to Kagome's ear as he wrenched the phone from her hand and crushed it in one hand.

"Let me go!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs as she fought against his superior strength.

"Quiet before the police are called." Naraku said as he slammed Kagome against the wall and pressed his hand over her face.

Kagome screamed and kicked, she tried to bite, tried to scratch, ANYTHING to get him to remove his hand. Her oxygen was completely cut off and she was starting to see red spots floating before her eyes.

"You're mine, koibito." Naraku said coldly as his eyes glowed red. There was a look of white hot rage in his eyes that scared Kagome as she fought for her life. Her muscles were feeling weak and her vision became hazy... With her last coherent thought, Kagome scolded herself for not letting Inuyasha come with her... then... darkness...

::FIN::

July 27, 2011

Note: Don't kill me!! I know that was a NASTY cliff-hanger!! Like I said, I've been planning it since I started this story! I know this was a bit Sango/Miroku/Koharu heavy, but it was crucial to show how sneaky and OBSESSED Koharu is with Miroku. Just wait and see, LOTS of foreshadowing in this chapter (Hmm… maybe I should have named the chapter Foreshadowing….). Hope you liked, please review and let me know what you think! I only got like 5 reviews last time *cries* Seriously disappointing ;_;