InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Overboard! ❯ Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Neither the characters from the storyline `Inuyasha' by Rumiko Takahashi, nor the plotline from the movie `Overboard' starring Goldie Hawn, are mine.

 

Author's Note: Sesshoumaru thinks that Kagome's name is `Kikyou', so he calls her by this name in his words and thoughts. Kagome thinks of herself by this name too, since it is the one her `husband' gave her.

 

But when I write as a third-person narrator, and nobody is thinking or talking about their own perceptions, I still refer to her as Kagome, because that is who she is. Sorry, if the text vacillates and confuses the issue.

 

Overboard (Inuyasha-style)

Chapter 6:

 

That night she dreamed of her old life. Or at least, this was what she guessed the dream must represent. After all, she had no memories on which to base her supposition.

 

A familiar looking boy with light-colored hair slept in a forest, bound to a tree by an arrow. Sunshine had filtered through the tree-leaves, sprinkling sparks of color on her face and hands, and as his hair had flashed in the light, she had realized that the razor-tipped, wooden shaft pierced his heart.

 

For some reason, it had hurt to look at him. If an arrow had pierced his heart, then did this mean he was already in love? Believing that he would love her instead, when he finally opened his eyes, she had reached for the arrow in her dream.

 

But the instant she touched it, the arrow had transformed in her grasp and she had found herself standing in a field, surrounded by darkness and dust. Standing before her, in glorious silk robes and feudal armor, her husband had glared at her from a distance, silently daring her to continue. “The next one,” she had cried out in fear, hoping to hide the quaking in her legs, “Is for you!”

 

The arrow had missed his heart, ripping into his left arm instead, and she had risen from the dream in terror, knowing somehow that her husband did not love her at all. The premonition had been so strong that it became hard to fall asleep. Only after a full hour of watching her daughter and listening to the girl's soft, slow breaths had she been able to find peace once more.

 

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Three jaws hung suspended in disbelief, as Inuyasha hung up the phone. “There!” he crowed triumphantly, “That'll ensure he drops her off at the shrine in no time! Sesshoumaru is balancing on a thin ledge as it is. Dad is still pissed about him having a daughter out of wedlock. If he married without permission, then it would spell the end for him.”

 

Wide eyed, Miroku asked, “Wasn't it cruel to make such a phone call in that case?” Suddenly he felt glad to be an only child. Sometimes sibling rivalry was too much!

 

“Nah,” Inuyasha replied, scrunching up his nose as though the very thought disgusted him, “They aren't really married. Besides, Sesshoumaru needs to learn a lesson in caring for other people's feelings. It was totally rude to take Kagome home without telling us!”

 

Flagging down another turquoise cab, Inuyasha grinned unrepentantly. If they hurried, then they might still make the boarding call for the cruise ship.

 

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A knock on the door woke both Sesshoumaru and the occupants of the next room. It was not just a knock, actually. It sounded like a pounding fist trying to beat down his front door. With a groan, he heaved himself off of the bed and flattened his hair, ignoring the fact that his suit was wrinkled beyond recognition because he had slept in his clothing.

 

A bleary eyed Kikyou met him on the stairs, but it was Rin who finally answered the door. The four-year old had endless amounts of energy. And there, on the doorstep stood his Father.

 

His daughter scuttled behind their legs, hiding from her grandfather. Because he had always been grouchy around her, she did not like the old man very much. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru wracked his brain for a reason why his parent and employer would be here, glowering at him at the crack of dawn. On a weekday, no less. They both had work soon enough, couldn't it wait?

 

The white-haired man drew himself up to his full height, towering over them quite impressively, and his eyes flickered over the fresh-faced young woman standing beside his son. “Well? I trust there is a satisfactory explanation for this?” he demanded. The words sounded like an order, rather than an inquiry.

 

Yet again, Sesshoumaru drew a blank. What on earth was his Father referring to? It was six o'clock in the morning, which meant he had only had… nine hours of rest, given that he had fallen asleep in the early evening, wearing his clothes. Oh, bother. He could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. Somehow this woman had managed to throw off his entire schedule in only two days.

 

The black-haired beauty at his side bent down and asked Rin in a noisy stage whisper, “Who is that?”

 

“That's my grandpa,” Rin solemnly replied, equally loud, “But Papa says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.”

 

This caught everyone's attention, although Kagome did not know what the child meant. Clever girl, Sesshoumaru thought, criticizing her grandfather and affirming her closeness with the woman next to her in the same breath. To Touga, this would imply his daughter valued a perfect stranger more highly than her own grandfather.

 

Wait… a perfect stranger… sleeping in his house… Suddenly, the reason for his Father's visit became acutely obvious. But how had Touga learned of her existence? Judging by the circles under the old man's eyes, he had stayed up all night fretting over it. Yesterday then, the chauffeur must have told him that Sesshoumaru returned from his trip to China with a woman in tow. Motioning the larger man to enter his home, he closed the door behind them and offered his Father a drink, a chair… anything to make him comfortable and remove the murderous look from his gaze.

 

“What I want is information,” the white-haired man growled. “Who is this woman, and why is she more familiar with my granddaughter than I am?” If Sesshoumaru hadn't been so shell-shocked, then he might have been amused that his daughter's insult had cut so deep. Apparently, at four years of age, Rin already had a way with words.

 

Then, deciding to demonstrate her talent for provocation yet again, the little girl proudly confessed their secret, “This is my Mommy.”

 

Touga raised his hand, then lowered it quickly to his side, uneasily shifting his weight between his feet as though he were about to burst or bolt. It marked another pioneering moment; the old man was at a loss for words. With absolutely no way of rationalizing the situation in front of both his Father and Kikyou at the same time, Sesshoumaru offered the best he could. “I'll explain later,” he said, more calmly than he felt, then showed his Father the door and how to use it.

 

Already, this day promised to turn into another endless bout of work, both at the office and at home. He had yet to convince Kikyou to complete her chores and complacently agree to tutor Rin. Plus, the living room was still a mess from the day before - his wallpaper might never be the same. Cursing his brother under his breath, Sesshoumaru returned to his bedroom to change his suit.

 

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“I'm living in a nightmare,” Kagome muttered, throwing a dishtowel down on the counter, “It's suddenly clear to me why I forgot all this.”

 

After his Father had left, Sesshoumaru had taken her aside and spelled out what she termed `the Rules.' She had concluded that he was an asinine, chauvinistic prig. Even if he was just trying to help her remember the past, it still seemed rude.

 

As a homemaker, she did all the housework while he brought in their money. Next, she always helped Rin study during the day, which didn't sound like very much fun for the four-year old or for her. Had she really agreed to do all these things at one point? Finally, he had accounted for the old man's unfamiliarity with her - apparently, they were newlyweds, and his Father had not had the opportunity to meet her yet, because he rarely ever visited. The latter part she believed; Rin was as unaccustomed to his presence as she was. But the former part just didn't make any sense.

 

First of all, if they were newlyweds, then why would she have a four-year old daughter? What kind of woman was she? Was she loose? And secondly, why would her husband spend so much time working? Even if it had been four years since they married, the relationship shouldn't have cooled off that fast. Family members were supposed to spend time with each other, and by all accounts, Sesshoumaru never stayed at home. Rin said her Daddy always came home late, most times after sundown.

 

It worried her slightly. The dream she had last night seemed more prophetic than ever. Maybe her husband didn't really love her. Maybe that was why she had amnesia - because her life was miserable, she was unloved, and her Father-in-law hated her. Rin was a shining star in all this, however. Surely, she could not have wanted to forget Rin.

 

Still, where were all the photographs of their wedding? Her parents? Rin's first birthday? The house seemed cold and sterile, and indignation bubbled up inside of her, pressuring her to change things and modify the place until it was livable and comfortable.

 

Annoyed by the mess they created yesterday, her husband had ordered her to clean the whole house. Fair enough, since she had helped to cause the clutter. But she saw no reason for the entire house to be like a museum. A four-year old lived here, for heaven's sake! The house should reflect it. Instead, it looked like a grown-up's home, all sparkly and sterile.

 

And just when she had been recovering from her resentment over being forced to clean the house like some indentured servant, she had received a fateful phone call. Sesshoumaru had dialed up from the office to inform her that his Father was coming over after work for a few drinks. As much as she had hoped for `family time' earlier, this was not exactly what she had meant. Frankly, her Father-in-law seemed rather intimidating. Then, to make things worse, Sesshoumaru had intimated that the man liked Boston Crème Pie, so she should make one.

 

She had spent the last few hours in the kitchen, trying to bake the stupid pie, feeling quite sorry for herself throughout the experience. Here she stood, without the ability to remember grade-school, friends or parents, and he expected her to be talented at baking? The man was insane.

 

Luckily, following a recipe was not too hard. The pie had emerged from the oven safe and sound, and she had set it aside to cool, collapsing onto the sofa in the living room with relief. Soon afterward, giggling had erupted in the kitchen, and she had rushed back to find Rin standing over the pie, smiling innocently.

 

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, suspicious of her daughter's placid, sweet expression.

 

“Nothing, Mommy,” Rin had replied, taking her hand. “Can I help make a pie too?”

 

“Absolutely,” she had answered with a pleased look, “Next time, we'll do it together.”

 

The doorbell rang before they could make any more plans. Fretting over her appearance, although she had finally found a nice dress from the upstairs closet that fit, she held Rin's hand and opened the door to greet her Father-in-law. Disaster loomed on the horizon. Why had the older man arrived before her husband? She had really hoped to have a moment to talk to Sesshoumaru before being stuck with entertaining a complete stranger.

 

Inviting him in, she offered him a seat in the living room, and he explained that his son was coming along in a different car. “I cheated and left the office early,” he announced with a pleased smile, “I wanted to have a chance to talk with you alone.”

 

The words sounded foreboding, although he delivered them in a friendly tone. Her heart rate increased, and her hands started to fidget without her permission. “So,” continued her Father-in-law congenially, “What do you do?”

 

The room fell silent, as she squirmed uncomfortably. How was she supposed to answer questions when she did not recall her past? Hadn't Sesshoumaru told him of their dilemma? But then, maybe he meant hobbies or something… Maybe he just wanted to know what she had done all day today.

 

“Um…” she stalled, looking over toward her daughter. Rin had crossed her arms over her chest and was facing them with an adorable pout. “Well, Rin and I learned a poem, and then she cleaned her room while I worked in the kitchen. Why don't you recite the poem for your grandfather, Rin?” she suggested, attempting to include the little girl in the conversation.

 

Rin shook her head vehemently, continuing to pout. Her reaction seemed to set the older man back a few paces, leaving him slightly confused. He tried again, looking almost embarrassed. “So, you… ah… live with Sesshoumaru now… ?”

 

The sensation that something was wrong returned, like she was living two separate lives at once. What had her husband told him? It was perfectly normal for married persons to live in the same house. Co-habitation was only a bad thing before marriage.

 

Affirming his suspicions with a nod, she shrank back into her chair and tried to remain inconspicuous. With sudden chagrin, she realized she still did not actually know this man's name. She had never asked.

 

“Ah, you don`t think… the relationship might be moving a little bit fast?” replied her Father-in-law, furrowing his brow. He seemed even more troubled this time.

 

“No!” shrieked Rin, sliding out of her chair and scurrying to her new playmate's side. “Don't leave, I don't want you to leave. I like you, don't leave!”

 

The outburst took them all by surprise, but Kagome quickly knelt and gathered Rin into a hug. With her bottom lip trembling and her brown-eyes watery with unhappiness, the little girl appeared ready to cry. Brushing the fluffy light black hair out of her daughter's face, she shook her head and murmured reassurances. “It's okay. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere…”

 

Her Father-in-law did nothing, just shifted uneasily and watched her comfort the girl, and she speculated on which of his words had upset the four-year old. Certainly, his questions had been strange, but she didn't think it was enough to incite such a reaction from a small girl. Before she could figure out the mystery, however, the front door burst open and revealed a slightly terror-struck Sesshoumaru.

 

Mastering his expression in no time flat, he glared at his Father and closed the front door, joining them in the living room. His anger simmered below the surface, but the other adults in the room could easily guess toward whom it was directed. “You left early,” he remarked dispassionately, staring at Touga.

 

Sensing an argument was brewing, and still uncertain what had upset Rin, Kagome decided drastic measures were necessary. Always aiming for harmony, not discord, she hated to see other people fight. “Who wants pie?” she asked cheerily.

 

“I'll get it!” Rin announced, running for the kitchen. A twitch developed in her cheek, as she tried not to smile. The girl had gone from frantic to over-eager, in only the space of a few minutes. Sesshoumaru and his Father continued to stare each other down, as though their lives depended on it. Obviously, neither one liked to give up without a fight.

 

Then, Rin returned with her sad-attempt at baking goods, which she had spent the better part of the afternoon creating. Crossing the clean, plush carpet, the pie plate tottered precariously in the four-year old's hands. And there, right in the center of the whipped cream lay one of Rin's rubber toys, a little green lizard with red plastic eyes.

 

With a wide smile, the girl inspected her new mother for signs of approval. Kagome put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, unsure whether she was disappointed or extremely amused. At least she knew now what her daughter had been up to in the other room, while she was not looking.

 

“Rin, did you put that lizard into our pie?”

 

“He was hungry,” she answered sweetly.

 

Amusement won out, and she found herself giggling alongside her daughter, ignoring the strange looks they received from both men.