InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Special delivery ❯ Minutes to midnight ( Chapter 35 )

Chapter 35: Minutes to midnight

 

 

A/N: One more super long chapter! I blame it on mental exhaustion, my fingers wouldn't stop typing. I hope you enjoy. I am so sorry to say that there won't be an update next week. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!!

 

Thanks to my awesome reviewers:

 

Killersupergirl (Oh yes Kanna is just a little girl, who can be naughty, but only sometimes.)

 

Sychotic

Sesshkagufan13

Little25victor

Jinxy-sama

ALLheartsONfraya

Flam1ng1c3 (x2)

Foxfire7

Zinxtor

Soojinyeh

 

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, Sesshy and Kagura would be happily mated and working on silver haired baby number three by now…

 

 

 

“Talking”

`Thoughts'

 

 

“Hey guys. I was about to go take Kanna out for a stroll, and wanted to see if you'd like to come along.” The wind sorceress asked as she entered Sango's office.

 

“Oh maybe not know. I am busy trying to convince Sango not to quit her job here.” Kagome said a scowl similar to her boyfriend's on her face.

 

“You want to quit? Why Sango, is there something wrong?” Kagura asked with surprise as she took the second chair facing the desk of the head of security, and sat next to Kagome.

 

“No. I've been thinking about this for a while now… I like my job, but now that I'm with Miroku things are being too complicated. He is my direct supervisor, and I don't like working under my boyfriend. Now that we've gone beyond flirting, and that we are truly in a serious relationship it feels... weird.” Sango tried explaining her feelings.

 

“It doesn't have to be! I work great with Inuyasha, and if Miroku bothers you too much at work, threaten him with a sexual harassment lawsuit. It wouldn't be the first one, and the memory of it should still be enough to make him back off.” Kagome proposed. She really did not want to lose her friend; they were having too much fun working together at the workplace.

 

“I still think it'd be better for me to leave and go work under my father. He is getting older, and is having a harder time with his security agency. What do you think Kagura? You're also in the same situation after all. Unlike Kagome who virtually has a ring on her finger, and is assured to stay with Inuyasha forever, the two of us can't be too sure. If I ever leave that idiotic lecher, the situation at work would become horrible, don't you agree?” The head of security asked her crimson eyed friend with a shrug.

 

“You're already assuming that we'll break up with them?” The wind sorceress questioned an eyebrow raised in surprise.

 

“Of course not! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say your relationship with Sesshoumaru was not going to work out. Just like Miroku and me I am sure it's going to last, but I'm just talking hypothetically. You know... worst case scenario. Just in case I'd...” A painfully red Sango fumbled to explain.

 

“If you want my opinion.” Kagura cut her, taking pity on the fumbling young woman. “Sango this is your decision to make. The best way to go is the one you choose. Now then Kanna's waiting for me, so I'm going to leave you girls.” Kagura said as she took to her feet, and quickly left Sango's office.

 

 

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“So how are things going between you and Shippou?” The wind sorceress asked her daughter as she stopped under the shade of a tree to rest. She then sat on a nearby bench and turned around the toddler's stroller to face her. It was a sunny afternoon, so following Sesshoumaru's suggestion, Kagura had decided to take Kanna out for some fresh air during her lunch break. Not to mention that she herself could use a break to distract her from her thoughts.

 

'Even before Sango mentioned it, I had already been thinking about that. It's true that I'm completely dependent on Sesshoumaru, and I don't like that all that much. If we were to break up, I don't know what would happen to Kanna and me.' Kagura frowned, but her daughter shook her out of her thoughts.

 

“He still don't speak to me.” Kanna explained sadly. Even though the 'incident' between her and her young friend had occurred a week ago, that Kanna had apologized, and that she had returned the drawing, the young fox demon had yet to forgive her for taking the picture he had made of his 'perfect family.'

 

“Aw I'm sorry to hear that baby. Maybe he'd forgive you if you apologized or gave him something in return. Like a gift or something.” Kagura suggested offering her daughter some fruit juice.

 

“A gift?” Kanna echoed wondering what she could give her friend. The little girl waited for her mother to elaborate while she sipped some juice.

 

“If I remember correctly, Kagome said Shippou enjoyed little tricks. I saw a magic store around there somewhere; how about we go pick something for him?” The wind sorceress suggested already getting to her feet.

 

“No. I already have something for him.” The young demoness said her dark eyes looking away from her mother. “I want to give it to him now.”

 

“Okay let's go back then.” Kagura said surprised by the sudden determination Kanna was showing. 'I guess she really cares for Shippou a lot. Then again it's her first friend, and... ' Kagura's thoughts were suddenly interrupted. With a start she turned around, the hair on the back of her neck rising.

 

What had caused her to lose her train of thoughts was the strange feeling that someone was watching her. The wind sorceress looked around herself a few times, but not seeing anyone she simply shrugged and hurried back to the Takahashi agency's building, suddenly craving the security of Sesshoumaru's presence.

 

 

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There were only a few items Kanna had come to cherish during her life. There had been the blanket her mother had knitted, which had unfortunately been forgotten at Naraku's house when the two girls had ran away too quickly. On the list there also was the small mirror that had once belonged to Kagura, and the little white bear she named Kuma-chan that Sesshoumaru had given her. Lastly there was a new item she had grown to love, a set of two white sea shells the dog demon had picked on the beach for her during their little vacation. She could remember how they had come into her position.

 

 

*Flashback*

 

Sesshoumaru silently observed the little girl carefully installed on the carpet of the master bedroom of his father's summer house. He then briefly rolled his golden eyes to the side to observe Kagura who was profoundly sleeping on the bed next to him, a hand resting on her stomach. 'It appears Inuyasha's remedy does do wonders.'

 

Only an hour after she had started reading the books on architecture her boyfriend had brought her, the wind sorceress had fallen asleep. Sesshoumaru inferred it was due to the medicine Inuyasha had made for her.

 

Since her mother was not at the moment capable to take care of her, the dog demon had taken it upon him to do his best to entertain Kanna. With a soft sigh, he reached over to his bed side table and took the little present he had prepared for the toddler. He then took to his feet and walked towards the toddler.

 

“Here.” Sesshoumaru said as he lowered himself to Kanna's level, handing her the little gift he had gotten for her the day before.

 

“Pretty” Kanna said taking the two white objects before critically observing them.

 

“They are seashells.” He supplied when he noticed the little girl's apparent confusion. “Here” he then added taking one of the two seashells and pressing it against Kanna's left ear.

 

“The sea?” The little girl gasped in shock amazed by the sounds that were coming from the seashell.

 

“Not exactly, but it does sound like the waves of the ocean.” Sesshoumaru smiled faintly, peering down into Kanna's brightened dark orbs.

 

He could still remember when he had been in Kanna's position, and his father had been the one to give him a seashell. This had happened when they had come to the beach house years ago, when Sesshoumaru was but a mere child. It had been one of the best summer vacation he had ever had. It had also been the only time his father had taken care of him for a long stretch of time before he had gotten full custody of him. The reason being that his mother had gone on a month long cruise in the Mediterranean sea and had dumped her son at his father's doorstep before leaving.

 

'The innocent amazement of children is so refreshing.' The dog demon smiled observing Kanna's sparkling eyes.

 

“Can I keep it?” She asked him shyly. At Sesshoumaru's affirmative nod she smiled brightly. “Thank you. I love it.”

 

“Go back to playing for now. I have work to do.” Sesshoumaru instructed as he gently ruffled Kanna's short pale blond hair before getting back to his feet and settling back on the bed with his laptop.

 

*End of Flashback*

 

“Shippou. Here it's for you.” Kanna said extending a palm to her friend. As soon as her mother had dropped her back at the nursery, the little girl had started working on getting her friend back.

 

Even if he wanted to appear cold and uninterested, the young fox demon could not help but look at what she was handing him in peace offering. He gasped when he saw that it was none other than one of the two seashells Sesshoumaru had given her during their week long vacation.

 

“Wow! Really you'll give one of them to me? Are you sure? I know you like them so much.” He asked surprised Kanna would be willing to part with the gift she was so proud of. She nodded her head in assent at his question, which made him grin happily.

 

“That's awesome! Thanks Kanna. Well... I also have something for you. I bought it with Kagome yesterday.” The young fox demon then fished into his pocket to retrieve two white hair pins in the form of a flower.

 

“That's for me?” Kanna asked in surprise as she took the hairpins from her friend's hand.

 

“Yeah. I'm sorry for getting really mad at you. I want us to be friends again; that's why I wanted to give this to you.” Shippou said with a shy smile.

 

“Friends.” Kanna said faintly, returning Shippou's smile. Just like that, the two children were best friends again.

 

 

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“Sesshoumaru look!” The dog demon who was sitting behind his office desk barely had time to look up at hearing someone call his name that he felt something latching on his knee. He lowered his golden eyes, and the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips when he saw that his `attacker' was none other than Kanna.

 

“Wow Kanna-chan I had no idea you could run this fast.” Kagura chuckled as she closed the door of her boyfriend's office behind her. The wind sorceress was impressed how fast her daughter had indeed made it to the dog demon's side.

 

“What is it you wanted to show me?” The inu youkai asked raising Kanna in his arms to carefully sit her on his knees, to the toddler's great delight.

 

“This.” She pointed to her head with a smile. On each of her temple were now delicately placed two large white flowers.

 

“New hairpins? They are very pretty.” He commented smoothing a tender hand over the little girl's white hair.

 

“A gift from Shippou.” Kagura explained as she walked over to the two demons she lived with. She tried forcing a smile on her lips as she could not help but think back to her previous conversation with Sango and Kagome, and the thoughts it had provoked in her.

 

“I take it he forgave you for taking his drawing last week?” Sesshoumaru asked the little girl whose eyes were now locked with interest on the CEO's desk where his art utensils were splayed.

 

“Yep he even agreed to help her improve her drawing skills. Didn't he Kanna-chan?” Her mother chuckled noticing with amusement how her daughter seemed captivated by Sesshoumaru's latest sketches.

 

“I want to make a pretty picture of mommy Sesshoumaru and Kanna, like this.” The young youkai said pointing to the dog demon's work. `Even Shippou's drawing is not so good.' She thought truly impressed by the dog demon's skills.

 

“I'm looking forward to seeing it.” Sesshoumaru assured her. His words made a smile appear on the young void youkai's lips.

 

Kagura took a long minute to take in the image Sesshoumaru and Kanna were offering her. Anyone who would walk in and not know the relationship between the two demons would certainly take them for father and child.

 

`These two have become quite close. I just hope I won't regret letting Kanna get this attached to Sesshoumaru. I can take getting hurt, but I never want her to have to suffer for my choices, whatever they may be…' The wind witch thought a slight frown on her face.

 

“You seem worried Kagura. Is something the matter?” Sesshoumaru asked his girlfriend as he handed a pencil to Kanna, allowing her to draw on a blank piece of paper resting on his desk, which amused the toddler greatly.

 

“No it's nothing.” Kagura brushed his concern aside.

 

“Do not lie. `Nothing' would not make you frown like this.” He retorted his golden eyes piercing her with a sharp glare.

 

'Damn he does know me too well.' Kagura thought with a small sigh.

 

The wind sorceress pondered on whether to tell Sesshoumaru about her concerned thoughts, but decided against it. 'I'm not really looking forward to telling himI'm having doubts on our relationship… Besides he'd probably tell me not to worry anyway...'

 

Since she however knew Sesshoumaru would be wanting some sort of answer from her, she said “Well if you must know, it's kind of weird, but when I was out taking a stroll with Kanna earlier, I felt like I was being followed.” `That may not have been what I was worrying about just, but it's true. As creepy as it sounds, I can't shake off the feeling that someone's been watching me.'

 

“Followed?” Sesshoumaru echoed instinctively placing his arm around Kanna, securing his hold on her. Kagura's words had made a surge of protectiveness go through the dog demon.

 

“Yeah… now that I think about it, it wasn't the first time it happened. It also happened last week when I was out having lunch with Kagome and Sango, and they both also felt like someone was watching us.” The wind sorceress said suddenly feeling her worry grow. Before she mentioned the two incidents to Sesshoumaru, she had not realized how strange and scary the situation actually sounded. She had not even made a connection between the two occurrences.

 

“Sango is trained to know if someone is indeed following her, and she may not look much, but Kagome is a powerful miko; she can feel demonic auras especially when they pose a danger.” Sesshoumaru muttered more to himself than to Kagura.

 

He stayed silent for a little while, a dark frown on his face. “From today on Kanna and you will not be left alone outside of the penthouse or the office building.” He finally ordered, protectively resting his large hand on the little girl's white hair.

 

“Oh hell no! I'm strong enough to take care of myself.” The wind sorceress retorted angrily. “I'm not going to let you cage me!” Her refusal to listen to him caused his golden eyes to briefly flash red.

 

“Witch I do not intend to cage you, but to protect you. Would you put Kanna's safety at risk as well?” He asked already knowing the answer. “This Sesshoumaru did not say you were to stay locked all the time. I merely wish to make sure you are protected at all times…” He trailed off not able to prevent his eyes to rest on the trash can resting a few feet away from him.

 

`The timings coincide a little too well to my liking. Ever since last week I have been receiving these strange letters. Had it been the work of my typical jealous competitors the letters would have stopped coming by now. No these messages seem too personal. Whoever this Mr. N.O., who is behind them is, he poses a threat to me and the people I care about, but I aim to protect them. Which means that I first need to find out who this N.O. is.' The dog demon thought feeling an angry growl form in his chest. He could easily recall what today's letter had said and it infuriated him even more.

 

`Soon your eyes will be opened to the truth by ME.' Were the exact words written on the note sent to Sesshoumaru's office that morning. He had been receiving the suspicious letters continuously for a week, both at home and at the office, and it was really getting on his nerves .

 

`Whoever or whatever is behind this better pray I never put my hands on them because if I do, they will regret the day they were born.' He thought as the words of today's note came back to his mind.

 

“Hum I don't know what you're thinking about, but you're looking pretty pissed. Why don't we do that? I retain my freedom, but I promise to be careful.” Kagura smiled sweetly as she walked towards the dog demon and her daughter. Her answer made him want to snarl at her, but Sesshoumaru knew better. Telling Kagura do something would only push her to do exactly the opposite.

 

'If she refuses to abide to my rules, then I will have to keep a constant watch over her. Kagura and Kanna will not leave my sight, and if for some unlikely reason I am not able to be by their side I will dispatch Inuyasha or Sango.” Pleased with his new idea, he decided to relent.

 

“Fine do as you wish, but remember your promise to be careful.” Sesshoumaru told the wind sorceress while looking up straight into her crimson eyes.

 

“I know. There's no need for you to worry at all. Now Kanna-chan you showed him what you wanted, so it's about time to let Sesshoumaru work and bring you back to the nursery.” The wind sorceress added as she pressed a quick kiss to her boyfriend's lips before plucking Kanna from the dog demon's knee. Then noticing her daughter's clear disappointment at being separated from Sesshoumaru too early to her liking, Kagura added “Don't be sad while you're there you'll be able to start working on the pretty picture you promised Sesshoumaru and me, right?”

 

“Yes.” Kanna agreed hooking her arms around her mother's neck, signifying to her she did not want to be put down yet.

 

“My my one of these days you're going to have to learn how to use your feet; you're becoming quite heavy baby.” Kagura teased her daughter pressing a kiss to her cheek before tossing her in the air a few time, to the toddler's delight.

 

Sesshoumaru smiled faintly as the two female youkai left his office. The door had barely closed behind Kagura's back that he heard his cell phone ring. He frowned as he knew that only a handful of people actually knew the number, and that all said people were in the building at the time and would therefore have no reason to call his private number when they could just as usually call his office.

 

“What?” Sesshoumaru asked raising a thin silver eyebrow.

 

“Ku ku ku is that a decent way to answer your phone Sesshoumaru? Now you do have to remember to be more respectful of your family members.” A deep male voice said at the other end of the line.

 

“Who are you?” The dog demon asked with a frown. His only family member he had some feelings for was Inuyasha, and he was only a few corridors away.

 

“I just said it, didn't I? We are family. More precisely I am your father-in-law since you of course will not deny that you're fucking my daughter. You might call me N.O. or Naraku Onigumo though.” The answer made the dog demon growl in anger. “Now my dear son you must be wondering how I got your number? Well you have a delightful secretary named Mika. A true gem, you should thank her for me.” Naraku said a delighted smile on his lips.

 

“What do you want? I have no patience for you.” Sesshoumaru retorted sharply.

 

“Tst tst such a bad personality. Wonder what Kagura sees in you... then again the bitch never had a lot of taste…” Naraku let out a small chuckle, which grated on Sesshoumaru's nerves.

 

“Do not speak of her!” The young inu youkai interjected on a hate filled tone.

 

“Ah it seems I hit a nerve. No wonder you dog demons are such protective beings after all. I do wonder why you care so much for that little bitch though. She does not deserve you as I'm pretty sure you do not know all about her. Kagura has always been such a blatant liar...” Naraku said thoughtfully.

 

“Nothing you could say about Kagura would ever be able affect the opinion I have of her.” Sesshoumaru said angry at himself for allowing Naraku to get him riled up.

 

“Oh! Is that so? Well did my bitch of a daughter tell you she used to be a whore?”

 

 

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'Ugh why do I have to take care of all this again?' Kagura wondered with a sigh as she sorted through an amount of papers which used to litter Sesshoumaru's desk. She was calmly working on making small little piles while seating behind her own desk as she told herself again 'I still wonder how such a smart looking man can actually be such a mess? Not that this imbecile of Mika helped. She managed to mix up so many of Sesshoumaru's damn files.'

 

The wind sorceress's thoughts were interrupted when she saw some sort of legal looking document which served as the proof of a payment. What really shocked her was the name of the person to which the payment had been made to. She had to look at the name for a long time before deciding on the best course of action.

 

'What is the meaning of this?!' Kagura thought in shock. 'Maybe I should ask Sesshoumaru...' She wondered biting her lower lip. 'Then again he'd probably simply deny it, and try to turn my mind around.' She thought with a snort. `He is good at not answering questions…'

 

Kagura thought some more on whether she was taking the right decision. A part of her was aware that Sesshoumaru might be upset if he found out about what she was about to do. `Then again, I am a free person entitled to talk to whoever I want. I'll just talk to him, not run away with him or something…'

 

'If I want the truth, I better get to the person at the middle of all this. Even if I really do not want to talk to him of all people.' The wind sorceress thought her crimson eyes burning in hatred and anger.

 

Unable to wrap her mind around what the paper could have really meant Kagura quickly fished out her cell phone and dialed a number she knew by heart, even though she had hoped never to speak to the person on the other line.

 

“I don't want to talk to you, but I have a question to ask and I'll make it fast.” Kagura quickly spoke as soon as the other person picked up his phone.

 

“Hum Kagura I must say I am surprised by your call. So what is it you want honey?” A male voice filled with amusement answered her.

 

“Don't you dare call me like that Shinichi...” She spat angrily feeling anger coursing in her veins.

 

 

To be continued...

 

 

 

A/N: Wow tons of things happening. What does Naraku want? And what will Kagura ask Shinichi? Find out next time in House of cards where truths and secrets will finally be revealed. See you guys in two weeks!