InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Living The Promise ❯ Finding ( Chapter 29 )

Chapter 29: Finding

 

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Sesshomaru looked around the now familiar dreamscape. He had found himself drawn into this peaceful place on a nightly basis for the past week. Inuyasha would usually meet him there, but the person the two brothers wished most to see had not been present. Kagome, for whatever reason, had not made an appearance in the dreamscape, and this was very worrisome for both men.

 

Sesshomaru slowly made his way up the grassy hill, intending to sit beneath the lone tree and wait for Inuyasha to appear. As he crested the knoll, he caught sight of a figure already resting against the broad trunk.

 

`Hmm, it seems that Inuyasha has arrived before me,' he thought with mild surprise. Sesshomaru took a few more steps before realizing that the figure had black hair, not Inuyasha's silver.

 

“Kagome…” Sesshomaru quickly closed the remaining distance and knelt down beside the sleeping woman. He rapidly grew concerned as he took in her haggard appearance.

 

Kagome had lost weight, enough so that she almost looked emaciated, her pregnant belly contrasting harshly with her gaunt frame. Sesshomaru brushed her hair from her face, taking in the papery dryness of her skin. Where ever Kagome was being kept, she was obviously not being taken care of.

 

“Has she said anything to you?” Inuyasha asked as he seated himself beside Kagome, drawing her unresponsive body to rest against his chest.

 

“No, she hasn't said anything to me. The fact that she is even here in this dreamscape is a good sign though.”

 

Inuyasha nodded absently as he studied his wife, taking in her sickly appearance. He rubbed his hand up her stomach, smiling as he felt the baby kick against his hand.

 

“The baby is okay,” he said in relief. Sesshomaru shared a brief smile with his brother. At least the unborn child was faring well.

 

“Kagome, wake up, angel.” Inuyasha gently patted her cheek. Sesshomaru watched for any signs of waking. Inuyasha tried several times before a faint groan was heard.

 

“Come on, Kagome. Please open your eyes. You can do it…” With Inuyasha's encouragement, Kagome finally opened her eyes and slowly blinked a few times.

 

“Inu…Sess…” Kagome's voice was weak, but the two men thought they'd never heard anything sweeter.

 

“We're here, Kagome,” Sesshomaru said as he gently held her hand. Kagome gave the brothers a weary smile.

 

“Are you okay, Kagome? How is Rin?” Inuyasha tried to hold back his concern as Kagome's eyes drooped closed.

 

“Mmmm, tired,” she said softly. Her eyes fluttered closed as she smiled and lifted her free hand to Inuyasha's cheek. “Love you, Yasha.” Kagome squeezed Sesshomaru's hand, “you too, Sess.” Taking a deep breath, Kagome opened her eyes and tried to stay awake, failing as her body started to succumb to the drugs once again.

 

“Rin is okay. She… escaped…” Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged looks of surprise.

 

“Kagome, are you telling us Rin has managed to escape?” Sesshomaru asked as hope kindled.

 

“Mmm hmm,” she replied as she seemed to melt bonelessly against Inuyasha's supporting embrace. Moments later, Kagome's presence faded from the dreamscape, leaving Sesshomaru and Inuyasha to stare at one another.

 

“What do you think is happening, Sess?” Inuyasha asked, concern and frustration choking his voice.

 

“From what I could tell, Kagome appears to have been drugged - that would account for her absence from the soul connection and her sluggish responses here tonight. Somehow, Rin has managed to slip away from where they were being kept.”

 

“If she has escaped, then where is she?” Inuyasha stood to his feet and started to pace. Sesshomaru stood up and placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

 

“Rin will be okay. She is a very smart little girl. We will call the police and let them know to be on the lookout for her.” Sesshomaru was not surprised to see tears in his brother's eyes. “They will be okay, Inuyasha. We'll bring them all home safely.”

 

Inuyasha allowed himself to accept the comfort his older brother was offering. After a few moments, he lifted his eyes and looked intently at Sesshomaru. “Sess, I want you to promise me something.”

 

“What would that be, Inuyasha?”

 

“I want you to promise that if something were to happen to me, that you would take care of them.” Sesshomaru was shocked.

 

“Inuyasha, nothing is going to happen to you,” he stated, but seeing Inuyasha's insistence, he nodded. “But if anything were to happen, you have my word that I will take care of your family.”

 

“Thank-you Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha started to fade from the grassy hill, leaving Sesshomaru alone once more. Sesshomaru couldn't shake the ominous feeling that seemed to settle upon him when Inuyasha extracted his promise.

 

`Kaede, is this what you were sensing? Is this why you had me make the soul connection permanent?' With a sigh, Sesshomaru set himself to the task of waking so that he could get started finding Rin.

 

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Rin was growing very tired of walking. She had walked long into the night, heading towards the bright lights of the city, but she didn't feel like she had gotten any closer to her destination. Now the sun was starting to rise, and she felt like she couldn't walk another step.

 

Walking down the deserted road a bit further, Rin found a grassy spot beside the road and took the opportunity to sit and rest. Drawing her knees to her chest, Rin folded her arms over them and rested her head upon them. `I will only rest for a little while before I go and find help for mama,' she thought as she closed her eyes. The wind blowing through the grass and the birds greeting the dawn sung the weary child to sleep.

 

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“I told Emi I needed to leave earlier than this! Now I am going to be late and the Sarge is going to have my head!” Ginta ran a hand through his closely cropped hair in frustration.

 

He was driving back from his in-laws house on the other end of the island. Emi's father had passed away, and he had spent the last two weeks helping his wife and her mother close up the old house in order to move the old woman into their home. Emi had opted to stay behind a few more days and oversee the movers, but Ginta had to get back to work. He looked at his watched and growled in frustration; his shift was scheduled to start in less than an hour, and he was still at least that far from the city.

 

“Well, at least I don't have to worry about traffic out here,” he laughed to himself. He was driving on the back roads, preferring them to the more crowded highways. The scenery was much nicer and he enjoyed watching for the inevitable wildlife. “Besides the fact that I will get to work this way just as quickly as I would have on the highway, but I am not stuck in rush hour traffic.”

 

Up ahead, Ginta saw a dark shape beside the road. Thinking it might be a stray dog, he slowed his car in case it decided to run out into the road; Emi would never forgive him if he ran over an animal. As he neared, he realized that it was not a dog, but he wasn't sure what it was. Slowing to a stop, Ginta was shocked to find it was a small girl, asleep where she sat.

 

Ginta opened his door and got out, walking over to the sleeping child. Placing a gentle hand to her shoulder, he rapidly drew back when she woke and recoiled in fear.

 

“It is okay, I won't hurt you,” Ginta said soothingly. The young girl had scrambled to her feet and edged away from him warily.

 

“Are you okay? Where are your parents?” The child only stared silently at Ginta, not sure if she could trust this man before her.

 

Ginta thought for a moment and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a partially melted candy bar, extending it towards the frightened child. “Are you hungry?”

 

She stared at him for a moment before she nodded hesitantly.

 

“Go ahead and take it. I have some water in the car if you would like.” Ginta smiled and held the candy bar out as the child slowly reached out and took it.

 

“Thank-you,” she whispered. Ginta nodded and walked back to the car, retrieved a bottle of water and brought it back for the child. Handing her the bottle, he tried again to get the child to talk to him.

 

“What is your name?”

 

The little girl gazed wistfully at the now empty candy wrapper before looking back at the young man who sat beside her.

 

“Mama told me not to talk to anyone but a police officer.”

 

Ginta smiled and pulled out his wallet and showed the child his badge. “That's good, because I am a police officer. My name is Officer Ookami.” The little girl studied the shiny badge before turning a bright smile upon him.

 

“Oh! Your name is just like Auntie Ayame's!” Ginta looked at the smiling child in confusion. How did she know Ayame?”

 

“What is your name? And who are your parents?”

 

The dark-haired child took a long drink of water before she answered. “My name is Rin Taisho. My mama is Kagome and my papa is Inuyasha. My other papa is Sesshomaru. You have to call my papas and help my mama!”

 

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TBC

 

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the last few chapters. For some reason, I am not getting as many reviews as I did on the earlier chapters, so those that I do get now are that much more important to me! Please keep reviewing!

 

Thank-you, Breezie, for your continued willingness to beta my stories - I hope you know how much you are appreciated!

 

As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!