InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seventh Key ❯ A Motley Crew ( Chapter 2 )

The Seventh Key

 

Chapter 2

 

A Motley Crew

 

The door to the refitted church swung open as Mushin led Inuyasha inside. The inside was lit with a pair of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the space between the second and first floors open. A staircase led up to a landing and turned right to the second floor balcony where various doors lay. There was a sofa with a missing cushion in front of the front desk with a small table. A series of metal handrails ran along a small raised section in the back with two old vending machines and a table. A door to the side led to what looked from Inuyasha's angle like a kitchen.

 

“Look out, business coming through,” Mushin called. A redhead in a tight black corset and a red skirt looked up from her book on the sofa and grinned as she saw Inuyasha. The desk clerk, a woman in a loose white blouse and a light blue skirt looked up and went back to her paperwork. She had long black hair tied in a loose ponytail.

 

“What kind of business?” the woman in the skirt asked, standing up and licking her lips.

 

“Not your kind of business Ayame, I think my man here is looking for an empty bed, not a full one,” Mushin replied. “But hey, if you're not busy…”

 

“Depends on if you're paying,” Ayame shot back. Mushin snorted and rang the bell on the front desk. “Kikyo, my man here is looking for a room,” he explained. Kikyo looked up from her paperwork as Inuyasha walked behind Mushin, wallet open.

 

“How long, Mr…?” she asked.

 

“Smith, I'll be staying the night,” Inuyasha replied, slapping a twenty on the counter. Kikyo rolled her eyes.

 

“I don't rent in the middle of the night, and I don't rent to strangers,” she muttered. Inuyasha slapped a fifty on top of the twenty. “Although I do make exceptions,” Kikyo smiled, taking the bills. She opened the drawer of the desk and took out a small key, standing up. “Kagome! Hey, Kagome!” she shouted. Inuyasha turned as a young woman in a dirty T-shirt that may have been white at some point in black jeans with ripped knees emerge from the kitchen.

 

“What? I'm trying to clean the damn stove, you keep bugging me?” Kagome snapped.

 

“Cleaning the stove with clean rubber gloves?” Kikyo snorted, waving a hand at the spotless yellow gloves on Kagome's hands. Inuyasha stared at Kagome as Kikyo tossed her the key, which she deftly caught. “That program you're on is called work release, not sit-on-your-ass release. Now, escort Mr. Smith to his room, and when you're done come back down and clean that stove again, and I'll make sure you do it right this time,” Kikyo told her.

 

“Yeah yeah,” Kagome replied, trudging up the stairs. Inuyasha followed her, pushing past a man in a light blue T-shirt and black dress pants on the landing. Kagome unlocked one of the rooms off the balcony and tossed the key inside. Inuyasha went inside and looked out the window.

 

“Where's town?” he asked. Kagome snorted.

 

“There's a grocery store and a couple shithole houses down the road. Doubt you'll find much there,” she replied, turning.

 

“What were you in for?” Inuyasha asked, continuing to scan the country side.

 

“What?” Kagome groaned, turning back. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder.

 

“Work release…what'd ya do?” he repeated. Kagome rolled her eyes.

 

“I snipped off a guy's balls because he asked too many questions,” she explained, leaving this time. Inuyasha smirked and looked down at his hand. He left the room and looked out over the balcony as Kagome walked down the stairs.

 

“Mushin, Kikyo, Ayame, the guy in blue, Kagome…that's only five…that makes no sense,” he whispered, looking down at his glove. Kagome paused at the landing and looked up as Inuyasha took off his glove and ran a finger over his palm. She shrugged and continued down the stairs. The man in the blue shirt was on the chair with Ayame sitting on the arm filing her nails.

 

“He just…ripped off my nametag, right in the middle of the post office…in front of everyone. And he told me to get out before he shoved his boot up my ass,” the man grumbled. Ayame sighed and shook her head.

 

“I told ya `roku, the post office will drive you nuts. There's lots of other places to work,” she said. Kikyo let out a laugh from the desk.

 

“Yeah, the police, here, and the grocery store. Miroku, you get on your hands and knees and kiss his ass until he hires you back,” she advised. Miroku shook his head.

 

“That won't work…I already tried,” he grunted. Ayame pursed her lip and swung her legs around onto Miroku's lap while wrapping her arms around his head.

 

“Aw, don't worry `roku, you'll get by. Try and cheer up,” she coaxed. Miroku shrugged and smirked at the mound of flesh pressing into the side of his head.

 

“I'm feeling better now,” he teased, running a hand along one of Ayame's legs. Ayame rolled her eyes as he reached her knee.

 

“Go any higher and I start charging,” she warned. Miroku stopped, and she pulled back. “Kagome, did you do my laundry?” she called. There was a groan as Kagome stuck her head out of the kitchen again.

 

“Yeah, it's downstairs…and those stains on the sheets still won't come out,” she glared. Ayame coughed.

 

“Damn mayonnaise,” she muttered. “Could you grab them for me?”

 

“I'm trying to clean the damn stove!” Kagome protested.

 

“I'll get them,” Miroku said, jumping up. Ayame smiled as he ran past her to the door to the basement.

 

“Poor guy…maybe I'll give him a freebie for once,” she mused. Kikyo smirked. Inuyasha came within earshot as she continued.

 

“Just what he needs, someone else fucking with him,” she chuckled. Inuyasha cleared his throat, and she looked up.

 

“You got something to eat?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Ask Kagome,” Kikyo replied. Inuyasha nodded and turned. Suddenly, there was the sound of a car engine. Inuyasha spun around as the engine cut. Kikyo looked up again as he tensed up. “Expecting someone?” she asked. The door to the hotel swung open. A man with long brunette hair and a black leather jacket came in. He had on a pair of dirty brown pants and a black T-shirt.

 

“Kouga baby,” Ayame called. Kouga grinned and pulled her into a kiss.

 

“Hey `ame, good evening fellow lowlifes,” he called. Kikyo shook her head. “Who's the new guy?” Kouga asked, jerking a thumb at Inuyasha, who had gone to inspect the dusty vending machines in the corner.

 

“I dunno, wandered in earlier,” she replied. Kouga nodded and wrapped an arm around Ayame's shoulder.

 

“Well, be careful. There's a weirdo stalking around. Kurama had someone try and steal his car,” he continued.

 

“You're kidding,” Kikyo sighed, shaking her head.

 

“Yeah, well, Sheriff Tight-ass and Bankotsu were called, they'll handle it,” Kouga assured her. “In the meantime, I believe we have an appointment with a mattress,” he whispered, kissing Ayame's hand.

 

“Alright, come on boy,” she teased, leading him upstairs. As they started up, Miroku emerged from the basement with a basket of laundry, watching them.

 

“Put them down, Miroku,” Kikyo advised as Ayame's door slammed shut upstairs. “She'll be needing clean sheets soon,” she chuckled, picking up the phone and looked up at Inuyasha in the dining area.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“You did the right thing, son. You don't need to be afraid, we'll catch him,” Naraku assured Shippo, ruffling his hair. Kurama nodded and patted Shippo's shoulder.

 

“He's a good kid. He knows a bad guy when he sees one,” Kurama promised. Shippo up at Naraku, who grinned back.

 

“Yeah, well, if you see him again, don't alert him, just call us,” Sesshomaru told him.

 

“Hey, Sheriff!” the two turned to Bankotsu lean out the car window. “I just got a call from Kikyo, she says some stranger came in a few minutes ago looking for a room. Tall guy with white hair,” he called. Naraku gave Sesshomaru a look.

 

“That's my boy,” he smirked, heading towards the car. “You and your son have a nice night. Sheriff, let's go,” he said. Sesshomaru glared and followed him.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Miroku watched the light hanging from the second floor balcony shake in time to the creaking of the bedsprings. Kikyo smirked and shook her head.

 

“He's holding on tonight!” she laughed. Miroku grimaced and walked away past the dining area. Inuyasha dumped a clump of salt onto the “meal” Kagome had brought him - it looked like a hamburger patty, except it reeked and wasn't on a bun. A quick squirt of ketchup and mustard gave it a tolerable flavor. Inuyasha gulped it down as Mushin watched him with a raised eyebrow. Inuyasha grabbed his fork and looked up.

 

“Yeah?” he asked, dropping his fork on the ground and leaning to pick it up. Mushin shrugged.

 

“Nothing…I just can't believe you eat that shit,” he laughed. The table bumped as Inuyasha moved underneath it, and Kagome walked past to place a mug of coffee on the table.

 

“Bullshit, you eat it too,” she growled, hitting Mushin in the back of the head.

 

“Heh heh, you know you love me! I'm like an uncle to you!” he called as Inuyasha sat up.

 

There was a screech of tires, and Inuyasha's head snapped up as Kikyo went to the door. The double oaks creaked open.

 

“Where is he?” Sesshomaru snapped. Inuyasha tensed up while Mushin and Kagome turned to watch Bankotsu follow him inside.

 

“In the dining area,” Kikyo whispered. Inuyasha watched the two stand in the hall and scope him out for a moment. Then the oak doors opened again, and Inuyasha shot to his feet.

 

“Howdy `yash,” Naraku waved, holding up his briefcase with the other hand. “It's been a while,” Inuyasha stared as Sesshomaru started towards him.

 

“We've got a couple questions about the wreck you two had earlier,” Bankotsu explained. Inuyasha nodded and reached for the table. Kagome screamed as Inuyasha grabbed her neck and held her up against his chest, the tip of his steak-knife at her throat.