InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bear Witness ❯ Invitation to the Ball ( Chapter 7 )

{Disclaimer: See another chapter b/c it ain't here.}

Chapter Seven: Invitation to the Ball

Then my boy, beware of Daphne.

Learn a lesson from a rat:

What is cunning in the kitten

May be cruel in the cat.

-R. U. Johnson 'Daphne'-

*4:45 PM Thursday, Sesshoumaru's Office*

Sesshoumaru spared Kagome a glance as she came into the room and sat down on the edge of his desk. He fought back flashes of last night's dream as she smiled down at him.

"You know, assistants don't sit on their boss's desk."

Kagome huffed her indifference. "Yeah well, this one does."

He finally turned to her, leaning back in his chair slightly. "You refuse to at least try to do anything normally, don't you?"

Kagome gave him a coy grin. "I'm not exactly normal, remember?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, moving to answer when Kagome paled. "What is it?" he asked, leaning to catch her as she slumped forward.

"I don't know," Kagome said as she tapped her stomach. "My spider-sense is tingling."

Sesshoumaru wanted to remind her of the movie she was quoting when he suddenly felt a dark aura approaching his office. He searched for it, and found it coming up the elevator. He turned back to Kagome and helped her stand.

"Can you function like this?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I should be able to if it comes down to anything." She grasped his arm suddenly. "Trouble's coming, isn't it?"

"I don't know, but I don't want you to say a word. Don't give him your name and stand by my desk."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but closed it at the seriousness in his expression. She nodded and stood still while Sesshoumaru called Inuyasha's office.

"Yeah?"

"Bring Marshal Taijia and come here. He's back."

"Shit."

>Click<

Inuyasha and Sango walked in seconds later. Inuyasha sat down in one of the chairs in front of Sesshoumaru's desk as Sango took up her place beside the door. She turned to Kagome worriedly.

"Are you ok?" Sango asked as Sesshoumaru's secretary buzzed his office. Kagome nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"Your spider-sense, huh?"

"Times one thousand."

Kagome didn't get to say anything more as the doors opened and a young man came into the room. He seemed a tad sick, with pale features and long, black hair. He smiled at Sango, then Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru before his gaze turned to her. His eyes seemed to glow at the sight of her, and he moved to touch her when Inuyasha stood between them.

"What do you want Jinsue?" Inuyasha demanded. Naraku glanced behind him to Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha completely.

"Who is the lovely creature?" he purred, his gaze making Kagome's hair stand on end. The butterflies didn't like him either, if the intense fluttering in her stomach had anything to say about it. Kagome refused to show a sign of weakness by putting her hand to her stomach to calm them down. She decided to ride them out until he left, then she'd make Sango stay while she meditated in the bathroom.

Sesshoumaru nudged her past Naraku toward Sango, gesturing for her to stand beside the door. Kagome obliged gratefully. "She is my assistant and no concern to you," Sesshoumaru stated coolly, returning to his seat behind the desk and motioning for Naraku and Inuyasha to do the same.

"Why are you here, Mr. Jinsue?" Sesshoumaru asked politely, mentally fighting the urge to rip Naraku in half at the way he kept looking back at Kagome.

"Oh, that," Naraku said as he turned around. "I'm here to give you one last chance to sell me your company."

"The last time you were here, you were shot down!" Inuyasha yelled. "What makes today any different?"

"Today is special," Naraku said as he reached inside his suit jacket. Sango and Kagome tensed, ready to tackle him at a moments notice when Naraku pulled out three envelopes.

"These are invitations to a ball I'm having next Wednesday. It's for a very good cause."

"What cause?" Inuyasha asked as Naraku placed the envelopes on Sesshoumaru's desk.

"It's to let the people I'm buying out know that they're leaving their life's work in good hands."

"That's a joke," Inuyasha countered.

"Be that as it may, I would like for you to come. There are three invitations, so bring who you like. All say to bring an escort." He stood up and walked toward the door, stopping before Kagome.

"Who are you?" he asked her.

"Mr. Takamada's personal assistant," Kagome answered. Naraku chuckled darkly. "So Takamada's trained you well. I think when I buy this company, you'll become my assistant."

"I'm not selling," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "We will attend this ball, but you already know my answer."

"I think that will change," Naraku purred as he ran a finger over Kagome's arm. "I think he'll change his mind, don't you love?"

"Get your hands off me," Kagome hissed, her breath coming in short pants at his touch. Naraku smiled and tapped her nose.

"Yes, you and I will get along just fine. Goodbye Mr. Takamada," he called as he left the office. Inuyasha swore as soon as the door closed, with Sesshoumaru in secret agreement.

"Filthy bastard! Low down, rotten, son of a b-"

"Kagome!" Sango gasped.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru whirled around to see a semi-conscious Kagome sliding down the wall to the floor. Sango stopped her rapid descent and braced her against her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked as Sango gently rocked Kagome back and forth.

"Its her spider-sense," Sango explained, further confusing Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru said nothing as Sango rested Kagome's hand on her stomach and coached her.

"Purge Kago-girl. Come on, purge it out."

"What in the hell are you babbling about?" Inuyasha demanded as he crouched down beside her.

"Kagome can sense and absorb auras, and when someone with a dark aura tries to infect her with theirs it makes her sick. Her spider-sense detects it and other dangers so she can be ready to defend herself. Apparently Jinsue's aura was too much for her to handle."

Sesshoumaru processed this quickly as he observed Kagome's aura. Just as Sango said, the pink and baby blue in it was slowly being overrun by a foul black smoky-like substance, what he knew to be Naraku's miasma.

"I would suggest you two move back," Sango said as Kagome's hand started to glow a dark purple. "Its pretty weird for people who've never experienced this."

Inuyasha stepped back to Sesshoumaru's desk instinctively, but Sesshoumaru stayed where he was on Sango's right. Sango shrugged. "Suit yourself, but I hope you don't have youkai in your family."

The purple glow spread from Kagome's hand to her stomach, then engulfed her and Sango in a violet cloud. Little swirls of energy flowed through the floor and flickered at Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's feet, lapping at them like hungry dogs. Inuyasha leaped on Sesshoumaru's desk while Sesshoumaru held firm. Inuyasha shot Sesshoumaru a concerned glance before the stapler on Sesshoumaru's desk floated between his legs. He yelped in surprise as other objects started to float around them.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha mouthed to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru pressed a finger to his lips and smiled.

"Watch," he mouthed back as the purple cloud around Kagome and Sango turned pink. Where the purple oozed out, the pink rushed as it flowed over the entire office, bathing all in a pink light. Inuyasha froze in fear then relaxed as the pink soothed him, cradling him like a small child in his mother's arms. He dropped down from Sesshoumaru's desk to one of the chairs, sinking heavily with a blissful smile on his face. He watched as the same seemed to happen to Sesshoumaru, but he simply sat down without the smile and watched as Kagome opened her eyes.

"Are you guys ok?" Kagome asked as the pink receded back inside her. Inuyasha nodded sleepily. "Yeah," he drawled. Kagome giggled as Sango helped her to her feet.

"Our main concern at the moment is you," Sesshoumaru told her as she and Sango sat down in two chairs beside him.

Kagome blushed. "I'm fine. Sorry about that."

Sesshoumaru waved off the apology as Inuyasha said "Well, there's no way we can go to Jinsue's ball now."

"Why not?" Sesshoumaru asked. Inuyasha grinned triumphantly. "Because if we do, Marshal Higurashi will get sick! It's perfect! I didn't want to go any-fucking-way."

"We're still going," Sesshoumaru informed him.

"WHAT?! What for?" Inuyasha thundered, standing up and leaning over him.

"Because Higurashi will be able to handle it, right?"

Kagome nodded weakly. "Yeah. Don't worry Mr. Hitame, I'll be fine."

"Fine?! Did she say FINE?" He moved from Sesshoumaru to Kagome as he ranted like a spoiled child. "You nearly FAINT from a mere touch and you say you'll be FINE?!!!"

"I'm a professional," Kagome said as she stood up. "And if Mr. Takamada says we're going and I don't see a problem with it, then we're going."

"Are all women so stupid, or is it just you?"

"Now wait just a d-"

"Enough!" Sesshoumaru shouted, raising his voice for the first time in a long time. He turned to Inuyasha, his gaze irrefutable as he said "We are going and that is that. I'm tired and I want to relax. Going back to the hotel seems to be in order, don't you think?"

Inuyasha nodded dumbly as Kagome and Sango agreed. Inuyasha escorted them to the door and assured them that he and Sesshoumaru wouldn't fight this time as he closed it.

"Why were you so calm?" Inuyasha asked as Sesshoumaru packed his briefcase.

"I don't fear a half-trained miko," Sesshoumaru said as he moved past Inuyasha to the marshals in the hallway. As Inuyasha trudged along behind, he noticed how close Sesshoumaru stayed to Kagome.

'Maybe,' he thought as they boarded the elevator. 'Just maybe, Sesshoumaru wants to protect her. I've only seen him act that obsessive over Rin.' Inuyasha smiled suddenly, spooking Sango as she moved by his side.

'Or maybe ol' Stick in the Mud's in love.'

*7:00PM*

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair again, making sure to wash the shampoo out of her hair before reaching to turn the shower off. As she dried, she sighed heavily.

"I'm bored. I need something to do."

Then she remembered something Miroku said about there being a pool somewhere in the hotel.

"I wonder if Takamada would like to go for a swim. Only one way to find out." Kagome stuck her head out of the bathroom door, making sure to keep her body behind the door as she searched the bedroom for him. "Mr. Takamada?"

"Yes," he said as he came into the room. "What can I help you with?"

"Um, I'd like-"

"I can't hear you for the shower fan," Sesshoumaru 'informed' her before Kagome went any further. She blushed slightly. "Hold on a second," she said as she disappeared behind the door. Sesshoumaru smiled then stood before the bathroom door and waited for her. Kagome came back out with one of the hotel towels wrapped around her torso, the damp cloth barely reaching her upper thigh.

"Um, I was just wondering, would you like to go for a swim? I'm totally bored and I need the exercise anyway."

"Well," Sesshoumaru said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I guess it would be alright for you to swim. I will read until you're finished."

The sparkle that lit up in her blue eyes was something he expected, but the hug she spontaneously gave him wasn't. Kagome blushed when she realized what she did, darted to her closet for a small duffle bag, and ran back into the bathroom. Sesshoumaru looked down at the Kagome-sized damp spot on his shirt and the front of his pants. He smirked and sat down on the bed until she came out again, which she did a few minutes later wearing an oversized Atlanta Braves jersey. Sesshoumaru watched her silently as they entered the elevator before deciding to rile Kagome up.

"Atlanta Braves, huh?" Sesshoumaru said with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You know they suck, right?"

Kagome's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. "No they don't suck!"

"Yes they do," Sesshoumaru countered. He was beginning to enjoy this, even though it reminded him of the way five-year-olds fight.

"No they don't!" Kagome hissed, poking her finger in his chest hard enough to leave a bruise. "What do you know anyway! Do you even watch baseball?"

"No, I don't."

"Then how can you say they suck?"

"Easy. Like this: They suck."

"grrrrrrrrrr" Kagome growled as she fisted her hands by her sides. "You don't know a thing. You don't even watch sports."

"Golf is a sport," Sesshoumaru said. Kagome rolled her eyes. "No its not! Golf is watching the grass grow with a tire iron."

"Then what do you consider sports?" he asked. Kagome leaned against the elevator wall irritably. "Duh. Football, baseball, and soccer, to name a few."

"What's your favorite football team?"

Kagome smiled brightly. "The Dallas Cowboys!"

"The Dallas Cowboys?" Sesshoumaru repeated before bursting into a fit of chuckles. Kagome watched him, totally astounded for a moment before she realized what he said.

"There is nothing wrong with the Dallas Cowboys!" she said as they left the elevator and made their way to the indoor pool.

"You're right," Sesshoumaru said, trying to soothe her slightly to only be baited again. "If you think not winning a game since God knows when as nothing wrong!"

"They have too won a game!" Kagome cried as they opened the doors to the pool. Once inside, Kagome forgot their quarrel as she looked around in wonder. "Wow, how pretty," she whispered as Sesshoumaru lead her inside.

The pool was Olympic-sized, with pale green and white checkerboard tile around the pool, with two separate doors that lead to the men's and women's locker rooms. Sesshoumaru didn't find the room as amazing as Kagome did as he sat down in one of the many lounge chairs.

'Its nothing like the pool I have,' he griped as he followed Kagome's glance to a nearby wall. 'OK,' he thought as Kagome plunked her duffle bag inside the chair beside him. 'I don't have that.'

The that he was speaking of was an 8' piece of glass in the side of the wall. It showed the bottom of the outdoor pool above them, and Sesshoumaru could see the tunnel in the bottom of the indoor pool that lead to the outside.

Kagome shrugged out of the jersey and moved to the side of the pool. "Are you sure you don't want to swim?" she asked Sesshoumaru as she kicked off her flip-flops.

"I'm-" Sesshoumaru stopped when he finally looked at her, mentally cursing himself for being so susceptible to the officer's charms as he stared at her.

"Well," Kagome said irritably, placing her hands on her hips. "Are you going to answer me?"

"No," Sesshoumaru said, shaking his head and picking up his book. "I think I'll read instead."

"Ooo…what are you reading?" she asked as she moved closer. Sesshoumaru mentally blocked out the whispering sound the corduroy boy shorts made as Kagome walked closer to him. She leaned over and tipped the book up so she could see the title.

"Wow, 'The Green Mile'," Kagome said approvingly. "Good choice."

"You've read it?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome nodded. "Yeah, but its not as scary as some of the other ones. Have you read 'The Jaunt'?"

"No," Sesshoumaru answered as Kagome returned to the poolside, watching as the ties to the navy blue halter top swung behind her.

"You should. Its really good. 'Rose Madder' is too."

"An avid Steven King fan, I see," Sesshoumaru said absently as Kagome sat down and dipped her legs into the water.

"Cold! Uh, yeah, I am. I like Dean Koonts too. You should try him sometime," Kagome said before she slid underwater.

'Maybe I should,' Sesshoumaru thought as he watched her swim from behind the book. Kagome swam on the water's surface for a while, then dived underwater. Sesshoumaru left the book for another time as he moved to the pool's edge to see better. Kagome swam in graceful curves and lines, seemingly like the friendly water nymphs that used to frequent the waters in his childhood. She looked up and waved at him before she disappeared inside the underwater tunnel.

Sesshoumaru stood and walked to the glass, watching as she appeared in the outdoor pool. The scrunchie that was in her hair was now around her wrist, allowing her hair to swirl around her in a dark cloud. She swam toward the surface, leaving Sesshoumaru with a full view of her legs.

Kagome tensed suddenly, and placed her hand on her stomach. Enough times watching this let Sesshoumaru know that something was amiss as she dived backward and made her way back to the tunnel and the indoor pool. Kagome emerged in the center a few minutes later, pale as a sheet as she waded toward him. She smiled sweetly in spite of this, and reached for him as she stopped at the edge of the pool.

Sesshoumaru kneeled before her, sending an inquisitive glance in her direction. Kagome answered by raising her hand from the water to the back of his neck, making small circles at the base of his skull. He relaxed and closed his eyes a moment before opening them again. Kagome tugged his head forward slightly, a silent plea for him to come closer. Sesshoumaru complied willingly, lowering his head so they were a mere breath away from each other.

"We're being watched," she whispered against his lips, watching a spot in the glass ceiling above him. Sesshoumaru shuddered slightly from the contact, but heeded her warning as she draped her arms around his neck.

"I'd get rid of the shirt if I were you," Kagome whispered as she snapped open the sheath on her arm.

Sesshoumaru did as she suggested, wondering to himself why he was actually obeying her as he tossed it to his chair behind him. He could tell Kagome had a plan as he followed her lead and brushed his lips against hers. She continued to watch the ceiling as he caressed her face.

"Can you swim?" Kagome asked as she unsheathed one of the daggers. Sesshoumaru nodded, thoroughly lost to anything but her in spite of the danger around them. He could feel the presence of another, but trusted Kagome's way of doing things for some reason.

The ceiling suddenly exploded above them. Kagome quickly tossed the palmed dagger at the light switch, shorting every light in the room. She jerked Sesshoumaru into the pool with a splash and lead him to the bottom.

"Are you alright?" she mouthed to him. Sesshoumaru nodded, releasing her from his arms. She swam toward the surface, and would have disappeared fully if Sesshoumaru were a mere human. He shifted to his youkai senses immediately, and watched as her aura reached for something by the pool's edge. Kagome returned to his side moments later. She grasped his hand in hers and lead him through the tunnel to the outdoor pool's surface.

"You stay here," she puffed as she thumped her duffle bag on the poolside, never turning to look at him as she continued her instructions. "Don't get out of this pool until I come back." Sesshoumaru nodded as she pulled two Glocks from the bag's depths and dived underwater. Sesshoumaru dived as well, watching as she disappeared into the tunnel.

A figure on the other side of the wall dropped from the ceiling to the floor on a dark cloud. It looked around, then smiled as it noticed Sesshoumaru in the other pool. It approached him slowly, the smile widening to a grin as it tapped the glass.

"Well, hello Lord Sesshoumaru," he said. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed into golden slits.

"Hello, Hiten," Sesshoumaru mouthed. Hiten bowed in mock reverence. Behind him, Sesshoumaru could see Kagome emerge from the tunnel and make her way to the pool's edge.

"Have you nothing to say?" Hiten jeered as Sesshoumaru glared at him. Lightening flashed across the sky above him, a sure sign that Hiten's power was charging up. Hiten shrugged as Kagome came out of the pool behind him. She walked behind him quickly and quietly as Hiten's eyes leaked electric ki. "Bye-bye doggie," he said as he reached for the glass.

Kagome pressed the tip of the guns into his shoulder blades before he could reach it. "Hold it right there," she said. "Back away from the glass."

Sesshoumaru watched as Hiten raised his hands and did as she said, backing away from the glass slowly as Kagome read him his rights. 'No!' Sesshoumaru mentally screamed as Hiten turned around. 'Shoot him! Stop playing and shoot him!'

Hiten turned around, and nearly died laughing at the small young woman behind him. "You think you can stop me," he asked as he calmed down.

"I can try."

"Not today," Hiten growled as the sky lit up again. In the brief light, Kagome gasped as his eyes glowed bright red.

'What's going on?' Kagome asked as panic began to spread in her mind. 'There's no way his eyes are glowing, there's no way! What is he!?'

Sesshoumaru inwardly cursed the wide-eyed terror in Kagome's expression. He dived just as Hiten moved to hit her. Kagome jumped back, raised both guns and started shooting. Hiten jerked and shuddered under the assault, but still made his way to her. 'I'm as good as dead,' Kagome thought as she continued to pull the triggers. 'I've got to keep him away from Takamada until help arrives.'

Sesshoumaru emerged from the pool just as Hiten grasped Kagome by the throat. He instantly sliced one of the metal fan blades from the ceiling with his energy whip, grasped the makeshift weapon in his hand and severed Hiten's head. He fell to the ground, and Kagome fell back into the pool. Sesshoumaru reached in and dragged her out moments later. He held her as the emergency lights came on, willing his human features back as she shuddered against him.

"Are you alright?"

Kagome nodded. "What happened?" she asked as she huddled closer to him.

"One of the ceiling fan blades-"

Kagome's gasp interrupted him. He looked down at her, then at what she was apparently looking at, and mentally groaned. Hiten's head was facing them, and the red from the emergency lights seemed to make his eyes glow angrily. Kagome shuddered violently as one single thought raced through her head.

'He was a youkai! Grandpa was right!'

Sesshoumaru gently lead her to one of the pool chairs, watching as she slowly went into shock. 'Is she not used to seeing blood by now?' he wondered as he closed Hiten's eyes. Sesshoumaru mentally scolded himself as he glanced back at Kagome's shaking form.

'She's thought of youkai as only a myth until now,' he reminded himself as the pool doors burst open. Sango and Miroku ran into the room, with Inuyasha and the FBI close behind.

"What happened?" Miroku asked as he and Sango dropped to their knees in front of Kagome. Kagome continued to stare ahead blankly, her breath coming in short pants. Sango attended to Kagome while Miroku and Inuyasha turned to Sesshoumaru.

"We were attacked," Sesshoumaru said simply, flicking a piece of glass off his shoulder. "Kagome tried to shoot him. The shot went wild and nicked a fan blade. Thus, it came down and he was beheaded. A fitting end, if I do say so myself."

"That doesn't sound right," Sango disagreed. "Kagome's a marksman. She could shoot a flea dead in the eye at 50 yards. There's no way she miss-fired."

"You were not here so you don't know," Sesshoumaru countered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Sango waited until the FBI dragged the body out to argue with him again.

"No, you don't know! Kagome won a gold metal at the Olympics! She's beaten grown men who've had at least thirty years of experience in a single shot! For her to miss is for Hell to freeze over! You're lying, and I want to know why!"

Sesshoumaru nearly lost his control, but regained it when Kagome's aura flashed dangerously. He and Inuyasha watched as it flashed again and again, each flash reaching closer and closer to them. Sango gasped and reached for Kagome, only to have Kagome's aura blast her away.

'She's going to lose control and hurt someone,' Sesshoumaru realized. Deciding against the obvious solution; which would be to kill her; Sesshoumaru reached out and touched Kagome's shoulder.

Instead of being forced away, her aura glimmered into submission and Kagome fainted. Sesshoumaru pondered this as he scooped her up. Instructing Miroku to drape his forgotten shirt around her and insuring her friends that Kagome would be fine after some rest, Sesshoumaru left the pool and went to the elevator.

As it lifted them to their floor Sesshoumaru stared down at Kagome in something akin to wonder. 'I think her powers are awakening. She's breaking through, but why can't I be affected?' Sesshoumaru shrugged and smirked arrogantly. 'Well, as someone once said: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. This might be useful, since Jinsue is sending youkai after me.' Kagome stirred in her stupor, attracting Sesshoumaru's attention. She snuggled closer to his chest and sighed under the warmth.

Sesshoumaru opened the door to his room and walked inside, shutting the door quietly before making his way to his bedroom. As he crossed the threshold and held Kagome over the easy chair, he shook his head and made his way to the bed. He shoved the covers to the side and laid Kagome down. Sesshoumaru made sure she had dried off before draping the covers over her and sitting down in the easy chair. 'Tonight I'll watch her,' he decided as he turned off the lights. 'It is only fair.' He shirked off his human attributes, leaned back against the chair and smiled, his fangs glistening in the moonlight.