InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Goes By; Life Goes On ❯ Failure ( Chapter 15 )

As they approached the brick, building Inuyasha could hear the steady thump of the music. He knew his ears would take a beating with the loud music but what was beyond the double glass doors was nothing Inuyasha was prepared for.

Kagome on the other hand started swaying to the deep beat that permeated the club, her eyes closed she let the music lead her farther into the dark, pounding building. As the music called to her, she was oblivious to the three familiar people waiting in line just a few feet in front of her and Inuyasha.

Yuri, Eri, Ayumi, and Hojo were chatting waiting their turn to enter Bauhaus when Eri let out a happy squeal. She was the first to notice Kagome standing behind them and before the others could stop her, she made a beeline straight for Kagome and Inuyasha.

Kagome heard the surprised screech and turned to face the offending sound only to find herself face to face with her old friend.

“Eri, what a surprise to see you here,” Kagome said, grabbing Inuyasha's hand. She knew where Eri was the others were soon to follow and she did not think she was ready for the barrage of questions that were about to ensue.

“Kagome,” Ayumi said with a warm smile, “It’s good to see you. How have you been?”

“I’m great! How about you guys?” Kagome knew it was going to be a long night. Her friends were not subtle about wanting to set her up with Hojo and when the said guy pulled up the rear, she heard a feral growl escape Inuyasha's throat.

A very long night indeed.

Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's hand with reassurance before putting her focus on the four standing before them with quizzical looks plastered on their face. They did not know everything that has happened over the past few months and she was not about to delve into her personal affairs, not just yet, after all since graduation she has probably only seen them once and preferred to keep it at a minimum. Of course, they were her friends but sometimes they could be too pushy and with Inuyasha at her side that was all she wanted right now.

“Higurashi, we haven’t seen you in ages. How is your MS?”

‘MS? Damn Grandpa you and your illnesses. I swear you will get it when I see you again,’ Kagome thought rolling her eyes. It has been seven months since she graduated school and yet her reasons for all the days of school she missed were still haunting her now.

“I feel great, Hojo thanks for asking,” Kagome said turning toward Inuyasha, “C’mon let’s get inside before all the tables are taken.” She grabbed Inuyasha's hand, led him to the front of the line, and took a sidelong glance at her confused friends before stepping through the open door.

The club was worse than Inuyasha imagined. The smells of sweat and smoke invaded his nose almost gagging him with their onslaught. How had he let Saya talk him into this? He hated crowds to begin with and now here he was walking blindly into what should be known as hell. There were people standing in every corner, flanking every bar, and packed like sardines on the dance floor. How could anybody stand a place like this? Inuyasha thought following Kagome through the crowded room.

Finally, after Kagome's clever foot work they found themselves at a quite table in the corner far from the booming speakers and the crowded room. With a sigh of relief, Inuyasha plopped onto the stool and propped his head with his hand. He hoped she would want to leave soon, until he saw her nosey friends heading their way and something in him snapped. He lurched from the table and grabbed Kagome by the waist. He was not going to have them harass her for anything. No, he needed to protect her from their barrage of questions that he knew were coming.

Kagome squealed in surprise when she felt Inuyasha strong arms circle her waist and pull her flush to his tight chest. She was about to protest, until she seen Ayumi, Eri, Yuka, and Hojo snaking their way through the crowd heading straight for them. She knew the inevitable was upon her so she relaxed into Inuyasha's hold and prepared herself mentally for their questions.

“Inuyasha it’s okay. You can relax,” Kagome said with a soothing tone. She knew he was not about to let them upset her but she had to get this over with if they ever wanted peace in their already crazy life, and reluctantly Inuyasha loosened his grip and sat back down on to the stool pulling Kagome between his legs.

“Kagome!” Eri yelled over the booming music, “There you are!”

“Yeah here I am,” Kagome said through gritted teeth. Just because she had to face this now did not mean she had to like it, “Sorry we took off like that, it’s just that Inuyasha can get uncomfortable in large crowds so we had to find a quiet place. Hey Yuka, Ayumi, Hojo Kagome said with a smile.

Hojo blanched when he saw the scrupulous look Inuyasha was giving him. Had he known Kagome would be here with another man he probably would have thought twice about coming, but Eri had been adamant that he come and have some fun. However, all he could think about was the old days back in school when life was simpler and less disappointment. He knew now he would never have Kagome liked he had always hoped, and though he was not happy about it, he knew he would have to move on. Hojo was snapped out of his musings when Ayumi touched his arm gently and lovingly the way he always wanted Kagome to and with a warm smile he placed his hand over hers and gently squeezed showing her the gesture was appreciated.

Kagome did not miss the small gesture between her friends, but Eri’s questions kept her from saying anything; instead, she turned her attention back to said friend.

“We heard you moved out of the shrine,” Eri stated before averting her eyes. She had so many questions she did not really know where to begin and with a deep relaxing sigh she continued, “How can you afford a place of your own? Do you have a job?”

With a sigh, she explained everything to her from her inheritance from her dad down to Isamu only leaving the part about Inuyasha coming from the feudal era. She never told anyone about the inheritance money for the sake of her own heart. Her father’s death was something she cared not to talk about and it would only raise further questions, but these were her friends and they knew not to dredge into hurtful memories. Because as of right now she was set with everything, her inheritance would carry her for a few years and by then Isamu would be in school of sorts and she would then be able to focus on a career of her own, but until then she would enjoy being a mother and hopefully a wife.

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Saya just laid Isamu down for bed when a sharp knock announced a visitor. Who could be calling at this late hour, she thought making her way through the dim living room. Kagome had said nothing about company coming, so unless it was Souta or grandpa she did not know who it was. She paused before the door and contemplated answering or not, but when the sharp sound resounded around the room once again she decided to answer. She just knew her sharp intake of air could be heard through the units attached and the man at the door glared at her.

There was no sound to be heard as Naraku lunged toward Saya knocking her back into the small apartment, and with one swift motion, his large hand was around her throat threatening to cut off her oxygen supply. Saya had never felt so afraid and helpless before in her life, then again she had never had someone attack her in the safety of her home. Her mind whirred with past memories and when she her vision went black her mind stopped, and the only thing that signaled life in her limp form was the shallow breathing emanating from her lungs. The rise and fall of her chest was barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but she was alive.

Naraku had hoped to gather more information from the older woman before she passed out but due to his inhuman strength cut her off before he could utter a single word to her. However, due to his impatience he decided to search the apartment for the one thing he knew would bring Kagome and Inuyasha to him.

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Inuyasha and Kagome returned home shortly after midnight from their night out, they found Saya sleeping on the couch and made their way toward the bedroom. It had been a long six weeks and they were feeling the pull of their attraction and could not contain it any longer. All but stripping before they reached their bedroom Kagome quietly shut and locked the door to keep any unwanted guests out.

The door shut with a soft click and Kagome turned around to face a lust-filled hanyou. Her own body reacting with such passion she found herself against the door with warm welcoming lips claiming her own.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha grunted between kisses. His heart palpitating with love he had never known before. Not even with his beloved Kikyou, and he knew then it was time to make Kagome his and only his. Pulling away with fire in his eyes Inuyasha pulled Kagome to the bed and sat her down. Before he allowed himself to go any further, she had to know what she meant to him. If she was willing to spend the rest of her life with him as his mate his one true love.

Kagome shifted nervously when Inuyasha sat her on the bed and stared off into space, ‘Does he not want me anymore? Did I do something wrong?’ her thoughts jumbled and full of doubt. She did not know if she would be able to handle him leaving her again and anger began to swell deep in her gut as if to protect her heart from his words-his rejection. Turning to face the thoughtful hanyou, she could see nothing but love in his molten amber orbs and she hoped that this was enough to keep him at her side not only for herself but for their son as well.

“Inuyasha are you okay?” Kagome asked with a voice full of sorrow and confusion. She tried desperately to hide her emotions and mentally kicked herself when she found she could not hide anything from the man she loved-the man who would own her heart for eternity. Her eyes grew wide when Inuyasha smirked and turned toward her, his eyes glazed over with what she knew was love and lust.

“Kagome…I…we…we need to talk.”

“Yeah? About what Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha turned to look out the window to avoid her intense gaze of wanting. He had rehearsed this with Saya for days only to choke when the time finally came to ask a question that has been on his mind for a while now. His mouth went dry and he tried in vain to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. ‘Gods please help get me through this. I have wanted this for so long I do not want to screw it up now,” Inuyasha prayed silently. They were the only ones that could help him through this as long as he had not burnt those bridges before he had the chance to cross them. As if hearing his prayer herself Kagome cupped his face and turned it toward her.

“Inuyasha I know this is hard for you, but I cannot help you if you don’t tell me what is on your mind,” Kagome said, locking her kind eyes with his, but when his eyes shifted again Kagome wrapped her lean arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “Please Inuyasha, tell me what is going on,” Kagome pleaded rubbing small soothing circles on his lower back.

Inuyasha could not answer he did not know how to say what he wanted to, so instead he wrapped his strong arms around her in hopes she would read the gesture as more than it appeared to be. That however, was brought to an abrupt end when Inuyasha's sensitive nose picked up a familiar scent.

“Shit,” he growled leaping off the bed and leaving a very confused Kagome to ponder the situation.

Gathering her own wits Kagome followed Inuyasha back to the living room to find Saya sitting on the couch, her visage cloaked in confusion.

“Mom are you okay?” Kagome said rushing to her mother’s side. Scared was an understatement for Kagome. Here she was with a half-crazed hanyou and her dazed mom. What in the world is going on here? Kagome thought pulling her mom closer to her.

“Inuyasha what is going on? Why are you frantically sniffing the air?” Kagome asked finally, after watching Inuyasha for a few minutes. There was definitely something going on and she would find the underlying cause of it if she had to ‘sit’ Inuyasha half way to hell.

“Sonofabitch! Kagome I need you to get your mom and get out of here!” Inuyasha demanded turning wild eyes on the two scared women on the couch. Kagome scrambled at his outburst and grabbed her mom by the wrist. For the first time she was scared what Inuyasha would do, he was distraught and his body tense and Kagome did not want to leave him.

‘What if he changes? What if he turns into the killing machine?’ Kagome's thoughts kept her moving fore if he were to become a demon under these tense circumstances then all hell would surely break loose. That was something she did not think she could handle and in her panic to get out the door her remembrance snapped in her mind… ‘Isamu!’ ignoring the order to run Inuyasha had shouted she ran through the apartment at full speed until she reached the nursery.

The crib, the crib was empty and her heart sank before she let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed onto the floor in a sobbing heap. What in the hell is going on she thought trying to pull herself into an upright position but her legs were rubber and refused to support her weight. There was nothing she could do at this point except cry and pray what she was seeing was not true, that it was just a hell of a nightmare, but that thought disintegrated when Inuyasha tore through the room almost tearing the door off its hinges in his wake.

This is not how I wanted her to find out the truth of his reappearance, not in the least. He wanted to tell her on his own and prepare for the final battle that moved to her doorstep.

Inuyasha’s feral growl could be heard through most of the complex and people warily started to open their doors and see what was going on. One couple cautiously stepped into the breezeway to get a better look on the situation, but what they saw was an older woman piled on the floor her body shaking with violent sobs of pain and regret. They had never seen such a sad sight. Whatever must be going on was definitely more than they bargained for. With wide eyes of panic, they reentered their apartment and called the police. However, it was on the inside where the real commotion lied.

Inuyasha paced Isamu’s small room with fervor as Kagome pulled her knees to her chest and cried into them. She did not know what to do. She had only been a mother for a few weeks and now her child was gone. Her instincts were to hunt down the son of a bitch that did this but her more rational side told her to call the proper authorities and let them do their job. At least then, she could have hope that someone would find him safe and sound and while they did their job, Inuyasha and herself could look elsewhere, but before she could grab the phone Inuyasha scooped her up and ran out of the apartment, grabbing Saya’s prone form as he went. Someone was coming and he for one did not want to be there when they arrived and being the irrational guy he was he took to the rooftops making his was back toward the protection of the shrine.

The full moon shone bright overhead leading the way, silent foot falls and large leaps were all that keep the three in motion. Kagome, Saya, and Inuyasha were all in their own thoughts as buildings came and went. However, a few growls of rage could be heard escaping Inuyasha’s snarled mouth; everything else was quiet, eerily quiet. Kagome replayed past events in her head, starting with the feudal era and ending on this night. Her attitude went from calm and happy to that of irrational rage. Never before had she felt so violated in her life. Who would have done something like this to her family? Who could be heartless enough to take a child away from its mother? Question after question was all she could think about, who’s and why’s dominated her thoughts and the only thing she could come up with was implausible. She thought about asking Inuyasha but shook her head against it. The shape he was in right now her questions would blow right past him and she would still be here wondering no she had to talk to her mom. If anyone knew, it would be the woman who was there. Deciding on that course of action Kagome cleared her mind and wait.

Finally, after what seemed like years, months, days they were landing softly at the shrine doors. The three unexpected visitors looked worn down, tired, and the rage was visible in their eyes. Saya staggered her way to the door, she had to sit, even lie down and process all that has happened in the few hours her daughter left Isamu in her care. It was all surreal and unimaginable. Never would she have thought she was incapable of protecting one she held so dear as her own grandson. NEVER! She was more than angry she was outraged and the man responsible better hope they never cross paths again because he will rue the day, but until then she had to keep her daughter’s hopes up and that was something she knew she could do without qualm.

Once inside the house Kagome took a seat at the kitchen table while Inuyasha took to pacing again. She knew he was distraught they all were and being irrational was not going to get them any closer to the truth, so they had to come up with a plausible game plan and set things to their advantage. She knew this but what she did not know was who was behind her heartache, and once she found out hell would open to take the offending force to its depths. There was no doubt about that.

As Inuyasha wore a long trench in the floor Sango, Miroku and Souta came down the stairs dressed and ready to leave, but the sight of an angry hanyou and a worried mother stopped them in their tracks.

“Inuyasha,” Miroku asked reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder, “Why are you here?” Miroku’s gaze traveled to Kagome who sat at the kitchen table head in her hands and body shaking with ferocious sobs.

“Kagome? Will someone please tell us what is going on here?” Sango said, worry etching her fine features. She had never seen the two so down, at first she thought they had had a fight; however, that idea did not match their demeanors.

The modern day clad Inuyasha was determined to gouge a hole to hell for his failure to protect the one he loved. ‘Sesshomaru was right even way back then. I am a failure, a good for nothing run of the mill failure and I will have nothing but my misery to keep me company.’ Inuyasha’s eyes burned with unshed tears as he continued to pace.

Kagome’s red eyes watched Inuyasha’s every move, she could not help to notice his silver hair trailing behind him like a bout of silk ready to be woven, but even his beauty could not stop the anger that welled in her heart at his carelessness. If he… if… if we…who am I kidding it is just as much my fault as it is his. I was the one throwing myself at him,’ Kagome thought, pulling her eyes from his haggard appearance. “Call Sesshomaru,” She whispered to anyone who listened. She did not care who did what as long as someone called the only person she knew that could help.

Her words echoed through the quiet house like a ghost with nobody to haunt, causing all present to stop what they were doing. Even Saya reentered the kitchen to hear what her daughter had to say.

“I said someone call Sesshomaru!” Kagome yelled, she herself did not have the strength to move let alone explain everything to them, “We will tell you everything you want to know but not until Sesshomaru gets here. I would rather not have to repeat myself if at all possible. Now his number should be in the phone book under Taisho Rin,” Her eyes roamed from face to face expectantly before Souta made his move toward the phone.

“Kagome are you okay?” Sango asked only to drop her head at the shake of Kagome’s head. This was not good and no matter how it was sugar coated Kagome was hurting and she only needed one guess to figure out who was the underlying cause.

“Inuyasha, do you think…” Miroku was cut off by a feral growl from his once reliable friends, but as of right now Inuyasha could not be trusted. His youki blood was boiling and begging to be released, his eyes flashed red and magenta stripes faintly adorned his cheeks. This is not good at all Miroku thought turning toward Souta as he reentered the kitchen.

“Sis, Sesshomaru said he is on his way and to stay where we are until he arrives.” Souta said, taking a seat next to his sister, followed by Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku while Saya returned to the couch to lay down.

No one said a word as they waited for Sesshomaru to arrive for none had anything to say.