InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shrine Prostitute ❯ Addition ( Chapter 19 )

Shrine Prostitute by FlameTwirler

 

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Chapter 18: Addition

-----a component that is added to something to improve it

-----joining

-----increase, enlargement; increment; accession, supplement

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kagome sat with her head against the window of the train where it rumbled slightly as they passed over the rail connections. She still couldn't completely wrap her mind around the fact that she'd dropped the transfer papers in the mail and soon she'd be going to law school. Goodness, that meant she needed to get books, preferably go meet her counselor soon, and start reading as soon as she could about all the basics. There was so much about even the rudimentary facts that she didn't understand, and she thought she'd be going into the grey area between ningen and youkai?

 

She sighed. This was certainly going to be a challenge. Plus, being almost a month into summer break she only had about two weeks left in which to do it all. At least that would keep her mind occupied so she wouldn't be constantly thinking about Inuyasha and his ridiculous 'come-here/go-away' attitude.

 

Looking out the window she shook her head. It still amazed her how society could have advanced so far as to create the infrastructures she saw around her yet still tolerate and even promote blatant racism in their midst. It just didn't make sense to her. She supposed a lot of it was just due to ignorance, as it had been in her case; after all, if people didn't know about a situation they couldn't do anything to remedy it. Did that mean she had to make public the plight of the hanyou? She winced at the prospect. It might eventually come to that, but what would that mean for Inuyasha, Josef, and so many others? If this became a full-fledged social reform would it be just like every other in history, with the first ones involved being crushed before anything could change? How could she ask that of them?

 

No, Kagome, just stop, breathe. Don't get ahead of yourself - that's years off, if it comes in our lifetime at all. Just one step at a time, that's all you can do.

 

She just hoped it would be enough.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kagome made her way straight from the train station to Dr. Hirohito's lab, which was quite exhausting considering she was carrying not only her backpack full of everything she'd been traveling with but also the ice chest full of Inuyasha's blood. She'd felt a bit odd transporting blood on a public train and had been a bit paranoid about any curious looks from other passengers but luckily the chest looked normal enough and it didn't seem anyone had guessed at its contents.

 

With a large exhale she pushed open the doctor's door, glad she'd had the foresight to call him in advance to make sure he'd be in the lab when she arrived. To her surprise he met her at the entrance, taking the cooler from her hands. He must have been more excited than she'd thought.

 

As soon as he opened the cooler he started to gibber animatedly, though Kagome was unable to distinguish any words at first. "By all that's holy...this is a tremendous amount! Much more than I expected..." He trailed off as he began sorting through the assorted vials and pints at his workplace. 

 

"Uh, professor?"

 

He was too busy pulling out equipment to bother answering her. 

 

"Doctor," she intoned the word with some emphasis to try to grab his attention, "what are you going to do first? When are you going to know anything?"

 

"Hard to tell, girl, only time will show," he said distractedly. "First, of course, I must do some comparative analysis." He said this more to himself as he began routing through his own medical supply refrigerator and came out with some other blood samples. "Then there will be testing compatibility with other substances, checking strengths, weaknesses, what it's resistant to..."

 

He stopped speaking and Kagome knew she'd lost him; he wouldn't hear anything else she said. Bemused she shook her head and went to the door, saying a soft goodbye as she left despite knowing she wouldn't get a response. She was just glad they'd taken one tiny step toward understanding more about hanyou, possibly toward establishing them as sentient, equal beings of their own right. She knew there were risks, which was why she was glad she had Dr. Hirohito on her side. Despite the possibility he might have to postpone announcing any new discoveries he made, she knew he wouldn't put his pride above the safety of the hanyou he was currently studying.

 

She was utterly grateful she had found an ally in him. When she went to her new law school in mere days she'd have to see then what sorts of allies and information she might be able to find there.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Glancing down at the papers in her hand she compared the name to the one next to the door. Sure enough, they were the same: Yamizaki, JD. There were other acronyms, accolades, and abbreviations on the letterhead in her hand but she didn't have the slightest idea what any of them meant, which only served to make them more intimidating. The hall was cold, there was nothing to soften up the place, and the door was closed. Wasn't her counselor supposed to be expecting her? What if she was here at the wrong time and she was gone or was on the phone or in a meeting? Cautiously trying to press her ear to the door without making a sound she listened for voices inside. Of course, because fate loved to mock her, that was the exact moment the door opened.

 

"Higurashi?" the stern looking lady intoned. For a moment she was at a loss. The woman wore a severe dress, glasses perched on the very tip of her nose, and her hair was pulled back in a bun, so that when all combined she had every appearance of Kagome's idea of the perfect librarian. Still, she didn't think a librarian would ever talk in such a loud voice, even if the tone was no-nonsense. The look the woman was giving her though bore an uncanny resemblance to the suspicious glances she got from the workers in the library near the Shrine anytime she made too much noise or reached for a dusty tome no one else had touched in years.

 

Flustered Kagome stepped back, smoothing down her clothes with her free hand. "Ye-Yes, ma'am. Am I here at the wrong time?"

 

The woman looked at the clock. "You are two minutes late."

 

It was on the tip of her tongue to say that she'd been in the hall for longer than that but realized she'd only be making herself look more foolish. "My apologies. It won't happen again."

 

With an approving nod the older woman spun on her heel back into the office. "See that it doesn't."

 

Kagome followed her inside meekly, feeling utterly and completely out of place. Why had she done this transfer again? Ah yes, freedom and equality and all that.

 

Sitting behind her desk she motioned for Kagome to take the straight-backed chair across from her. Although the professor's chair looked a great deal more comfortable she still sat in it as though she had a ruler strapped to her back. "You may call me Professor Yamizaki while you are here in my school. Not Mrs. Yamizaki, not Ms. Yamizaki, professor - do I make myself clear?"

 

Wide eyed, Kagome nodded. "I have worked very hard to get where I am and expect to be treated with the respect I have earned just as I will treat you with the respect you deserve in return."

 

Kagome repressed the urge to sink into the chair. Maybe it was a good thing it wasn't too thickly cushioned after all or she might be tempted to fall into the creases.

 

"I got a letter from Dr. Hirohito asking me to take you under my wing while you are in my school. I will let you know that I would not do this for just anyone, but then Dr. Hirohito wouldn't ask favors for just anyone either. I would not have advised you in anything had you not decided to make the transfer and show me you are willing to put in a tremendous amount of work, so be thankful that you did so, even at so late a date. I am one of the foremost minds in Tokyo on reading legal script and finding the intricacies to work through in the wording so that is an advantage to our little 'situation.'"

 

She gaped, open mouthed. She hadn't expected Dr. Hirohito to say anything to this law-lady about anything - he'd said he'd keep it a secret and she'd trusted him. "He told you about this 'situation'?"

 

"Oh close your mouth girl, it's not that surprising. Do you honestly think I would agree to take time from my studies, my curriculum-planning, my research, and my work just to work with some wet-behind-the-ears, last-minute transfer otherwise? No, the good doctor knew he had to explain the situation to me in order to get me to go along with his little idea and, after all, I am a seasoned lawyer so I am well-versed in keeping confidentialities. You needn't worry about me telling anyone else about what you are doing research on - that is entirely at your discretion."

 

Kagome was a bit skeptical but supposed if Dr. Hirohito trusted her that she should as well. Besides, she had no other option at this point as Professor Yamizaki was already in the know. "I see," was all she could say, even though she really didn't yet.

 

"Honestly he had me intrigued. An entire area of law that has been bypassed, whether through careful misdirection, simple ignorance, or lack of need, I can't be sure yet. That will depend on what we can find that does apply to hanyou or what loopholes are left open to them. The most important thing though will be speed and the skill with which we can read and redirect the laws already on the books. Nothing is as strong as legal court precedents, so the sooner you can get a judge to rule in your favor the harder it will be for someone to come later and use the same or another law against hanyou in the same manner. Does this make sense to you?" She eyed Kagome skeptically. "Please tell me you have at least that much rudimentary knowledge."

 

"Yes, of course." Inwardly Kagome sighed with relief. It was a good thing she'd already spent the last week catching up on her government and law studies. Of course she'd first heard about legal precedent in government class in, what was that, 9th grade? 10th grade? Somewhere around there anyhow. If a court interprets and applies a law in a specific way during a case then anyone who comes after can hold up that case as an example for using that law the same way, or on the flip side, for not using the law in a different way. So the professor was certainly right; if they found anything that could possibly pertain to hanyou and found a judge to rule in a hanyou's favor based on that law then it would open the way for hanyou legal rights.

 

"Good." She gave Kagome a satisfactory nod. "Now let me make certain you understand this will be purely theoretical on my part. I am happy to delve into the intricacies of code and explore new, uncharted possibilities. I will help you logically and soundly make your way through any blockade you come up against - but..." Trailing off to give significance to her words she made sure she had Kagome's full and undivided attention. "...But that is where my participation ends. I do not plan to be an activist in this area and will not be joining you in anything you are doing, whether on the streets or in the court room. My role here is purely as an adviser, and I will admit that it is mostly because you have me perplexed about such an underdeveloped and undefined area of my own field."

 

Her business settled, Professor Yamizaki folded her hands and placed them on the desk, sat back in her chair, and did something to her face that Kagome supposed was her attempt at friendly openness. For the record, she misses the mark, Kagome thought sourly. It didn't do a thing to make her appear any less ruthless or intimidating.

 

"Now, do you have any questions for me yet or would you merely like to expound upon your reasons for doing such research and what we should be looking for?"

 

Kagome shook her head to try to clear it. Even if the professor was stern she was still offering help, and if this was any indication then she'd have to be on her mental top game every time they had a meeting together. No use fogging it up now with surprise. "Do you know of any records on the books that specifically mention hanyou, or any court cases where a hanyou has been directly involved?"

 

"There are no laws to my knowledge, though I may search some of our older histories for comparisons. Did you know that it is technically still illegal to give sake to your water buffalo, though in the same law it states it is perfectly acceptable to give some to a duck?"

 

Kagome had to choke back a chortle and settled for shaking her head in bemusement. 

 

"There are many laws we have that are no longer enforced; either the need for said law lapsed or the general consensus on the idea changed and the government just never bothered to go through the whole process to repeal it. There very well may be something along those lines that may be useful to us but I won't know until we go through every last one. As for your second question, how would you define a hanyou's direct involvement? You know it's nearly impossible that one was a plaintiff or defendant since, as far as I know, they've never been treated as an equal part of society. If there is anything along those lines though it would make things much easier for us as it would be automatic, irrefutable proof that hanyou did once have rights and may only be stripped of them now because no one is demanding them."

 

"I'm not entirely positive, actually." She nearly winced as the professor's eyes landed a stern gaze on her but she held her ground. "I mean that there is any number of types of cases so it's impossible to define each and every possible way a hanyou could be involved." Suddenly she came upon an idea. "What about divorce though?"

 

"Divorce?" the professor repeated skeptically.

 

"Yes. What if a youkai had married a human but only separated after they had a child? I'm sure bringing a hanyou into the family could have the potential to destroy the balance - so what would happen in such a case when deciding such things as custody and alimony? Or what if one had an affair and a hanyou child was the result, would that be grounds for divorce with extra compensation? If so then the court would have just unintentionally treated that hanyou child like any normal youkai or human child."

 

Professor Yamizaki smiled and the gesture lit up her face, even if to Kagome it only made the older lady seem all the more crafty. "Now that is what I'm talking about girl, that's thinking. If the judge ordered extra money settled on the injured party because of a child made through infidelity then that does open a wide door for us. After all, the court wouldn't do the same if the couple had an affair and adopted a dog together. Interesting points you bring up."

 

The professor tapped her chin. "Well don't just sit there dawdling, child, get moving. You have a class to be getting to and I have my work cut out for me."

 

Standing swiftly Kagome smiled back. She could see already that any interaction between them would be staid and straight to the point but she appreciated every new ally she could get. At first she'd been startled by Professor Yamizaki's brusque demeanor but when she remembered this was about helping hanyou and not making friends she was suddenly very happy to have someone so objective and serious on their side. "Thank you very much for your time. I'll come back and visit you again soon."

 

"Yes, do that." Her eyes were already on her computer as she started to pull up archives. Just before Kagome closed the door behind her she called out, "Oh, and you might take an interest to introduce yourself to another student here named Sango. I think that you could benefit from knowing her."

 

A quick nod and Kagome glanced down at her watch, eyes growing in dismay as she realized she really was about to be late for her first class. With a swift goodbye to the professor she took off down the hall, hoping she'd be able to navigate the maze of corridors on her first day.

 

~ ~ ~

 

It had been less than a month and already Inuyasha had received four letters from her. She's said she'd write every week and by now he knew not to doubt her dogged determination or stubbornness. If she really held on like this he shuddered to think what she'd do when she saw him next year if he didn't make any sort of reply.

 

So grousing all the while, muttering non-committal insults under his breath about overbearing wenches, he laid out the pen and paper he'd managed to con off Ryu. He'd tried at first to get the supplies from him without actually explaining why he needed them but after he had realized he'd need the middle-aged man to be his gopher in order to get the letters to the mail, he finally acceded. His glare had cut off any reply Ryu might have made but he still caught his sniggering as he made his way back to his room. Fine, let the man have his fun, just so long as he didn't say anything to anyone else and he was able to keep Kagome off his back. After all, he only saw her two weeks a year. He really didn't need to waste any of that time just because she was upset over it or because she kept nagging him until his annoyance ran over and they ended up fighting. Of course the making up was usually rather fun...it just quite often took them too long to get to the making up in the first place since they were both too stubborn to give in - even when the wench knew she was wrong.

 

"Keh!" he exclaimed snidely to the room at large. Lifting his hand to write he glared at the waiting, blank paper. What on earth was he supposed to write about? It's not like his life changed that much day to day. Yeah, had another crappy night with ole 'what's-her-name' - she likes to come about every three weeks to 'release some frustration.' She says it keeps her spleen clear. Keh, if that's the problem why doesn't she just learn to eat right? Sounds stupid to me but hey, what's she care what the hanyou whipping post thinks? Don't know who I've got tonight but I'm sure it'll be just the same. Ran into Kazuma the other day. He's still as big an ass as ever, kept trying to brag about that 'juicy kiss' you two shared. I don't know if he's just an idiot - though he is either way - or if he just doesn't realize that I heard what happened and watched you nearly scrub your lips off afterward. Oh wait, I probably shouldn't have written anything about that. Hell, I shouldn't have written any of this, not like you'll enjoy reading it. Uh, Ryu says 'hi'?

 

Yeah, he could just imagine what her reception would be to reading something like that. Still, that's all his life consisted of so what else did he have to write about?

 

In the end he settled for the straightforward and simple: Hey, Kagome, it's me. I'm writing you back. You happy now? Inuyasha.

 

He hefted a large sigh of relief as he sat back. That short little blurb had taken him over an hour to write. He didn't know what he'd do if she expected a response to every single letter. Maybe he'd be able to get by with just writing occasionally, just so long as she knew he was alive and wasn't ignoring her. Yeah, that should work. Besides, it wasn't like he expected any of his correspondence to be any more detailed than what he'd already written, so he supposed that'd have to be alright.

 

With a grunt he saw it was almost time for his next appointment - not enough for him to sneak the letter out to Ryu. He already knew the only viably safe hiding spot in his room so he opened the closet door and pulled the sheets aside, tucking his letter down with all of Kagome's. He'd have to find a way to get to Ryu tomorrow.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Sango, as it turned out, was a stand-offish second year student, as she discovered by asking around. That, coupled with the fact that she hadn't been given Sango's last name or any other pertinent information about her, was why it had taken Kagome so long to track her down. So it was a complete surprise when partway into the school year she heard one of her professors call on a student to answer a particularly difficult scenario. At the name 'Sango' she twisted in her seat to stare in amazement at the girl who had sat not two rows behind her the whole time. She had appeared very serious and somber and it had taken Kagome some steeling up of her nerves to approach the student when she didn't even know why she should be. Besides, if the Professor had been insinuating that she could gain some helpful information from Sango then the last thing she wanted to do was scare her off or come across as an idiot on their first meeting.

 

"Hi," she said, walking up to her as the older girl was packing away her books. "My name's Kagome. I take it you're Sango?"

 

She looked up with hesitancy, not quite suspicion, but certainly close to it. "Yes, I'm Sango. What do you want with me?"

 

Kagome wasn't quite sure as to her answer to that question so she hedged as best as she could. "I've been speaking about Professor Yamizaki with some things..." Sango's eyebrow went up. Apparently the good Professor had a reputation for not taking time out of her precious schedule for just anyone. "...Anyhow, she suggested that I speak with you. I assume she meant that you might be able to help me out or that I might learn some important things from you."

 

"What sort of things?"

 

"About that...I'm not exactly sure..." Kagome smiled embarrassedly, knowing how strange it must sound.

 

"Well that does present us with a dilemma then," Sango stated matter-of-factly. "Why don't you just tell me what you've been meeting with Professor Yamizaki about then?"

 

Kagome backpedalled, waving her hands slightly in front of her. "Oh, no, I can't do that."

 

"Why not? How am I supposed to do anything if I don't know what's going on? Don't you trust me?"

 

Kagome's eyes widened at the implications. "Yes! I mean, no! I mean..." She sighed. "If it were just about me then I'd tell you in a heartbeat but it's not truly my secret. I can't risk others like that, even if I normally do trust my own judgment and think you're a good person. It's just not my place."

 

Before she could think Sango had turned the tables on her. "Then what about my secrets?"

 

"Your secrets? Oh goodness, I didn't even think about that! I suppose that whatever Professor Yamizaki directed me to you for might not be common knowledge. Sorry if I seemed presumptive, I don't want to offend you or anything." She paused a moment, tapping her finger on her chin. "I guess our only option then is to take some time and get to know each other, that way we can feel each other out and see if we feel comfortable sharing our information.

 

"Are you sure you want to invest all that time? What happens if you tell me everything but I don't return the favor?" Sango thought she'd stumped the effervescent girl but to her surprise Kagome's answer was immediate.

 

"Oh, that's no big worry. I'd only tell you anything if I fully trusted you so if you didn't share anything I'd know you must have a good reason for doing so. Besides, I don't know all that many people here yet so it'd be great to have a friend - you seem like a nice person."

 

Sango's mouth quirked wryly at that. 'Nice' wasn't an adjective most people used to describe her. "Very well then. It's nice to meet you, I hope we get along well." She smiled as she said it and her face brightened, her entire persona changing.

 

Kagome was stunned. "I hope so too." Quickly recovering, she added, "Look, I have about an hour before I've got to leave for med school, so would you like to grab a bit to eat?"

 

"Sure, that sounds great." Picking up her bag and swinging it on her shoulder Sango led the way out of the room. "So why med school though? How on earth are you doing both programs?"

 

"I've done a full year toward becoming a doctor but then decided to transfer here. For the time being I'm only taking one class there but I've got a tutoring session set up for later this afternoon just to keep me fresh so I don't forget too much."

 

"My goodness, that sounds like a load. I have enough with just one school, I couldn't imagine two. So why'd you transfer here if you're obviously still so interested in medicine?"

 

Kagome merely shrugged, a clear indication to Sango that was part of the secret she wasn't sharing. Kagome, though, had her mind elsewhere. "Sorry, but I can't help wondering why you just changed so dramatically. Was it just my imagination that you were acting different in there?" With a thumb over her shoulder she indicated the classroom they were walking away from.

 

"If you couldn't tell, friendliness is not exactly the norm around here."

 

If Professor Yamizaki were any indication then Kagome had to agree.

 

"It's a common tactic for information digging," Sango continued. "Make friends with someone on a case to find out what secrets they know - it's still known to work, which is why all the client-privacy agreements are taken so seriously. I couldn't tell if you were trying to feel me for weaknesses or if you were merely completely unaware and about to spill your own secrets to anyone who asked. Thankfully you had more sense than that and since you don't appear to be either I can at least be courteous until I learn whether to trust you or not."

 

Kagome nodded. "That makes sense, though I must admit it is a bit sad."

 

Sango turned a piercing look on Kagome. "Thinking like that is going to prevent you from becoming a good lawyer."

 

It was Kagome's turn to smile wryly. "Whoever said I was going to do that?"

 

"Why else would anyone spend the time and money to go to law school?"

 

Kagome just shrugged in response, slipping her fingers across her sealed lips to indicate that was something she wouldn't speak about yet. Sango shrugged in return; there'd be time for that later if they ever got to it.

 

"So medical school, huh? You have any interesting teachers over there?"

 

Kagome smiled as she launched into story after story about Dr. Hirohito, their voices fading as they continued walking down the long corridor.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Kagome heaved a sigh as she pushed her chair back from the desk, Houjo sending her a questioning, concerned look. She smiled and waved him aside. "No, nothing's wrong, I just feel so far behind and it gets kind of daunting. There's so much still for me to learn and, I'm sure as you know, book learning only goes so far in helping in the medical field. I miss the labs, even though last year all we got to do was work with cadavers. I was looking forward to learning some of the procedures this year." She noticed her smile had dropped, as apparently had Houjo. "Ah, it's not that I regret dropping to only one class here, and not that I'm ungrateful for everything I'm learning with your help, it's just that...well there's so much to learn about the world and not enough time in the day, ne?"

 

This brought her mind directly to the subject matter she'd been dancing around for weeks but hadn't had the nerve to bring up. Taking a deep breath she plunged ahead. "Houjo, can I ask you a question?"

 

He looked taken aback. "Of course you can. Is there anything else I can do to help?" he asked, sympathy and eagerness lacing the question.

 

"Well, I, uh," she stuttered along, "I was just wondering if I might, maybe, you know, be able to help out at your family's clinic sometimes?" When his eyes widened she feared the worst and her words came spilling out. "I mean just volunteering of course, since I'd be learning so much by being there, and I don't mind if I just do grunt work and fetch things for people, as long as I can watch and figure stuff out that's all I care about, honestly..."

 

Houjo, however, far from appearing deterred, seemed almost, in fact, inspired. "You mean you'd like to spend extra time learning with my family...with me?"

 

She nodded hesitantly, having the inkling he was reading something else into her question though she wasn't quite sure what. "Only if it's okay. You're already doing so much to help me, I don't want to bother you with anything else if I'd just end up being a burden."

"No!" he interjected, the quickness of his response causing her to look at him strangely. Seeing her expression he immediately caught hold of himself. "I mean, of course you wouldn't be a burden. I'd be a great place for you to learn more and I'd be honored to have you there with me."

 

Again Kagome had the niggling feeling she was missing something in the interchange but since nothing jumped out at her about it she shrugged it off. "You really mean that, Houjo? It's fine?"

 

"It's fine, Higurashi," he confirmed as he gently clasped her hand, his smile growing.

 

She, taking his reassurance at face value, squeezed his hand back and graced him with a brilliant grin of her own.

 

"Well then," he stood exuberantly, "we should go get you settled in with the layout of the clinic so you can get started."

 

Kagome's own excitement threatened her composure as she nearly toppled while getting out of her own chair with a little less grace than Houjo had exhibited. Quickly gathering up her books she looked over to where he waited patiently, already planning how she could use his family's knowledge of herbal remedies to help Josef from time to time. Stuffing her books into her bag she rushed over to the door, anxious to get started.

 

~ ~ ~

 

The months had passed so quickly Kagome barely knew how she was keeping up with everything. It certainly held true that when she was busy or had things to do time seemed to know how to speed up. She couldn't complain entirely though - while it made her day to day life a bit tighter than she liked it also meant she'd get to see Inuyasha all the sooner.

 

In all honesty she'd tried to finagle a way to get a few days off around Christmas so she could go spend it with him but it just hadn't been feasible between the money, the time she would need to take off school, and her out-of-school schedule. She regretted that she couldn't make it work and tried to console herself with the fact that this way she'd still have enough money for two full weeks with him during the summer break but it didn't quite make up for her disappointment in not being able to see him.

 

She sat with her head in her hands, contemplating writing Inuyasha a letter. Would it really be worth it though to explain that she'd tried to see him only to be unable to follow through? Wouldn't that be putting him in the same mind as her, of what the holidays could have been like instead? She shook her head, exhaling heavily as she leaned her elbows onto the desk. She'd decided when she came back from seeing him the last time that it wasn't worth it to worry about such things. It didn't help him and it certainly didn't help her at the moment when she was supposed to be studying for her first set of finals at law school.

 

Suddenly she snapped to as a hand waved in front of her face. "Yo, Kagome, earth to Kagome?"

 

She turned to Sango and gave her a weak smile. They'd been growing slowly closer to each other over the semester. Though their trust had been slow in forming - Sango seemed cautious to get close to anyone and Kagome had to be careful to guard a secret not entirely her own - she had to admit that at the very least the older classmate had been invaluable as a study-buddy. "Sorry, Sango, I just dazed off a bit. What were we on again?"

 

Sango didn't seem fooled a bit, not surprising by the glum expression on the girl who normally didn't let anything get her down. She was suddenly glad for her dislike of noise and crowds since, with a quick glance around, she was able to assure that the classroom they used for studying was indeed empty. She turned her eyes on Kagome in a shrewd, appraising way. "Does this have to do with the things we haven't talked about yet?"

 

Kagome looked startled and that seemed all the confirmation Sango needed. She reached out her hand to take Kagome's. "Look, I count you as my friend. I've watched you long enough to know you probably couldn't be deceptive if you tried - you're one of those bluntly forthright people," Kagome flinched by Sango only smiled at her, "who always speaks her mind frankly and tries to do what she thinks is right. I think I can trust you and I want to try to help you if I can."

 

The arrested look had not left Kagome's face and Sango only cocked her head to the side as she continued to gaze straight into her eyes. "Still afraid you can't trust me?" she asked ruefully.

 

"It's not that," Kagome answered immediately, painfully, "it's just..."

 

"Yes, yes," Sango answered for her when her words seemed to fail, "it's that others depend on your words and whom you trust. I understand that it might take a bit more than normal for you to trust me with any of that fully. But you've said you were directed to me, that I might be able to help or give you information or something, and I can't do that without knowing at least the vague premise of what's going on. So how about this: I'll ask questions and you can answer me as broadly or as detailed as you like, or you can choose to not answer at all. This way you can measure how much of what kind of information I get. Agreed?"

 

Kagome smiled, happy her friend was patient and, though she tried to hide it, caring enough to go through all the bother. "Agreed."

 

"Okay, so what - in the broadest sense - is this all about?"

 

"Hanyou...and their place in the legal system."

 

Sango was momentarily taken aback; whatever she had been expecting it certainly hadn't been that. "Wha...are you...?" She glanced meaningfully to Kagome's midsection, currently hidden by the desk. She didn't think she'd seen any change in her friend's weight but then again it was December and there was much to be said for the concealing properties of bulky winter jackets.

 

It took Kagome a moment to catch onto what Sango was insinuating since at first she'd thought she was referencing the book on the table in front of her. When she realized however, she couldn't decide whether to gasp or laugh and settled for an awkward combination of the two. "No, I'm...just no. I should let you know now though that if I were pregnant I would love the child regardless of his or her genetic composition."

 

Finally pulling her gaze back up to Kagome's face Sango worked her mouth a moment before continuing on. "Does that mean that you have been...?”

 

Kagome cut her off, not willing to reveal that much just yet, not knowing what her sentiments were regarding hanyou. "I need to know before I go any further, Sango. Will you still help me if I'm researching hanyou legal matters and eventually want to use that to get them equal rights?" She was nervous watching her friend contemplate the matter. She looked as though she'd never heard of anything more preposterous in her life but then again Kagome had to concede hers wasn't exactly an everyday request. She ran through her words again in her head, making sure that she hadn't given away too much information, anything that could be linked to any particular hanyou, in case Sango decided against her. Even as she went over the possibility though she found it ridiculous; though she didn't know what Sango was working so hard for, even if there was a conflict of interests, Kagome didn't think Sango would ever try to undermine her or work against her. She believed they had enough level of trust going for them there. In any case, would Professor Yamizaki have directed her to Sango if their ultimate goals had been in conflict?

 

Anxiety was gnawing at her in the silence but she refused to give into it. She had chosen to trust her friend and trust her friend she would.

 

Suddenly Sango sat back and with a brusque laugh broke the tense quiet. "Wow, you really did get me there. All this time I've been guessing at your story and never once did this even occur to me. But," she leaned forward again and looked at Kagome earnestly, "are you really serious about this? Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"

 

"Of course I know! It's not like I picked this up on a whim! How many people even really know about the existence of hanyou?"

 

"But - but that could get really dangerous! Kagome, you have no idea what the government and its implemented systems can be like. If you start arguing about something that they don't like or even digging in areas they don't appreciate things can turn bad for you fast. How on earth can you do that knowing the risks?"

 

"Because, as I said, I know what I'm getting myself into," she answered with a calm that made Sango realize she wasn't the first she'd argued with on the subject matter.

 

"You know some, don't you," she said in wonder. She was starting to see Kagome in a whole new light; she'd always seen her as bubbly and sweet but now she was discovering there was something entirely different lingering beneath the surface.

 

"Sango..." she started out in a tired tone but she didn't need continue on. They both knew she wouldn't divulge any more information until Sango had made her stance clear.

 

"My father was killed by a youkai."

 

Kagome's eyes widened at the information, taken aback as she was by the quick subject change and the horror of the revelation.

 

"He and my brother both were attacked. It took my father a long time to die, months spent lying in a hospital while the doctors tried everything they could to save him. In the end it wasn't enough - and my brother's still there." Her eyes seemed to darken at the last statement and it was all Kagome could do to keep herself from offering sympathies and asking questions; she knew it wasn't the right time.

 

"He was caught and tried by youkai authorities. Their sense of justice is slightly different than our own but we have no complaints that his punishment was too light." Kagome couldn't help but shiver as she watched Sango's deadpan. "Our problem lay in an entirely different area, one we could not breach legally. If the beast had just killed my family it would be one thing, but he made them suffer and linger, and all the while it sucked us dry of everything we had left, in every single way emotionally, mentally, and physically. I had to borrow against the house to pay the medical bills, then put out a mortgage, and eventually there just was no money left and it was repossessed. I sold everything else I could, did everything I could to get money. When my father...passed...I was able to use his life insurance to pay off most of the debt but then there's still my brother..."

 

She visibly pulled herself together and her face was fiercer than Kagome had ever seen it. "The youkai who did this to us is rich...he's from one of the old families so he's filthy, stinking rich. If he were human I could sue the pants off him or at least bring the government into the equation. If nothing else the public outcry might be enough for the government itself to kick in a bit and start helping. Yet because of the bridge between our respective legal systems there's nothing I can do. I'm stuck but I won't see other people in the same predicament." Her gaze had wandered off as memories had flooded her when she spoke and turning back to Kagome she saw her mouth was stuck open in shock. Or agitation? she wondered. She hadn't exactly meant to get so impassioned in her explanation and she knew her general severity frightened off many people. Would Kagome see her differently now?

 

"I'm not looking for riches or anything of that sort and I would hate to open a way for some to exploit the civil law system like they are now, but...

 

"Suffice it to say," she continued, "I'm looking for a way to bridge that gap. Everything I'm researching now could possibly be helpful to you I suppose. I don't really know what you're looking for but if I can do anything for you I'm more than willing."

 

Kagome's voice was small when she spoke. "Does this mean you hate youkai?" She hated to think it but it could bring in complications. After all, hanyou were half-youkai and such strong and personal prejudices were hard to erase when blood was concerned.

 

Sango sighed softly. "At first I did, but no. There are murders every day by humans as well and I've seen cruelty of all kinds. If there is equal capability for evil then there must be equal capability for good, right?" She smiled sadly. "I can't say it isn't hard for me though, that every time I meet a youkai I see them as guilty until they prove themselves innocent. It's not something I'm proud of but all I can do is accept it for the time being and continue to work on it."

 

Kagome contemplated her a long moment before nodding. "In that case, yes, I have met some hanyou."

 

~ ~ ~

 

Inuyasha prowled quietly around his room, growling at intermittent intervals. Kagome's letter was late. Oh, it was in the building, Ryu had made certain to reassure him, but it couldn't be delivered to him just yet. What on earth could take so long with getting him a simple letter?! He snarled and punched the door, knowing it was the surface in his room least likely to show damage.

 

It was pathetic, really, how dependant he had become on those letters, like they were a lifeline to sweeter and tamer than the world he lived in. On more than one occasion he'd found himself ready to shred the damn things since he realized they were making him so sappy, since they showed by stark contrast the horrible state he had to endure on a daily basis. He laughed. As though he didn't know that all on his own anyhow.

 

With a vicious snarl he launched himself at the closet and pulled out the cosseted letters, holding his claws up to them once again. One swipe and it would all be over...at least until the next letter comes, insisted a small part of him. No, he shook his head to free himself of the doubt the thought brought up. He didn't like feeling dependant. He forestalled the argument he always had with himself, that it was different to be dependant on her than the Shrine because at least at the Shrine he earned his keep. He clung to this with all the tenacity he had, arguing that not only was it true but it was the only way to truly protect Kagome.

 

He growled again when he saw his hand had lowered as the thoughts raged inside his head. No more. It only made it worse that she wrote every week, that he had become used to hearing from her, that he had so easily incorporated reading her letters as a regular course of his life. It felt familiar, and he hated it because every time he saw another damned envelope he couldn't help the hope that bubbled up inside him.

 

It had to end. He raised his claws just as a knock sounded at the door. Without thinking he sprang into action and carefully placed the letters back in the closet though there was now only one clean sheet and a few shirts to hide them in. Backing up to make sure they appeared safely hidden he stumped over to the door and swung it open to reveal, to his surprise, Ryu standing there with his arms loaded so high he could only see the top of his head.

 

"You mind helping me with this or you just gonna stand there staring at me?" His muffled voice startled Inuyasha back into a response and he immediately took the entire bundle from Ryu. "Careful with that, it's heavier than it looks," he admonished as he closed the door behind him. Inuyasha, having expected the misshapen lump to be comprised of nothing but cloth, had miscalculated its weight but recovered easily.

 

"What is all this?"

 

"I think, my dear boy, that you would recognize your own sheets by now," Ryu quipped. Inuyasha sent him a look that said he was not amused. "If you want to know why don't you just pull aside the sheets and find out?" He settled himself against the wall as Inuyasha set the bundle on the floor and squatted in front of it. "It won't bite, you know," he said, not quite keeping the laugh from his voice as he watched him poke at the middle of the pile.

 

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," Inuyasha muttered. "What's with the weird clothes, anyhow? Or are you just going senile with old age?"

 

"I'll have you know that 38 is not at all old, even for a human," Ryu countered Inuyasha's fallback retort before he could make it, putting on an act of being highly affronted. Inuyasha just smirked - it was so easy to see through the old man after all.

 

"Besides, this isn't every day wear, it's for more festive occasions, holidays and such..." he said leadingly.

 

Inuyasha couldn't have looked more uninterested if he'd tried. "Oh, so it's Christmas already?"

 

"Yes, it's Christmas already! Tomorrow, as a matter of fact. Since it's a couple's holiday and all we don't get much business so the big-wigs just decided to close us down for the day this year."

 

Inuyasha looked marginally happier. "So you just come to tell me I won't have any clients tomorrow?"

 

"Of course not. I came to give you this." Ryu thrust a package into Inuyasha's hands but he'd be damned if he knew where it had come from. "And that," he said, pointing to the lump in front of him, "is from a dear friend who wishes she could have been here to give it to you in person."

 

Eyes widening Inuyasha whipped his head around to stare at the sheets as if Kagome herself might appear out of them. Ryu refrained from chuckling though he wasn't sure if Inuyasha heard him as he said, "Well it's obvious I'm no longer needed here. I'll leave you alone and let you to your privacy to open your present. I'll stop in tomorrow though to wish you a Merry Christmas." Sure enough he wasn't paying the least bit attention and with a smile Ryu left the room, taking care to close the door firmly behind him, and whistled his way down the hall.

 

Inuyasha stared fixedly at the pile of fabric in front of him and, after a furtive glance around the room to assure himself no one else was there that could be playing a joke on him, pulled off the top sheet with mingling excitement and distrust. When a large box came into view and it seemed to be nothing more than it appeared to be he lunged greedily for it, pulling it into his lap as he tore at the top to get the cardboard open. Everything inside was covered in thin paper but there was a letter on top with writing in Kagome's distinctive script. Warring with himself whether or not to read the letter first his curiosity got the better of him and he gingerly set it aside as he tore through the paper to reveal what was left inside.

 

For a moment he was confused. There was something large and shiny and it made him pause before he recognized it as a kettle. Even then he scoffed, leave it to the wench to send me something I can't even use. Taking it out to examine it he started when he felt something fall onto his knee and saw an electrical cord attached to the kettle. He hadn't even known they made them like that but at least her gift certainly made more sense now. Peering deeper into the box he discovered that every bit of space remaining was taken up by what looked like an entire case of instant ramen.

 

Putting the electric kettle down with excruciating caution he picked up and opened Kagome's letter.

 

Dear Inuyasha,

 

Merry Christmas! I'm sorry I couldn't manage a way to get out to see you, I had hoped to spend the day with you. Inuyasha blushed at this, his eyes darting around the room again. Had she meant that in the way that Ryu had mentioned earlier, about it being a couples' holiday, or was it just that she didn't want him to have to spend a holiday alone?

 

Since I can't come see you I figured I'd do what I could to make it a more pleasant day for you anyhow. With everything here you won't have to leave for the cafeteria and run into anyone you don't like, well at least not if you don't want to. The case should last you for a day or two, right? Inuyasha had to squint at the writing here but he assumed it was her approximation of a winking face. Glancing at the amount of ramen he concluded wryly that he probably could polish the whole of it off in that short a time if he wanted to. He knew he wouldn't though, he'd want to drag out the remainder of her gift for as long as he could possibly manage to make it last.

 

I miss you but at least time is moving fast so hopefully it won't feel like too long before I get to come out there again. He couldn't have disagreed more. Time seemed to drag at a snail's pace but seeing as there was nothing he could do about it he decided to just not dwell on it. Besides, her constant reassurance in every single of her weekly letters was slowly burgeoning a sense of security within him that she most definitely would be there when she said.

 

I'll be writing to you same time again next week so don't you dare go forgetting about me, alright?! He couldn't help but laugh. It always amused him when she tried to get threatening in her letters. And I really do appreciate your last letter but it's been over a month so maybe you could send back something soon? I don't care if it's much, don't want to sound too desperate, - she'd crossed that last part off then tried to erase it but he could still see the faint markings - but anything's fine just so long as I know you're alright.

 

Either way, Merry Christmas again and please pass my well wishes along to Ryu as well.

 

Love,

Kagome

 

Shaking his head gently and smiling to himself he got up to immediately set the letter with all the others but instead of putting them away he decided to pull them all out together. Stopping to pull his water pitcher out from his small cabinet he plugged the kettle in and knew a moment of deep satisfaction when it started heating up almost immediately. Settling himself against the bed frame with an unrepentant smirk he opened the first letter in the bundle and began to read, pausing only at the kettles whistle to pour the hot water into his first cup of ramen.

 

Yes, he decided, this was definitely going to be his best Christmas in recent memory.

 

~ ~ ~

 

A/N: As always, much thanks to all the readers and reviewers and of course to Akihana for doing fantastic beta-ness.