InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Bringing Up Charges! ( Chapter 29 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: No!. Don’t own it. Oh well. Le Sob! Le Cry! Le Whimper!!





Mrs. Higurashi hummed to herself, a small smile on her kind face as she stirred together the contents inside a large plastic bowl. She closed her eyes, envisioning a time long past when little hands would tug on her apron ties and bombard her with questions.


*“Mama, what’cha doin’?”*


*“Mama, why are you dancing around the kitchen?”*


*“Mama, what’s in the bowl?”*


“Hey Mama, what’cha doin’?”


‘Ah,’ Mrs. Higurashi happily sighed as she turned around. ‘Some things never change, will they?’ “I’m baking a cake for your sister.” She glanced at the clock, then at Souta in surprise as he began to raid the fridge. “What are you doing here? I thought you had evening class.”


“It was an evening lab and I’m not going tonight,” he answered and began poking around one of the bowls sitting on the counter. “I’ve already dropped off my work and-hey, is that butterscotch I smell?”


“I’m making little butterscotch eclairs too,” Mrs. Higurashi grinned excitedly. “It’s something new, something I found on that internet thing of yours.”


“It’s not of mine, Mom,” Souta disagreed and swiped a dollop of icing from one of the bowls. “It belongs to the world.”


“Well that icing does not!”


Souta cried out, more surprised than hurt when the wooden spoon she was holding struck out with a cobra’s accuracy, successfully rapping against his knuckles with a loud wooden smack!


“Ow Mom!” he yowled as he danced out of her reach. He still managed to pop his icing covered finger into his mouth, laughing at her frustrated grunt before grabbing his bag and lifting it to his shoulders. “I’ve gotta go Mom!” he said to the death glare she gave him. “I’ve got to see Kagome when she gets home from work.”


“Ok Souta, but no funny stuff!” Mrs. Higurashi warned with a shake of her spoon. “She’s a professional now, so you can’t dye her blue like you did when she turned 18!”


Souta laughed to himself, a sly grin on his boyish features as he recalled that particular birthday. ‘Hey, they make it sound like I’m supposed to go easy on her-Not!’ He chuckled lowly, making sure to keep it down so his mother and grandfather wouldn’t hear, and began to make his way toward the shrine’s small parking lot.


‘She’ll be twenty-four this year,’ Souta reminded himself. ‘I’m gonna have to think of something. I want her birthday to be as memorable as possible.’


(I)


“Aww,” Kagome groaned as she glanced up at the cloudy afternoon sky. “I think it’s going rain. Don’t you Chance?” She smiled down at the massive dog, who merely looked up at her from his sitting position beside her Beetle’s front tire and glanced up at the sky itself before huffing and laying down. “I know buddy,” Kagome said as she reached down from her seat on the hood to pat his head. “I hate waiting too. What’s taking Souta so long?”


She tapped her foot impatiently, the metallic toe on the end of her shoes clicking against the pebble driveway. ‘There’s so much I have to do today,’ she groaned to herself. ‘I’ve got to check on Sango, call and make a vet appointment for Chance, and renew my lease. Hey!’ She lifted herself off her hood, grinned and waved as Mr. Naraku came walking down the sidewalk. “Hello Naraku-san! How are-“


“These are yours,” he stiffly interrupted as he handed her a stack of papers. Kagome took them, confused, and began to read them.


“What’s this all about?” Kagome asked once she finished reading. “I don’t understand.”


“We’ve decided to terminate your lease,” Mr. Naraku stated drily.


“Bu-but why?”


“It’s been decided that a person of questionable morals such as yourself-“


“What are you talking about? What ‘questionable morals’?!”


“-will not fit into what we want for this community-“


“Wait a sec!” Kagome shot back angrily. “You’re putting me out?! You can’t do that! I want to speak with Charles-“


“Do you think Charles wants to speak to you?” Naraku questioned, his eyes narrowed furiously as he stepped closer into her space. “A little whore such as yourself, who’ll spread her legs for the first man with money?”


“Wh-what?” Kagome breathed, shocked, the wind practically ripped from her sails as Chance began to growl. “What are you-“


“You know what I’m talking about,” Naraku growled menacingly at her, his mouth lowered closer to her ear. “Your little exploits with that friend of yours. The one you barely see. Exactly what did he say to you to get as far as he did? Did he promise you money?”


“Wh-no-“


“Jewel s then? I saw the lovely little trinket he gave you on Valentine’s Day. Extremely expensive if you don’t mind me saying. If I had known that that’s all it took to see you in that little red bra of yours I’d have given it to you months ago.” He smirked when she burst into tears, her distress quiet and powerful as Chance began to tug on her arm. Naraku ignored Chance’s warning bark and grabbed her chin, pulled her face closer to his, and growled,


“I should have been the one touching you like that, not some pretty boy who’ll leave you once he’s done. You poor thing,” he cooed and gently wiped away a tear. “If all you wanted was to be used, I’d have gladly done it for you. You’d have enjoyed it a lot more to-“


“Hey!”


Naraku turned, his eyes flickering angrily, and snapped, “What?!” A fist connected sharply with his jaw, Kagome’s short scream of surprise the only other sound in the empty air as Naraku crumpled to the driveway below.


“Get your fucking hands off my sister you asshole!” Souta growled angrily, his fist balled and ready for when Naraku stood up. He jerked Kagome behind Chance, who snarled as Naraku slowly rose to his feet. “Don’t you ever, EVER touch her again, you understand me?!”


“See,” Naraku said calmly as he regained his footing and stood up. “That is another reason. You-Kagome-must be out by the end of the month.” He turned and walked away, stopping once to glare at Souta and Chance before walking down the street to his house.


“Hey, did that prick hurt you Kagome?” Souta asked and hugged her when she continued to cry. “Come on Chance. Let’s get her inside.”


Sesshoumaru followed after them, his eyes closed and his other senses leading the way as he struggled to control his anger. ‘Sesshoumaru,’ Kikyou called from the recesses of his mind. ‘Are you ok?’


Being ‘ok’ may as well have been on a distant planet, as far as Sesshoumaru was concerned. He was far beyond angry, so to the point that little would have calmed him. He sat by the screen door and watched as Souta led Kagome toward her couch, her tears still falling to the cobblestone walkway below. Souta opened the screen door and led Kagome inside, pausing long enough to let Sesshoumaru in before guiding Kagome to her couch and moving her to sit down.


“Just who does he think he is anyway?” Souta grumbled darkly as he brushed aside Kagome’s hands and tried to dry her face. He plunked down on the coffee table behind her, ignoring the wood’s groan of protest, and dabbed at her cheeks. “I heard some of that awful crap he said to you. I swear, if you hadn’t been crying-hey, don’t do that!” he nearly shrieked when Kagome began to sob again. “Come on Kagome, don’t cry! Be a man about it!”


“But I’m not a man,” Kagome sniffed unhappily. “I’m a girl and...and...and what am I gonna do? Souta, where am I gonna go?”


“You can come back home,” Souta offered helpfully. “There’s room now that Miroku and Sango are married. We can move all of your things into your old room, put your furniture into storage and move you back in. We’ll even find some room for Chance here,” he finished and gestured toward Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru sat down beside the couch and watched her, some ancient sense attuned to something that worked behind Kagome’s eyes.


“I wish I could’ve busted his jaw,” Souta growled viciously, chocolate brown eyes narrowed threateningly as he glared out the living room window. “That fucking pervert, guessing about your underwear. He’d better not touch you again!” He emphasized with a quick punch against his palm before continuing his rant, completely unaware of how quiet his sister had suddenly become. The working behind her eyes began to spin before Sesshoumaru, her mind to him like the gears of an elaborate and skillfully engineered clock. Her eyes fell to Sesshoumaru’s, blue connecting with gold even though her attention was hundreds of miles away. The past year replayed in her mind’s eye, how funny Naraku had always behaved, how helpful he would be at the weirdest times-


*"I just wanted to give you this." He held out a pamphlet on dog nutrition. Kagome took it, flipping through it a moment before thanking him. "It was my pleasure. It says that a fast food diet isn't good for dogs, and I just thought you might want to consider that before allowing any in the house. It might be too much temptation for, Chance is it?" *


To certain surprises, things that she would never expect from him because of how limited their time together was-


*"Don't worry about it. Look, I'm going out of town for Christmas and I wanted to give you something before I left." "Oh wow," Kagome gasped as he handed her a small pink box. "You really didn't have to.""I wanted to. I saw it in the store and thought you would like it." "Wow, thanks." "Um, Kagome," Mr. Naraku said as Kagome moved to open her door. "Could you…open it? I'd really like to know if you like it." "Sure." Kagome sat her briefcase between her feet and carefully opened the gift, making sure not to rip the paper as she tore through the clear tape. Kagome opened the box and pulled a watch free. It was a sort of military stopwatch, with a belt clip and rubber protecting around it. "It's…wow, thanks."*


To now and the first signs of his explosive temper and how threatening he really could be-


*“I should have been the one touching you like that, not some pretty boy who’ll leave you once he’s done. You poor thing,” he cooed and gently wiped away a tear. “If all you wanted was to be used, I’d have gladly done it for you.“*


“Something’s not right,” Kagome whispered to herself, her dewy sapphire orbs finally focusing on the beautiful gold in front of her. Chance’s head tipped to the side, as if demanding something, and Kagome nodded back in understanding.


Souta jumped, his rant frozen in his suddenly dry throat at the loud thump that came from behind him. He watched as arm of Kagome’s couch suddenly flipped open and she pulled out what appeared to be a black case.


“Sou?”


“Um, yeah?”


“Is Naraku still outside?”


Souta glanced through the pristine white blinds, searching silently, then shook his head. “Nah, that prick must have-wait a sec! He is outside! He’s getting in his car.”


“Good,” was Kagome’s answer from the kitchen. Souta turned and followed her, curious as to what she was doing and why she needed her blue plastic dishwashing gloves to do it with. “Kagome, where are you-“


“Do you have your cell phone on you?” Kagome asked and waited for Souta’s nod before walking toward the back patio door. “I want you to stay by the window,” she said as she opened the door and stepped outside.


“Kagome, where are you-“


“Just stay by the window and keep watch, ok?” Kagome waited for his nod, then sighed and gave her thigh a gentle pat. “Come on Chance.”


“At least you’re taking some protection,” she heard Souta mumble as she walked across the yard toward the back fence. She opened it slowly, making a mental note to herself to lubricate the squeaky hinges on the small door, and stepped into the dark woods beyond the gate. She waited for Chance to step through before closing it behind him, his massive form a great comfort as she steeled herself for what she was about to do.


‘OK Kagome, you can do this,’ she said to herself as she picked her way through the fallen leaves and branches. She held up her skirt, the knee-length helm higher on her thighs as she peered through the low branches to another wooden gate. She opened it, surprised to find it unlocked, and ushered Chance inside before closing the door behind them once again.


‘This is going to be easy,’ she said to herself as she pulled the little black pouch from her waist. She flipped it open, revealing lock picking tools to Sesshoumaru’s surprised orbs, and kneeled before the keyhole at the back kitchen door of Naraku’s house. Kagome bit her lip thoughtfully, her brow wrinkling in concentration before she raised the first of her tools and began. ‘I just have to remember what that weird kid Souta used to hang out with taught me a long time ago. Just turn this this way. . .and this that way. . .’


Sesshoumaru watched as she worked slowly, expecting at any moment for her to throw down her expert-looking tools and stomp away. To his surprise the bolt slid, tumblers locked and Kagome pushed the door open with a relieved smile.


“Hey, what’cha think about that buddy?” she breathed nervously while she put her tools away. She tugged at her gloves, petite hands tightening into fists before taking her first cautious step inside. She glanced around, not surprised to find that the kitchen resembled her own, and finally entered the room. Sesshoumaru pawed along behind her, his nose twitching as Naraku’s stench flooded over his senses.


‘She does not appear to be comfortable either,’ he said to himself when Kagome shuddered in the warm kitchen. She walked past immaculate counters, her heart thudding in her ears as she glanced into the living room. Everything was neat, clean, and orderly.


‘Maybe a little too orderly,’ Kagome said to herself as she stood at the base of the stairs to the next floor. ‘I don’t know why, but I have got the worst case of the heebee jeebees.’ “I’m so creeped out,” she whispered to herself. “Aren’t you Chance?” She glanced to her side and found him gone, a new fear creeping in her breast as she turned around and searched for him.


“Chance?” she whispered as she came back to the kitchen. “Where’d you go buddy? Now is so not the time to go missing on me. Oh,” she said when she rounded the corner. “There you are. What are you doing?” She frowned and shook her head, then reached for his collar and attempted to pull him away from the pantry. “Come on,” she grunted as she attempted to lug his weight across the room. “Now’s not the time for a snack. Come-oof!” Chance jerked unexpectedly and she fell, her hand brushing against the knob of the door while she flailed desperately. She grasped the doorknob tightly, her downward fall stopped but a new problem presented itself as the door popped open.


“Now see what you did?” Kagome scolded as Sesshoumaru jogged ahead of her. “Chance, come-woah.” Kagome gawked, shock plain on her pretty features as she stared at the dark staircase where the pantry would be. “Chance?” she called down and exhaled when he wagged his tail at her. ‘May as well,’ she said to herself as she followed her protector down the stairs. The stairway was dark, too dark for Kagome’s liking but she ignored it. She knew the risks she was currently taking and she wanted to do as little as possible so she wouldn’t get caught.


‘Oh, this was really stupid,’ Kagome said to herself as she stepped into what could only have been a small den. ‘I don’t know why I thought-man, I think I’d better-‘ She looked up at Chance’s growl, confused as to how a small remote could earn such a threatening sound, and walked closer to the recliner it rested on. The recliner was ratty, old and looked as if it had been well used. She picked up the remote and pointed it toward a nearby tv, an enormous plasma that covered the entire wall in front of the chair. The screen flickered on soundlessly and Kagome waited for the picture to clear. The picture was split into four sections, each section labeled with a letter and a number in the upper right hand corners of the sections.


‘A-4,’ she read the bottom right hand section, this one of a small bathroom. ‘Why would he want to watch a bathroom?’ she wondered before pushing the button to change the channel. The screen flipped instantly, the letters raising from A to B and another set of rooms. The two bathrooms and two bedrooms were empty, just like the last, and Kagome began to wonder as she turned the channel again.


She blinked as movement appeared on the C sections and she studied the pictures throughly before gasping in horror. “Is that,” Kagome whispered to herself as she approached the screen. “That’s. . .the elderly lady that lives down the hill. Oh my God, what is this?” She watched as the little old woman tossed in her sleep, her hand falling to the side of her bed. She changed the channel repeatedly, terror oozing from her in disorientating massive gloops as her neighbors appeared on screen. Playing with their pets, taking their showers, even making out with their partners, little to nothing was left to the imagination as her neighbors’ privacy was stripped from them before their very eyes.


Kagome came to the last letter and stopped when Souta’s face appearing in one of the bathroom screens. He disappeared in a matter of seconds, but that little time was all Kagome could handle. Sesshoumaru watched as she began to hyperventilate, her wheezing breath unsettling as she turned the tv off and flung the remote back to the recliner.


“Sick,” Kagome heaved as she struggled to remain upright. “Just, oh God, what is going on? I feel like I’m in a bad B movie.” She reached out for the recliner’s arm and found Chance’s side, the pooch’s eyes ever vigilant as he waited for Kagome to steady herself.


‘She will not touch this recliner,’ he said to himself as he glared over his shoulder at the piece of furniture. The scents of a spent male clung strongly to the ancient fabric, disgust written plainly in Sesshoumaru’s eyes as he began to guide Kagome to the door. ‘No ward of mine will touch such filth.’


Kagome glanced upward, toward a large wooden cabinet that had been ignored during her search. She gathered herself quickly, pushing aside her fear and revulsion before throwing open the cabinet doors. Video tapes were sectioned and stacked in rows, each row labeled, dated, and placed with others of the same lettering. She reached for one of the G lettered tapes, the letter that corresponded with Souta’s time on-screen, turned the tv back on and pushed the VHS into the player.


“Oh. My. God,” she breathed, her body numbing almost instantly as she appeared on screen. The date (some time in March) blinked across the screen in crisp white letters as she took a bath, her hair pinned up in one of her clumsy up-dos as she scrubbed between her toes. She jerked the tape out quickly and reached for another when her cell phone began to vibrate.


“Kagome, hurry up and get out of there,” Souta’s whispered voice came over the walkie-talkie. “Naraku’s turning into the complex as we speak.”


Kagome turned quickly, her hair whirling around her like a dark thundercloud as she jerked the tape out of it’s player, turned off the tv and grabbed two more tapes before closing the cabinet and running for the kitchen. Sesshoumaru stayed behind her, massive paws thudding heavily on the carpeted stairs as he stayed on Kagome’s heels. She slipped on the kitchen floor but managed to right herself enough to stay on her feet and close the ‘pantry’ door shut. She crossed the kitchen floor as silently and as quickly as she could, her fingers quickly locking the door while Chance slipped past her into the back yard. Kagome closed the kitchen door behind her and took off in a dead run, her heels and the tapes clutched tightly in her hands as she sprinted out the gate, through the woods and back into her own back yard just as Naraku pushed his key into his front door.


(8)



“Kagome,” Souta called out over the walkie-talkie. “Kagome where are you? Come on back.” ‘She should have been here by now,’ he worried as he walked into the kitchen. ‘Maybe she got caught. Maybe something’s happened and-‘


BAM!


Souta jumped, her heart beating rapidly in his chest, and sprinted toward the sunroom door. Kagome sat on the cool stone tile in the center of the room, her hair a mess and her eyes wide as she clutched three tapes to her breast. “Kagome,” Souta called out and helped Chance get her to her feet. “Kagome, what’s going on?”


Frightened blue orbs turned to him, her pupils little more than black pinlights as she jerked away from him. She sat the tapes on the counter and marched toward the small half bath. She flung the door open, ignoring the harsh thud the door made against the wall behind it, and glanced around the bathroom as if she were searching for something.


“Kagome, what is it?” Souta asked as she climbed up on the counter and searched behind the beautiful salon lights above the bathroom. “What are you looking for? What is it?” Kagome reached for the toilet plunger, grasped it by it’s bottom end and smashed it into the mirror.


“Woah!” Souta yelped as glass flew everywhere. He jumped out of the way while Kagome continued to smash, the glittering debris slicing through her silk blouse as she worked her way to the wall behind the mirror. “Kagome, calm down damn,” Souta said as he tried to pull the plunger away from her. “Jeez, are you nuts or somethin’? What the hell are you-“ He stopped, his jaw dropping as a small red light blinked from the dark hole behind the ruined glass. He reached inside, absently wincing when his finger was sliced by a shard of mirror, and pulled out a tiny little camera no bigger than the palm of his hand.


“No way,” Souta breathed in astonishment. He glanced up to say something, then ran out once he realized that he was the only one in the room. He found Kagome standing up on the arm of her couch, her little tools once again in her hands as she screwed the ventilation cover off the ceiling. He watched, then held out his hands as she tossed down another camera, this one just like the first. Souta followed her quietly after that, his mind stuck in disbelief mode as she went from room to room, jerking out cameras from the vents, the ceiling fans and another one of the bathroom mirrors.


They ended up with seven cameras, each with little red lights that blinked menacingly at the siblings. Souta shook himself at Chance’s angry growl, the threatening sound much bigger than he thought possible. Souta turned the cameras off, then turned to Kagome, who was digging in the downstairs closet.


“Kagome, what are you going to do?” Souta asked, his eyes wide and scared for his sister. He felt helpless, truly helpless, like nothing he could do would ever make it right for her. Kagome was fragile, precious, and something like this could easily scar her for life. “How long has he been watching you?”


“I don’t know,” Kagome answered as she plunked Chance’s bright yellow bag onto the kitchen counter. “Longer than March maybe. I’m not sure. That was the only tape I got to see.”


“Tape?” Souta repeated with a squeak. “There are tapes?”


Kagome nodded. “And not just of us either. He has all of the condos under surveillance.”


“What are you going to do?”


“I’m going to the police,” she answered simply. She tossed the tapes and the cameras into the bag and grabbed Souta’s arm. “I’m going to take this to Kouga, or maybe Kageromaru. I’m not sure which one just yet, but I do know that he’s not going to get away with this.”


“You’re damn right he won’t!” Souta nodded in agreement, his old confidence back as he punched his palm and snapped his fingers. “When are we goin’?”


“Right now,” Kagome said and opened the front door. “But you, Souta, are going to Mom’s.”


“What?” Souta snapped as he jerked around. “No way in hell am I going! What if you need help?”


“Souta, I just committed burglary,” Kagome replied with a growl of her own. “I’m probably going to get into tons of trouble because of this. The last thing I need is for you to get into trouble too. Now you go ahead and I’ll call you.”


“But Kagome-“


“Go on Souta,” Kagome replied with a wave. “I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”


“Fine.” Souta sighed, but shook his head and got into his car. Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru, who was still sitting inside the house, and smiled.


“I need for you to stay here boy,” she said as she grasped the handle for the heavy wooden door. “I’ll be back right before dark, ok?”


Sesshoumaru glanced toward the west, watching as the beautiful orange and yellow hues began to streak the setting sky, and woofed. Kagome grinned, a slightly hysterical laugh escaping her lips, and kissed the center of his forehead.

“I’ll be right back,” Kagome promised as she rubbed his ears. “Don’t worry, ok? I’ll be fine.” She kissed him again before closing the door and sprinting down the driveway toward her car.


(88)


Kouga laughed, shook his head and patted the older detective in front of him on the shoulder. “Man, that’s the sickest joke I’ve ever heard,” he said while the older man continued to jump around. “Where do you get that stuff from?”


“I make ‘em up,” the detective said simply. Kouga laughed and opened the break room door, his mirth fading as the shouting came from the lobby area ahead. He walked through the frosted glass doors, past the police station’s emblem and to the front desk where the secretary and a disheveled young woman stood arguing. The woman’s dark hair was a mass of wild waves and curls, the pleats of her long, fitted denim skirt quivered with her every movement. Shallow scratches wept on her arms, staining her once perfect blouse with crimson blotches. A yellow bookbag thumped against her back with her jerky movements. Kouga nearly chalked it up to another nutter, one who apparently wanted to get arrested, when the woman’s voice rose above the dull roar of the officers around them.


“Look, I’m not crazy! I really need to see Kouga. . .Kouga. . .um. . .I can’t believe I forgot his last name! Please, he’s a detective here and-“


“Kagome!”


The woman turned and her shoulders slumped in relief. “Kouga!” She jogged toward him, ignorant of his shock at seeing her in such a state, and threw her arms around him. “Oh Kouga, I didn’t know where else to go!”


“What’s wrong?” he asked and waved the secretary away when she moved toward them. “Kagome, you’re a mess! What happened?”


“Please, isn’t there someplace private? Somewhere we can talk without anyone else hearing?”


“Um, yeah, sure. Come with me.” He walked her to a nearby conference room, his hand firmly placed at her lower back as he shut the door behind them. “Now what’s going o-“


“My cousin, Higurashi Kageromaru, is on his way,” Kagome interrupted as she thumped her bookbag onto the long wooden table. “If you don’t mind, can I tell you what happened when he gets here?”


“Sure,” Kouga said and pulled out a nearby chair for her. “Anything for you Kagome. I’ll wait.”


Kagome gave him a grateful, but weary, smile. “Thank you Kouga.” She folded her arms on the table’s surface and rested. She was unresponsive to Kouga’s gentle attempts to comfort her, his hands ignored as they attempted to straighten her hair. He plucked what he thought was glitter from her hair, and hissed when one of the shards bit into the tip of his finger. ‘Ow,’ he thought as he popped his finger into his mouth. ‘What the-what the hell is this? What put glass in her hair?’ He jumped when the door was suddenly flung open, a dark haired man with Kagome’s eyes standing on the opposite side.


“Kagome?” Kagome shot up, sapphire orbs wet with tears as Kageromaru walked into the room. “What’s wrong?” he asked and gently grasped her hands. “You said on your message that it was important, and that you were looking for some detective-“


“Yeah, that’s me,” Kouga said and extended his hand. “I’m Kouga Sandival. I’ve worked with Kagome on a couple of cases.”


“I’m her cousin Kageromaru,” Kageromaru answered back. “Do you have any idea as to what is going on?”


“No,” Kagome answered before Kouga could speak. “I wanted to wait to tell you because I only want to tell it once. Just once. Then you can lock me up.”


“Why?” Kouga asked while Kageromaru sat down in one of the chairs in front of her. “What’s going on?”


Kagome reached out and knocked over the bookbag, her eyes dull and lifeless as the cameras and videotapes spilled out onto the table. She began her recount of the day, beginning with her waiting on Souta outside her house. She ignored Kouga’s outrage at Naraku’s callousness, waved aside Kageromaru’s concern when she told them of what she found in Naraku’s cellar, and waited with bated breath when she finished, blue eyes wide and frightened.


“That is sick,” Kouga growled and punched the table. “There’s no telling how long that pervert’s been filming you.”


“It’s not just me,” Kagome said and gestured toward the tapes. “It’s everyone that lives in those complexes. I only grabbed three tapes but there are a least a hundred more.”


“I have a judge on standby that owes me a favor,” Kageromaru said suddenly and stood up. “I’ll have a warrant for you by sundown.”


“Good. I’ll get a group of officers together. We’ll get ready while you do whatever it is you’re doing.”


“Hey Kouga,” Kagome called out as the detective reached for the door handle. “What about me? Aren’t you going to put me in jail?”


“For what?” Kouga asked while Kageromaru looked on. “For finding out that some sick assed bastard was watching you?”


“What about me breaking into his house?”


“When did you say that?” Kouga asked in mock confusion. “I didn’t hear you say that. Did you hear that Mr. Fancy DA?”


Kageromaru shook his head. “I don’t even think she said it. All I have is her finding the cameras. Oh yes, I’ll hold,” he said into his phone and turned his back on the pair. Kagome glanced from one to the other gratefully, and felt safe for the first time since this afternoon.


“Thanks you guys. . .”


(888)


Naraku turned the key and stepped inside his front door, an ice pack gingerly held to his left cheek as he slammed the door and tossed his keys into a small glass bowl waiting on a table beside the entrance. “That meddling little brat,” he growled to himself as he took off his shoes. “I can’t believe he hit me. I ought to call the police.” He grinned though, his mood considerably lighter as he moved toward his basement.


‘Kagome, my darling little onna,’ he growled to himself as he made himself comfortable in his recliner. ‘I’m sure we’ll be able to get past my little ‘accident’ and find some way to get you to stay.’ He sighed, his thumb rubbing absently against the remote’s plastic buttons. ‘Any moment now, you’ll come to me crying and begging for my help. For now,’ he said as he unzipped his pants and turned on the television. ‘Let’s keep an eye on you, shall we?’


Naraku changed the channel and blinked, confused when all that came up was static and a blank screen. “What the-what’s wrong with my equipment.” He grunted as he stood up, the waistline of his pants fisted in one hand as he opened a small cabinet underneath the tv. He checked each of the eight VCRs and frowned when he found nothing wrong. He pressed the rewind button on one, his eyes narrowed in aggravation as he watched the tv. The images moved in fast forward, the blackness changing to a blur until Naraku stopped the tape.


He pressed play and frowned again, this time at Kagome as her heart shaped face appeared in front of the camera. She reached up and the camera shook, then moved toward her brother’s waiting hands before shutting off.


“That,” Naraku said as he flipped his phone open. “Is not good.” He dialed quickly, his fingers calm in spite of his nervousness, and waited for someone to pick up the other line. “Yeah, it’s me. Kagome knows.” He frowned when the other person demanded something, then shrugged and began to pace. “How the hell should I know? NO, I didn’t say anything-“ ‘at least I don’t think I did’ “Besides, it doesn’t matter if I did or not.” He paused again.


“Yeah, she got all of them,” Naraku said after flipping through the channels. “No, I don’t know where the cameras are. I guess they’re still at the house.” He paused again, then scowled and shook his head.


“No way. I’m not breaking into her house for a couple of-Well yeah, I know I could go to jail but. . .fine,” Naraku relented unhappily. “But you owe me. No, don’t worry about it. I’ll think of something.” He hung up the phone, zipped his trousers and stormed from the house with his keys in his hand. He used a skeleton key to unlock Kagome’s front door, the orange glow of the setting sun beaming against the glass screen door as he flung it open and stepped inside.



Naraku spent an hour turning over tables, tipping out dressers and ripping through closets and anywhere else he could think of to find those cameras. He finally sat down on the corner of Kagome’s bed, a hand running through his short tresses in frustration.


“Where in the-just where are they?” he wondered as he glanced around the destroyed room. “I’ve looked everywhere and I still can’t find them. Maybe she took them with her. . .” He huffed and stood up, his patience finally at it’s limit as he moved downstairs to the kitchen.


‘That dog is around here somewhere,’ he remembered when he caught sight of Chance’s water bowl. ‘I’ve not been as careful as I should have been. However. . .’ He opened the cabinets, knocking spices and bottles of wine to the floor as he searched for something. He stopped when he found a bottle of lighter fluid tucked underneath the kitchen sink. He grinned happily and went back upstairs, where he stared at her bed in disgust.


‘Here is where she and that rich boy of hers were so intimate,’ he thought in disgust. ‘So here is where her lesson will begin.’ Naraku began squirting the liquid all over the bed, viciously shaking the bottle until the last drop finally fizzled onto the thick carpet.


‘This will be perfect,’ Naraku said as he pulled a match from his coat pocket. ‘I’ll get rid of the cameras, that dog will die in the fire and Kagome will figure out her place in things.’ He nodded to himself and smiled before dropping the lit match to the carpet. He turned and left, the flames quickly licking their way up the stairs to the bedrooms above.


(8888)


They drove in silence, the darkness around them choking as the rest of the afternoon passed by them. He glanced over at his passenger side, a sympathetic sigh escaping him as the watched her gaze out the window. Her eyes seemed empty, sad, and he wondered (not for the first time) why things like this happened to someone as wonderful as her.


“Kagome,” Kageromaru asked as he broke the silence entombing them. “Are you alright?”


Kagome exhaled, her eyes closing briefly before shaking her head. “To be honest with you, I’m not alright. You wouldn’t be either if you were in the situation I’m in. But I will be,” she quickly answered when Kageromaru appeared offended. “I just. . .I just need time, that’s all.”


“Well, you can always stay with me,” Kageromaru offered with a smile. “You know I have all of that room, and no one to share it with. You and I could be roommates.” His smile broadened when she laughed, her happy burst a welcome sound to her previous somberness.


“No way,” Kagome giggled and punched his arm. “You and I can barely share a name, no less an apartment. Thank you though. Besides, I don’t want to pick up your underwear before company comes over.”


“You wouldn’t have to,” Kageromaru disagreed. “My place is neat-“

“After your mom comes and picks up your stuff,” Kagome interjected with another laugh. “And you’re probably missing a lot of stuff too.”


“Actually,” Kageromaru said after a moment’s pause. “I am missing some socks.” He huffed when she giggled, but rolled his eyes and smiled all the same. He turned into the small lane leading to Kagome’s house and frowned at the black smoke that suddenly filled the sky in front of him.


“What’s that?” he asked and nudged Kagome to get her attention. He continued to drive, only pulling to the side when the blaring red lights of a fire engine appeared in his rear view mirror. “What’s going on?” he asked again and glanced at Kagome when she grasped his hand.


“Chance,” she said with an urgency in her eyes. “We’ve got to go home. Chance might be hurt.”


Kageromaru nodded and quickened the little Bentley’s pace down the street. He turned into the cul de sac and gaped, Kagome’s horrified sob of disbelief barely heard above the wail of sirens as fire engulfed the condo she called home. Flames leaped from the windows, while other windows shattered under the intense heat from the burning inside.


“Oh my God,” Kageromaru cried out as he and Kagome got out of the car. Someone shouted his name and he turned just as Kouga reached him, the detective winded as he stopped and braced himself against the car and Kagome’s side. “What’s going on Detective? What happened?”


“The hell if we know,” Kouga answered in one great huff. He greedily swallowed mouthfuls of air, then gave Kagome a grateful nod before straightening himself. “We’d only been here an hour, two tops, when-“


“Here,” Kageromaru interrupted with a frown. “Here at Kagome’s?”


“No, here at that Onigumo Naraku dude’s crib, which is down the street that way,” Kouga replied and pointed down the street at a quiet little home. “Anyway, we’d just found that room, and he had the TV on watching some little old lady feed her dog in one of the upper condos, when we heard the first explosion. We came running and found the whole downstairs on fire. Man, those flames spread fast.” He stopped when Kagome jerked on his arm.


“Kouga, what about Chance?” she begged frantically. “Have you seen him?”


“No,” Kouga shook his head. “But I haven’t been out here that long. When the fire dept. came I went back inside and continued our search warrant. Man, you think the stuff Kagome found was bad. We’ve got some stuff that’ll-“


“Excuse me!”


Kouga looked up, and Kageromaru turned around, just as Kagome reached the first firefighter. “Have you seen a dog?” she asked him as she held his ashen covered sleeve. “He’s huge, white, and has gold eyes and markings on his face?”

“No lady,” the firefighter replied. “But one of my comrades might. I’ll put in word to keep a look out for hi-“


“Everybody get back!” one of the firemen shouted suddenly. Kagome watched as a herd of yellow jackets rushed past her, one pausing to grab her and run toward the middle of the road. She took a breath to ask why and screamed when the house suddenly exploded, the roof shattering into thousands of splinters. Flames rushed toward the emptiness, the new rush of oxygen that gave it the fuel to burn hotter and faster than before.


“Noooo!” Kagome screamed, the fireman forgotten as he put her down and rushed toward the second engine coming down the street. “Chance! Chance!”


“Kagome, calm down!” Kouga shouted above the dull roar of the flames. He and Kageromaru held her, her cousin grasping her waist while Kouga held her arms to her side. “You’ve got to calm down! Don’t even think about running toward that!”


“But Chance-“


“Is gone,” Kouga interrupted and shook his head. “If he didn’t make it out on his own, then he’s not coming out. Kagome, you’ve got to think about-“ He oofed, then wheezed and doubled over as a well placed knee connected with his sensitive area. Kageromaru’s pained shout of surprise was next before she was free, off and running before either of them had a chance to stop her.


“Hey, somebody grab her!” Kouga heard the fire chief shout as he struggled to reach her. “Don’t let her go inside!”


“Kagome, come back!” Kageromaru shouted as her ran after her. He quickened his pace, even though he knew that she would reach the house long before he reached her. Still he pushed himself and he couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him when a strange man, dressed in a black suit with a dark overnight bag at his feet, reached out and grabbed her by the arm before she could set foot on her driveway.


“Let go of me!” Kagome shouted as strange arms pulled her in closer. “I’ve got to save him! I have to go in there!”


“Now that would not be wise,” a familiar voice said as he held her closer to his chest and caressed the ebony strands of her hair. “Come now my little miko, surely you can see the foolishness in such a plan.”


Kagome looked up, tear stained orbs finding sympathetic hazel staring into her own, and collapsed into sobs. He continued to hold her when Kageromaru and Kouga approached them, taking a moment to register their presence in his mind’s internal filing before returning to the distraught maiden in his grasp.


“Just who the hell is that?” Kouga demanded gruffly. “And how does he know Kagome?”


“He’s a friend of hers,” Kageromaru replied. “I can’t remember his name, but I remember seeing him at our cousin’s wedding.”


“Hey man,” Kouga demanded and reached out for Kagome’s arm. “Let her go. Step back and give me your name.”


Sesshoumaru glared, but said nothing, choosing instead to remove Kouga’s hand from Kagome’s arm. “You will hurt her if you continue,” he warned and his eyes narrowed when Kouga huffed.


“I’m not the one that’s gonna end up hurting her. What was the big idea grabbing her like that? I ought to place you under arr-“


“Sesshoumaru, what am I gonna do?” Kagome sudden sob vibrated from Sesshoumaru’s chest. “Chance is-is-is-“


“Is fine,” he assured her. She jerked her head up quickly, disbelief and hope shining in midnight blue orbs as she blinked and tried to dry her face.


“Is he really?” she asked. “Have you seen him? Do you have him?”


“Unfortunately, I do not. However,” Sesshoumaru quickly added when tears began to well up. “I assure you that dogs of Chance’s nature are highly intelligent. He is not there.”


“Are you sure? Then where is he?”


“I do not know, but do not cry.”


“But I can’t help it,” Kagome sniffled as tears began to streak down her face. “What if something’s happened to him, something awful. It would be my fault because I left him here, alone.” He frowned when the tears came faster and hugged her, his chin coming to rest at the crown of her head while she cried.


“Look, I’m gonna say it again,” Kouga said abruptly. “Let her go and tell me who you are.”


“Let it go detective,” Kageromaru said as he stepped closer to the couple. He felt sorry for Kouga. He truly seemed like a great guy but he knew his cousin and any chance the detective thought he had were nonexistent at least. He’d never seen another man, other than a family member, hold Kagome without protest and though he was still wary, he would hold steady to her judgement...


‘Unless the bastard hurts her,’ Kageromaru growled as he fished around his pocket. ‘Then he’ll really have a problem.’ “Here.” Sesshoumaru looked up, then at Kageromaru in confusion as he waved a set of keys at him. “Her car’s back at the station. Have her direct you there and then take her some place safe, some place where she can calm down and recuperate.”


Sesshoumaru paused, then nodded in understanding and accepted the keys. With Kageromaru’s help he guided Kagome to the passenger side of the car and helped her inside. Kouga frowned as they drove away, then nudged the DA and growled, “Just what in the hell did you do that for? He could take her anywhere, do anything with her and we wouldn’t be able to-“

“He won’t hurt her,” Kageromaru assured him with a small smile.


“And just what makes you so sure?” Kouga demanded as Kageromaru walked through the crowd toward a nearby squad car.


Kageromaru shrugged, then said, ““Because, I believe he truly cares for her. Now come and show me what you found detective. Don’t pout in the middle of the street.


“Come on Detective.” He grabbed Kouga’s jacket and dragged him toward a nearby squad car, where a lone figure sat in the backseat of the car. “There’s someone here that I’m just dying to meet.”


(8888888)


Sango sat quietly, her fingers to her lips as she remained glued to the living room television. Miroku sat behind her, his arms around her shoulders and his fingers combing her hair away from her ears.


“Don’t worry butterfly,” he said and pressed a warm kiss to her temple. “Kagome’s fine. Souta said that she wasn’t in the house.”


“Souta said he didn’t think she was in the house,” Sango corrected with a frustrated sigh. “I just wish she’d call already.” She stood up, glancing one last time at the flames in the newscaster’s lenses, and began to pace the floor. “I’m so scared Miroku. What if she’s hurt?”


“Don’t speak such things,” Miroku cajoled gently. He grasped her hand when she passed by and held her there, his thumb lightly rubbing over the back of her hand as he gazed into tearful brown orbs. “Kagome will be fine. I have faith that it will be so. You should too.” The doorbell rang, startling the pair out of their discussion. Miroku stood and approached the door, only taking a moment to glance behind him at Sango before opening the door.


The front stoop was wet, the raindrops splattering in the tiny puddles in the grass beyond the front stairs. The world beyond their front porch was dank, dark, and foreboding, and that somber mood did little for their nerves as Sesshoumaru stood dripping on the wet cement.


“Um...Sesshoumaru, is it?” Miroku asked as Sango peered over his shoulder. “What are you-“


“She requires warmth,” the stoic older man interrupted suddenly. He gestured toward a bundle tightly wrapped in a pale blue blanket, the thin cloth waterlogged from the rain. A dark head peeked from underneath, and Sango rushed Sesshoumaru inside and slammed the door without another word.


“I’ll be right back,” she said before scurrying down the hallway toward the bathroom. Miroku tossed all the towels he could find over a recliner in the living room, then stepped back as Sesshoumaru approached. “Right here should be fine,” Miroku said and gestured toward the chair. “Just sit her right there and we’ll-“

“That is not necessary,” Sesshoumaru replied before sitting down. He unwrapped Kagome slowly, gently, so not to rouse her from her troubled sleep. Miroku frowned at his cousin’s face, her distress obvious as she moaned and turned into Sesshoumaru’s warmth.


“Here you go,” Sango said as she returned to the room. She held out a massive gray blanket, the thickness of it like marshmallow down as it settled over Kagome’s shoulders. “Do you think that’ll help?”


Sesshoumaru nodded, his eyes never straying from Kagome’s sleeping face. “I believe it will do.”


“So. . .” Miroku asked after a few moments of watching Sesshoumaru dry Kagome off and keep her warm. “What’s going on?”


“Yeah,” Sango agreed and sat down on the arm of the couch nearest the couple. “I mean, we saw some of it on the news, but we didn’t get the full-“ Everyone paused, their breaths clenched in their throats as Kagome groaned, the sound thick and miserable as dull blue orbs slowly opened.


“Chance?”


“No, little one,” Sesshoumaru shook his head. He loosened his grip so she could sit up, her eyes still bleary as she glanced at Sango and Miroku.


“Where am I?” she asked and gasped when Sango pulled her into a death grip. “S-sango? How did I. . .”


“Miroku.”


Miroku glanced away from Kagome and looked up, surprised, when Sesshoumaru gently nudged Kagome back into the armchair before standing up.


“I must speak with you,” Sesshoumaru requested while Sango continued to coddle Kagome. “Alone.”


“Oh, um,” Miroku thought quietly, his eyes briefly closing before glancing toward the glass french doors. “Follow me.” Miroku opened the doors and stepped outside, only pausing to promise Sango that he would return shortly before stepping out into the wetness and cold beyond. He waited until Sesshoumaru was fully through the door before closing it, then turned around just as Sesshoumaru leaned over the railing.


“So,” Miroku said as he rested against a pillar beside him. “What’s going on? Why are we out here taking a shower with our clothes on?”


“There was no need for your wife to overhear,” Sesshoumaru said as he continued to watch the rain. “There are issues that must be discussed between men, issues that you will need to be aware of before the media to ensure Kagome’s wellbeing.”


“Well alright,” Miroku nodded in acceptance. “Though I doubt the girls would agree with your reasoning. What’s going on? What happened to cause Kagome’s house to burn down?”


Sesshoumaru exhaled gently and watched the rain, golden orbs reflecting softly in the streetlights. He singled out tiny crystal droplets and watched them fall, some as tiny as pinpricks of mist, as he sorted through the details of the hours previous. There were things he would tell, things that he deemed Miroku would need to know in order to comfort Kagome in the weeks to come, and things he would not tell him. . .


Like how the fire began, and that he and Naraku were the last to escape before the flames erupted.


“Sesshoumaru?”


Sesshoumaru blinked, his eyes lowered slightly before he continued his study of the rain. “What I tell you now is what was told to me, events she relayed before slipping away while we drove here. She was evicted from her home this afternoon.”


“What?” Miroku sharply barked in disbelief. “For what? Kagome was a perfect tenant.”


“For what reasons I am not sure,” Sesshoumaru replied evenly. “However, there were things that happened, things that she did not get the chance to tell me, that resulted in her going to the police. Upon her return she found the house on fire and no sign of Chance.”


“Oh. Ok then.” Miroku nodded thoughtfully, a hand covering his mouth as worry began over Kagome. “I take it she’s a wreck over Chance. She loves that dog.”


“I am aware.”


Silence fell between them, both lost in their own thoughts as the storm continued above them. It began to slacken over time, leaving a thin white fog over the ground as the drops pinged off of the storm drains around them.


“Jeez,” Miroku finally breathed and pushed himself off of the pillar. “Kagome’s always got the bad end of the stick. I guess she’ll sleep on our couch until she finds someplace else, but Chance’ll have to stay at the shrine. When we find Chance that is.”


“That is not necessary,” Sesshoumaru disagreed. He stood up slowly, ignoring the slight creaks in his elbows from supporting his weight for so long, and flipped his ponytail back over his shoulder. “I have my people searching for her beloved pet and. . .”


“And?”


“And I would like your permission to stay here for the night.”

Miroku frowned, dubious to Sesshoumaru’s sudden request instead of finishing his own sentence. “That’s fine with me,” he said with a nonchalant shrug. “Though I’ll have to clear it with Sango first.” Sesshoumaru nodded, then reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone.


“You will excuse me, won’t you?” he asked and waited for Miroku to return inside to flip the little device open.


(8888888888)


The next morning came on cheery sunflower petal rays, the storm from last night little more than a memory. The golden hued rays found the eye of one person, the sudden brightness an intrusion on her misery as she shoved the covers aside and sat up on the couch. She rubbed her face, her ebony hair a massive tangle of crushed curls and flattened waves. She looked over the couch, the sound of humming coming from behind her, and waved at Sango as she moved around the kitchen.


“Good morning Kagome,” Sango greeted. She waited for Kagome to sit down at the bar before handing her a cup of tea, the clean scent of lemon coming from the delicate porcelain soothing to the nerves, and a nearby container of honey. “How’d you sleep?”


“Awful,” was Kagome’s groaned reply. She glanced around expectantly, her brow furrowing slightly when no one else walked into the room. “Where’s Sesshoumaru?”


“He left a little bit before sunrise this morning,” Sango shrugged and opened the refrigerator door. “He said to tell you that he’ll call you. Oh, and he left something too.”


“What was I-“


Kagome glanced up when her cell phone rang, the cheery ring unexpected but happily received as she stood up and plucked it out of her purse. “Hello?”


“How are you?”


“Oh, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome realized and waved off Sango’s grasping hand on her arm. “I’m a little better, but not by much.”


“I expected as much. I have a gift for you.”


“Really?” Kagome breathed softly. “Sesshoumaru, you didn’t have t-“


“Check the patio.”


Kagome blinked at the sudden click, but hung up the phone and returned it to her purse. She glanced at Sango, who shrugged before following Kagome to the patio doors. They flung the doors open wide and were startled at a sudden sound coming from the far corner. Kagome looked over and gasped, her hands covering her open lips as Chance padded across the cement toward them.


He sat down at her feet, golden eyes expectant and patient as Sango reached out to touch him. “Wow,” she said as she fluffed his ears. “He’s really here. Kagome!” she shouted and reached out for Kagome when her knees buckled underneath her. Kagome reached out and pulled the massive mutt into her arms, sobs shaking the pair as she held on to him as if he would disappear, and whispered her apologies in his fuzzy little ear.


(End Chapter)


SF: See? Isn’t this chapter a lot longer than last time? Tee Hee!


Kagome: Um, SF?


SF: Yes dear?


Kagome: (deep breath) You BURNED DOWN MY HOUSE!!!


SF: -.-‘ Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Sorry.


Kagome: Sorry? SORRY! Where am I going to live now?! Jeez, how could you?!


SF: Um, well, you see-


Silver: (hugs Kagome) It’s alright Kagome. SF-the birdbrain-has things all under control. You’ll see. (Ignores the dogs growling in the distance)


Kagome: ;.; Really?


Silver: (nods) You’ll see. (Whispers) I’ve seen the plans. . .


>Zap!<


SF: Hey you! Stop that! Don’t you dare tell her anything! Well folks, because of Silver, you’ve been given the summary for the next chapter early! Grrrrrrr....


Audience: Awwww!

Shippou: Next time on Second Chance-Chapter Thirty: My Brother in Arms! See you soon!


(Curtain Closes)


Audience: AWWWWWWWWWWWW! WE WANT A BETTER SUMMARY!!!!