InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Smirking Revenge ❯ Starlight Tokyo ( Chapter 15 )

The sombre winter moon sagged low on the horizon; glowing and half hidden behind a haze of clouds. He gazed up at it, hands stuffed deep within his pockets to hide them from the winter chill, and felt a distinct sense of camaraderie with the lonely sphere.

 

 

“So this is your spot huh?”

 

 

Her voice drifted to him, as though in a dream, and he willingly lost himself to the memory.

 

 

“I like it.”

 

 

He nodded at the simple affirmation, as though it didn't matter, but his eyes were intense and followed her every move with anxious expectation. She stepped to the edge of the rocky ledge, careful to keep back a few paces from the precipice, and surveyed the landscape below. He knew the view well and smiled inwardly at the sound of her awed gasp.

 

 

A vast array of technicolour lights from the city swam below them, glowing and humming in a hypnotic rhythm that was both peaceful and mind-numbing. When Kikyo died he'd come here often. More than once he'd stood on the edge of that same cliff, lost in the grips of a moment of weakness and self-loathing, and debated throwing himself off of it. The intangible freedom the night sky offered was intoxicating, especially when he'd had nothing else to keep him grounded. He hadn't gone through with it of course, but the temptation had been there more than once and the memory of how close he'd come haunted him.

 

 

He wasn't weak anymore; not like that at least, not any more. He allowed himself a rare, genuine smile at the sight of her silhouette and shifted his weight back against the windshield. He didn't regret bringing her here and he didn't need more than her simple affirmation to know that she appreciated the gesture - an unspoken reminder of the comfortable level of trust and acceptance that'd developed between them. Crossing his legs casually at the ankles, he pushed his hat up and took in the dizzying sight of the infinite night sky.

 

 

She joined him on the hood of the car a few moments later after her curiosity had been appeased. She shot him a genial smile, the kind he used to pine for and now received on occasion, and took an eager bite of the ketchup laden hot dog in her hands. He still couldn't believe he'd found a woman who considered herself a street meat connoisseur.

 

 

She'd told him once about a hot dog vendor that'd hung around her campus while she was still in university. He was an early retiree, a stock broker who'd made his fortune by the time he was thirty-five. At forty he'd decided to quit his job to sell hot dogs to students instead; insisted it was the best decision he'd ever made. With her hectic schedule she'd found herself relying on him for sustenance and after a few years of a diet that consisted primarily of hot dogs and sausages she considered herself to be something of an expert. As far as he was concerned, that hardly excused her elitist attitude towards condiments - the crazy wench only ever used ketchup.

 

 

He took a bite of his own dinner - a hot dog laden with all the fixin's, minus onion of course, and chewed it thoughtfully. He wasn't particularly hungry, but the taste was familiar and comforting in his mouth. He frowned with disappointment as he swallowed and looked with dismay at the collection of vibrant red, yellow and green toppings filling his bun. It really wasn't the same without the onion. Too bad it was such a damn mood killer. Indulging in it had to be relegated to occasions when he wasn't expecting to get some.

 

 

Which isn't often, he thought with a licentious smirk.

 

 

With the last bite of his dinner gone, he brought a hand to rest behind his head and laid the other atop his comfortably full stomach. The night was quiet around them but for the orchestra of twilight insects competing against the insistent, steady hum of the city below. His gaze rested thoughtfully on the moon for a moment before drifting to the various constellations hovering around it. Up here the dark of the night felt more intense somehow and the stars stood out in vivid gleaming pinpoints against their nebulous backdrop. Despite a week's worth of heavy rains, the sky was clear and cloudless - perfect for stargazing.

 

 

Feeling utterly satisfied, which was a rare thing for him at the best of times, he turned his head to the side and took in the way she stared rapt at the heavens while she finished her dinner. He hadn't been sure if taking her here was the right call. It was still early, things were new and fresh and there was an element of hesitation behind every decision. This place was his sanctuary. It was the one spot he could go to get away from the world and all its problems. Here, alone with his thoughts, he could just exist without being dragged down by responsibility and obligation. Before tonight he'd been the only one who knew about this safe haven, tucked away from the rest of the world, and now she knew about it too.

 

 

He studied her peaceful expression a moment longer before turning away. She hadn't said a word in a long while, and neither had he, but the silence that'd settled between them was comfortable and resounded with the mutual understanding that nothing needed to be said. She'd understood exactly what this place was and what it meant to him. Her reverence and silent appreciation were enough to convince him that he'd been right on both accounts - about her and the decision to bring her here.

 

 

An inaudible sigh escaped his lips as he tried to melt his shoulders into the windshield. That's the problem with relaxing against the hood of your car - it's always so damn uncomfortable. He frowned at the knot between his shoulder blades and shifted his body back and forth to iron it out. He'd only just found a comfortable groove when a wayward piece of bread bounced off his cheek, making his body jerk forward in surprise.

 

 

He stared down at the inconspicuous morsel with an incredulous expression and picked it up between his claws. With a growl he stared at her expectantly, holding the bread out to her. She turned towards him with an eyebrow raised, feigning innocence despite the fact that there was a clear chunk torn out of the end of her hot dog bun. He raised an eyebrow of his own and she smirked.

 

 

“That's what you get for staring,” she chided playfully and chuckled silently at the bewildered expression on his face.

 

 

“So that's how you want to play it huh?” he demanded, a hint of playfulness entering his tone. He made a half-hearted lunge for her across the hood of the car, but she was too quick. With a squeal she slipped out of his reach and slid off the far side of the hood. She gazed at him from her safe spot next to the passenger door and grinned. That was another thing he liked about her - she always knew just the right moment to lighten the mood.

 

 

He caught her eventually, or rather, she let him catch her, and he pinned her between his body and the car. From the laughter shimmering in her eyes she didn't seem to mind being his temporary captive. Caught up in the moment, he'd tangled his hands in her dark hair and kissed her long and hard while they bathed in the cool blue glow of the moonlight. It was a rare perfect moment; fleeting yet so utterly satisfying in every way that just the memory of it could be enough to sustain a heart for a lifetime.

 

 

I need more of those moments…

 

 

He thought this despairingly as he took in the view of the Asahi Shimbun building before him, silhouetted against the darkened night sky. The mass of concrete and darkened glass looked both ominous and foreboding; a harbinger of unbidden memories and loosely concealed insecurities. He stared up at it contemplative silence and attempted to shake off the lingering emotions brought on by his memories of her. Inside that mammoth structure was either the one clue that would lead him to her or nothing at all.

 

 

He bit back a sudden, powerful craving for a cigarette and a stiff drink and toyed with the lighter in his pocket. He wasn't the type of person who accepted defeat easily but it was hard not to feel discouraged right about now. He'd wasted so much time… so many days. She'd never forgive him if she knew and he couldn't stomach the thought of what she might've already suffered because of him.

 

 

He'd seen what people were like after being taken by the yakuza. She deserved better than that - to eek out an existence as a member of the walking dead; soulless, joyless, and broken. She deserved far better than him too, a jarring realization he'd made a while ago.

 

 

She'd breathed life back into his veins and reshaped the future he'd long thought destroyed; she'd saved him and he'd failed her in every way one person can fail another. He knew the truth, understood it more clearly than he would've liked, and yet he couldn't find it within himself to let her go. He needed her - needed her because he was scared to death of going back to a life without her. This building was his last hope, his final prayer to the gods whom never seemed to listen; he needed that clue to be inside.

 

 

His face was grim as he stared up at the windows facing the street. A sparse few were lit from within by the white glow of artificial light, shining like beacons into the dark night. He surveyed them a moment before his eyes settled on the brightly lit offices of the third floor. Hers was among them, likely sitting untouched in the same state of haphazard disarray she'd left it in.

 

 

Kouga sidled up alongside him all of a sudden. He flipped up the collar of his jacket and made a point of shivering. “Shit! This cold is something else huh?”

 

 

The rhetorical question went unanswered and he stuffed his hands under his arms to give them a reprieve from the bitter wind. His gaze followed Inuyasha's and soon they were both staring up at array of brightly lit windows on the third floor.

 

 

“So this is it huh? What're you lookin' for anyway?”

 

 

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder in a hapless gesture. “Dunno. I'll know it when I see it.”

 

 

He blew out a heavy breath and watched the white cloud of condensation dissipate in the winter air. Above their heads the clouds had dispersed, leaving behind an impenetrable black sky decorated by the pinpoint light of a billion stars and a full white moon. The crisp wind pushed against his back, urging him forward as it flung loose strands of silver hair into his eyes.

 

 

He'd been to the building enough times to know his way around and certainly enough times to hope that they didn't run into anyone else. The array of lights illuminating the third floor didn't bode well. If he knew one truth about reporters, it was that they were too damn nosey for their own good. The last thing they needed was to read a press bulletin to be in the morning paper - Kagome Higurashi, journalist, abducted by yakuza!

 

 

He took a step forward and cast a glance over his shoulder just in time to catch Kouga's dubious expression. He frowned and turned back around, his shoulders riding up around his ears in aggravation. This was exactly why he worked alone. He hated being second guessed and even more than that, he detested having to explain himself.

 

 

Detective work was a process. Everyone had their own groove and method for doing things. Kouga might not like his logic, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut. He was well aware of who was the better detective between them. The reason his cases had been falling behind these past few years had nothing to do with a lack of skill or talent - a sobering truth they were both acutely aware of.

 

 

With a dismissive shrug Kouga obediently fell in step behind Inuyasha and followed him inside. It didn't take much more than a flash of their badges at the front desk for the on-duty security guard to provide a personal escort to the third floor. With a mutual nod they dismissed him back to the lobby and after a shared glance, pushed their way through the double glass doors into the third floor offices.

 

 

The rows of fluorescent lights overhead filled the cavernous space in a harsh white glow. It wasn't exactly an office so much as it was a large open room crammed with as many desks as could possibly fit inside of it. The regular hectic buzz that normally filled the air with the sound of clacking keys, overloud conversations and persistently ringing phones was noticeably absent.

 

 

From where they stood side by side at the threshold it appeared as though the room was empty but for one lone reporter. He sat with his back to them, toiling away at his desk which just so happened to be directly across from Kagome's. He turned at the sound of their footsteps as they approached, one eyebrow raised above his dark rimmed glasses.

 

 

“Can I help you?” The biting condescension in his tone was hard to miss; it matched the thinly veiled look of disdain on his features perfectly.

 

 

Ignoring him, the pair made a beeline to Kagome's desk. While Inuyasha circled around it slowly, taking in the general appearance of the scene, Kouga took a minute to sift through a pile of news clippings haphazardly placed at one corner.

 

 

Realizing that he'd been ignored, the reporter pushed away from his desk and swivelled to face them. His chair creaked loud and long as he leaned back against it with an air of self-importance.

 

 

“Excuse me. I said `Can I help you?'”

 

 

Inuyasha cast a dismissive glance over his left shoulder and bit out a curt “No.” While his right hand flipped through the past week's worth of entries in Kagome's day timer, the other lifted open her laptop.

 

 

“That's private property! You can't touch that! If you don't have a warrant you can get the hell out of here.”

 

 

The reporter was on his feet now, his index finger jabbing holes in the air. “You cops think you can just waltz in here whenever you please and help yourself to info on our sources? Maybe you didn't get the memo but this isn't a police state!”

 

 

Inuyasha's hands froze. Had the reporter been more perceptive he would've taken note of the Detective's rigid posture and the way his jaw was clenching and unclenching in silent fury. But he wasn't and he didn't. Bolstered by his own empty taunts, he pulled down his argyle sweater, straightened the rimless glasses on his nose and slicked his otherwise tousled hair back off his face.

 

 

“Yeah, that's right. You heard me. Don't even try to deny that you're breaking about ten different personal rights and freedoms right about now. You guys didn't even have the balls to come here during regular business hours. I'm going to love writing a bit about this.”

 

 

After a deep, calming breath, Inuyasha's hands twitched back into motion. With her laptop screen open he turned the device on and waited patiently for it to load.

 

 

By this time Kouga was watching the intense one-sided stand off with interest. Takahashi wasn't exactly the type to take that kind of verbal abuse sitting down. The amount of restraint he was showing given the circumstances was admirable. Even so, it wouldn't take much to set him off. It was because he knew this that Kouga kept a wary eye on his temporary partner.

 

 

For the reporter, it was Inuyasha's single, blatant act of defiance in turning Kagome's computer on that sealed the deal as far as he was concerned. With an outraged gasp he stormed across the aisle and slammed the screen of the laptop shut.

 

 

“Hey! I said that's private property! You've got no right-,”

 

 

The air was forced from his lungs when his body slammed hard into the adjacent wall and the rest of his sentence died a silent death on his lips. He barely had a chance to suck in a gasping breath before a forearm was wedged beneath his chin and he was staring into the blazing eyes of one seriously pissed off detective. He glanced horrified at the other cop but the only assistance he received was an unsympathetic shrug. The moment he turned his back to make a phone call, he felt his stomach sink to the floor. He was in some seriously deep shit now.

 

 

“Yeah, I heard yer bitchin' you annoying little piss ant,” Inuyasha ground out. “It's my turn to talk now. You reporter types don't like listenin' much so I'm gonna say this nice and slow to make sure you understand.”

 

 

For emphasis he ground his forearm into the man's throat just hard enough to hear him choke.

 

 

“I've got yer damn warrant right here,” he stated, pulling a stack of folded letterhead sized papers from the inner pocket of his jacket. With a scowl he waved it back and forth in front of the reporter's eyes before tucking it away out of sight.

 

 

“Now since it's not your name that's on it and it's not your property bein' touched I don't answer to you. Since that's the case, I'm giving you fair warning that if you so much as blink in my direction again I will personally shove this warrant so far up your pretentious ass you'll be eating it for a week. Then I'll have myself a field day hauling your ass downtown to charge you with obstruction of justice, assault and harassment of an officer of the law. Are. We. Clear?”

 

 

The reporter's eyes widened and he managed a minute nod of his head. Inuyasha glared at the man's his beet red face that was by this time glistening with a fine sheen of nervous sweat. With a sound of disgust he relaxed the choking pressure of his arm against his throat and let the man drop suddenly to the floor. Turning his back, he ignored the loud gasping pants from behind him and focused his full attention on Kagome's work desk.

 

 

Lifting a quick glance, he noticed Kouga strutting towards him with a frown of disapproval on his face. His hands were fumbling with his jacket in an attempt to tuck his cell phone into one of the inner pockets.

 

 

“Try to keep a cool head would ya? I don't wanna spend the next six months covering your ass,” he muttered in a low voice.

 

 

Inuyasha scoffed and re-opened Kagome's laptop. His eyes panned across the screen and after a moment of contemplation he typed in her password. When her desktop appeared and file windows began to open one after the other he breathed a sigh of relief. Collapsing with a `whoosh' into her office chair, he glanced up over the screen to meet Kouga's stern expression.

 

 

“Yeah whatever,” he remarked derisively. “The bastard's lucky I didn't let my fists do the talking. Goddamn reporters - the lot of them are friggin' annoying.” This last sentiment he directed towards the startlingly quiet reporter who was occupied with hastily shoving the collection of files on his desk into his bag.

 

 

“Who was on the phone?”

 

 

Kouga shrugged, indifferent. “That? It was nothing. Just taking care of some business.”

 

 

A noncommittal grunt sounded in the back of Inuyasha's throat and returned his full attention to Kagome's computer. With a few clicks of her mouse he was perusing a list of the last few web pages she'd visited. Feeling Kouga's eyes on him he smirked.

 

 

“So you gonna help or you just plan on standin' there watchin' the master at work?”

 

 

Kouga rolled his eyes and let the comment slide. It wasn't worth taking a shot back since the mutt wasn't listening anymore anyway. His eyes were glued to Kagome's computer screen, avidly reading through her files. It was strange to see him that way - completely engrossed in his work. It'd been a long time since that Inuyasha had been around but the change seemed promising.

 

 

His attention momentarily caught by the reporter's mad dash for the exit, Kouga watched him push through the double glass doors at the far end of the room and disappear into the darkened hallway with little remorse. He probably should've been annoyed with the mutt for his lack of protocol, but given the circumstances he could've cared less. With the reporter gone they could get down to work and communicate the way they needed to. He wouldn't say so aloud, but it was a job well done on Takahashi's part.

 

 

He watched the mutt thumbing through the well used day planner resting open next to Kagome's laptop for a few seconds before deciding to take inventory of the other items strewn about her desk. The space in front of him was covered with a half a dozen or so separate piles of paper and manila folders, obviously organized to her liking by some haphazard system.

 

 

Resigning himself to a long couple of hours, he rolled up a nearby chair, seated himself in it, and pulled a stack of manila folders onto his lap. Turning the first one horizontal, he read the label on the tab - Lucky Akita Case. One eyebrow rose in surprise and he eagerly pulled out the next folder. The tab read Kikyo Inokuma Case. He cast a wary glance up at Inuyasha, who was still engaged in his study of her computer, before quietly flipping open the Kikyo folder and perusing its contents.

 

 

Why's she looking into Kikyo's case? he wondered as his eyes scanned the collection of news clippings and hand written notes paper clipped inside. He tilted his head to read one of her scribbles - “Kikyo Inokuma -> daughter of Hachiro Inokuma??” Another one, further through the pile, had an arrow drawn from Hachiro Inokuma's name to the word “yakuza” which was underlined several times and followed by a series of question marks.

 

He was mildly impressed by her analytical skills based on her ability to connect Kikyo to Inokuma considering there were no readily available public records of their biological relationship. Kouga wondered if she'd ever considered a job in law enforcement as he moved on to the next folder.

 

 

The Akita folder was significantly lighter and filled with fewer notes, which was no surprise considering how tight-lipped their departments had been about the case. Browsing through her scribbles he realized that there was nothing there that hadn't been released to the public. Naturally he'd assumed that the mutt would've fed her some details, but from the looks of it he hadn't told her a thing.

 

 

Though his strict adherence to the departmental code of conduct was commendable, Kouga couldn't help but wonder why he'd done it. Maybe to keep her from getting involved?

 

 

It was a possibility… Her job might've had something to do with it too… He closed the folder with a shrug and moved on to the next one. It wasn't his business how the mutt conducted himself with her, as long as he wasn't smacking her around of course, but he couldn't picture Kagome as the kind of woman who'd appreciate being left in the dark, especially on such a high profile case.

 

 

After another hour of fruitless searching through manila folder after manila folder, Kouga finally admitted to himself that he'd gotten nowhere. With a defeated sigh he glanced up at his temporary partner who was stuck frowning in concentration at Kagome's day planner.

 

 

“You got something yet?” He wondered aloud as he sat up a little straighter in his chair. He tried to peer around Kagome's laptop but the angle was bad and he slumped back defeated.

 

 

Setting the collection of manila folders on his lap aside, he stretched his arms above his head and let loose a jaw cracking yawn. It was well past his bed time and it'd been hours since their last coffee break. He swiped his hand over his face and chaffed his cheeks to get the blood flowing to them again.

 

 

Takahashi, for his part, didn't appear to be tired or even remotely phased by the hours that'd crawled by. He grunted noncommittally before conceding a tentative, “Yeah, maybe…”

 

 

Kouga sat forward, his interest piqued. Inuyasha's brow furrowed and he ran a finger overtop the date book entry that'd caught his interest.

 

 

“Hey, is there a pencil at that desk behind you?” he asked suddenly.

 

 

Kouga cocked an eyebrow at the odd request, but nonetheless reached to the desk behind him to produce a pencil. He tossed it at the mutt and watched expectantly as he took a minute to scribble across the page he'd been studying. Once he was done, he set the pencil aside and sat back, his lips mouthing the hidden words his scribbling had revealed.

 

 

“What's that all about?” Kouga was on his feet now, peering across the desk at the entry. He tilted his head to the side and attempted to read it despite its upside down orientation.

 

 

Inuyasha nodded his head slowly, his golden eyes, suddenly alert and calculation, darting back and forth between the date book entry and whatever he was reading on her laptop screen.

 

 

“Well cut the suspense - you got something or not?” Kouga's voice cut rudely into his thoughts and Inuyasha sent him a derisive look.

 

 

“Quit your bitchin' would ya? I think I know where she went. Well…it's a start anyway.”

 

 

Nodding his head approvingly, he stepped round the desk to read the only evidence they had to go on so far over Inuyasha's shoulder. Highlighted by the grey-tone of the pencil's lead, the faint white impressions left by a note written on a missing date entry stood out against the page - Shiba Park 11:45.

 

 

Both his eyebrows rose in disbelief and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Shiba Park was on the other side of town. It was a nice enough site during the day, popular with the tourists and all that, but at night it was a haven for miscreants and vagabonds. From what he knew about the girl she seemed level headed enough. He couldn't figure why she'd go there at night, much less alone, even if it were to meet someone. From the deep frown etched on Inuyasha's face it seemed like he couldn't understand it either.

 

 

“You think she went to Shiba Park?”

 

 

Inuyasha nodded slowly in answer to Kouga's question and attempted to quell the gut churning fear steadily growing in his stomach. Fuck Kagome! Shiba Park at night? What the hell were you thinking?!

 

 

He hadn't been able to piece it together at first - the missing entry in her day timer and the impression of the note left behind - but now that he'd taken the time to browse through her computer files the pieces were slowly starting to fit together. The vision they created in his mind's eye sent chills running down his spine.

 

 

The web pages she'd been browsing were a collection of articles about Kikyo, the Akita case and news bulletins on yakuza members who'd recently been convicted for low grade offences like money laundering and extortion. They were the kind of scum who would roll over on their own mother if given enough incentive - exactly the kind of low life's a reporter would go to if they were trying to scope out details on a case. He pointed this out to Kouga who nodded his head with a grimace.

 

 

“You think she went to one of them?” he asked hesitantly in an effort to play catch up to Inuyasha who already seemed to be miles ahead.

 

 

“More like one of them came to her.”

 

 

Kouga's eyebrows rose again at that and he stared down at Inuyasha incredulously. The serious expression on his face offered no hint that he was joking. “You think? How do you figure?”

 

 

“Well these news bulletins, they're all low level yakuza scum that were recently tossed in the clink,” Inuyasha explained patiently and ran his finger along the bottom of the computer screen to illustrate which ones he was talking about.

 

 

“If she contacted any of these guys about the Akita case word would've gotten back to the rest of the clan. If they already had a hit out on her because of me it would've been easy pickings to call her up with a fake tip to lure her out.”

 

 

“Well how do you know she was looking at them for tips? I mean what if she was writing a piece on one of `em?” Kouga offered and crossed his arms across his chest.

 

 

Inuyasha tapped a claw rhythmically against the desk as he thought the suggestion over and ultimately shook his head to the negative.

 

 

“No, I don't think so. If that were the case she'd have notes about their trial or something like that, hell, knowing her she'd probably have the piece started already, but there's nothing like that on here.” He motioned with a dismissive gesture to the laptop and then pointed his finger at a spiral bound book sitting off to the side.

 

 

“That thing there has all these guys' names, the dates they were incarcerated and what they're in for. If she was writing a piece on them why does she have so many in there? And why just write down info on what they're in for and the dates they were locked up? If she was writing a piece on them there'd be more background detail about the trial or the crime but there's nothing like that.”

 

 

“So you think she was scoping out sources?” Kouga whistled long and low and sat back against the edge of her desk. “Shit… What was she thinking?”

 

 

I know exactly what she was thinking, Inuyasha remarked to himself with a quiet shiver of dread, she was thinking she'd break the Akita case before I did. You stupid, stupid woman. You didn't have to do this! Are you trying to get yourself killed? The frustration coursed rampant through his veins and his fist clenched tight atop her desk.

 

 

“So what makes you think one of them came to her?” Kouga's interjection interrupted his thoughts and he cast a quick glance in his direction.

 

 

“Call it a hunch I guess. She always takes this thing with her,” he motioned to the laptop, “but she just left it here like she was planning on coming back for it soon. An entry was torn out of her day planner too, the one with the note about Shiba Park on it, which is the kind of thing you do when you're in a rush to meet someone.

 

 

“I'm thinking word got back to the yakuza that she was sniffing out info on the Akita case and one of `em called her up with a fake tip - told her to meet them at Shiba Park at 11:45 for it. She went and they took her from there.”

 

 

Kouga stared unseeingly at the floor as he contemplated Inuyasha's scenario. It certainly seemed plausible. He hadn't a clue how they were supposed to find out where she'd gone from there, but Shiba Park was a start anyway. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the mutt and felt something akin to pride. He'd really come back true to form.

 

 

Pushing himself off the desk he brushed some imaginary dust from his pant leg and stared expectantly at Inuyasha. “So Shiba Park then?”

 

 

The mutt stood slowly, surveying her desk one last time before he reluctantly nodded his head. “Yeah… Someone had to of see something.”

 

 

“Alright. Shiba Park it is,” Kouga announced with a sense of finality and after shutting down Kagome's computer they made their way towards the exit.

 

 

Stopping suddenly at the trash bin next to the door, Inuyasha removed a stack of folded blank letterhead from inside his coat and deposited it into the waste bin. Seeing Kouga's curious look he waved him off.

 

 

“Just had to get rid of the `warrant',” he explained with a hint of a smile.

 

 

Nodding with understanding, Kouga stepped out into the hall and felt a grin split his face. Make no mistake about it, the old Inuyasha was definitely making a come back.

 

 

-------

 

Author's Note: I realize it's been a while since I've updated. I'm so sorry guys! I haven't been slacking I swear. Whenever I did get free time this semester I toiled away at this chapter so hopefully it meets your expectations :) I was listening to a lot of Sigur Ros when I wrote this, especially the first bit - I'd recommend giving either “Hoppipolla” or “Milano” a spin. As a small consolation, the next chapter is already partially done and with my semester work winding down it shouldn't be too long before I post it up.

 

From the extra bit of unexpected good news category… I just found out today that LSR has been nominated in this quarter's IYFG awards for “Best Alternate Universe.” My exact reaction was “Holy F*cking Sh*t!” Needless to say it made my day and probably my week :) In honour of her thoughtfulness, this chapter is dedicated to `madmiko' and everyone else who has continued to support me with their reviews and recommendations.

 

Sincerely, and from the bottom of my heart - thank you all so very very much!

 

Until next time…

 

~ Langus