InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn ❯ Tangled ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Author's Notes: Finally and update. Seriously, everyone thank Michael11 for this, I hadn‘t realized it had been so long.

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"No way, she can't just take off!" Shinji shook his head vehemently, "The sooner we get this done with, the better for all of us DiMerrici, don't forget that. I say she stays and she will, in fact, she has a lunch to attend today."

"No!" Kagome shook her head, "A lunch?! What's that mean?"

"It means you'll get all dolled up and go over to Enishi's place later today, around noon, he needs an escort to a business luncheon. Its the perfect opportunity." Shinji saw Alexei's features harden and knew the man understood how much information she could get for them by going.

If she were to sit in at a business lunch with the three men in line for Kenriju's top place, she could gather a wealth of information in one sitting. It was too good to be passed and even Kagome realized it.

"She'll have to have a little training with Miwa, she won't be able to take Kagome's place at the restaurant or in the limo." Shinji sighed, looking at his watch, already expecting the woman at any moment.

"She won't?!" Kagome paled, "Y-You can't expect me to..."

"Oh don't look so scared, you don't have to screw the guy, just help him out a bit," Shinji sneered.

"NO!" Kagome sank onto the sofa behind her, "I can't do that!"

"We'll figure something out," Alexei tried to calm her, cursing when his phone rang. "Moshi moshi."

Stepping out of the room, he left her with only Shinji, who was glaring down at the terrified girl.
Daisuke had gone early in the morning to meet with Wufei and Kagome had barely managed to convince Inuyasha to go back to his time, promising to be there by midday.

"They'll be expecting me at my friend's house," Kagome argued.

"Call and cancel," Shinji gave a shrug and smiled when Miwa showed up just then. "Well look who's finally here."

"Hey! I had a rough night, ask the kid," Miwa huffed, giving Kagome a soft smile, "How you doin' babe?"

Kagome sighed, "Not so good."

Miwa nodded, "I know, listen, it's really not that bad."

"Damn it," Alexei appeared in the doorway just then, "It seems like some files are missing from my office, I have to go see what the problem is. Hey Miwa, watch the kid for me ok?"

"Sure," waving him off, the girl checked her watch and saw Shinji doing the same. "You have any idea what you'll dress her in?"

"Yes, there's an outfit I think she might like in my room," he shrugged, moving over to the sofa as Miwa motioned him to.

"Look Kagome, its really not so hard to deal with..."

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"What the hell is this?"

Inuyasha roared, absolutely livid as he stood at the bottom of the well, a note left for him there. Grabbing it up, he scanned its contents, growled fiercely and jumped out in one foul swoop.

"Damn her!"

"Inuyasha?"

Shippo stared up at the hanyou in shock. Never had he seen him this angry, especially not at Kagome, despite their constant fights. No, now he looked like he'd shred her to pieces should he lay eyes on her.

"She did it again!"

Inuyasha, in his anger, grabbed up a nearby boulder and threw it over the opening of the well, leaving minimal space at the corners for sound or light to go in.

Sango and Miroku jumped at the sound and came running to see what had happened, staring in shock at the nearly covered well. "What is the meaning of this Inuyasha?"

"The bitch sealed me away again!"

Tossing them her note, he turned away, "Let her stay, she can deal with her problems on her own."

"And what if she returns?"

"I'll hear her," Inuyasha moved away from them all, heading up to the highest branches of the goshinboku.

Reading the note she'd left, Miroku frowned and looked to Sango's equally worried eyes. Something wasn't right with Kagome, and it wasn't just her mother, Inuyasha knew it but she wouldn't tell him earlier. She'd just begged him to come back and promised to come and explain later.

[I should have known better...]

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"Konnichi wa," Kagome bowed respectfully, glad that her skirt went down to her knees.
Shinji had been correct, she rather liked the off-white colored suit he'd brought, along with the pink shirt and pumps, it was very cute. Her purse was a small item which held only her lipstick, eye shadow, keys and wallet. She was prepared with a fake I.D. and everything, her make up done by Miwa to make her look older again.

Since some of the business men were foreigners, they were at an American restaurant, with the western style tables and chairs. Kagome promptly tucked her feet beneath her chair as she'd been taught and smiled pleasantly through the luncheon. Enishi introduced her as his girlfriend and she'd smiled at that. He'd been quite helpful the night before, goodness knew how much they could acquire in this meeting.

After ordering a light salad with a glass of white wine, she chatted with Enishi, laughing quietly as he leaned close and explained who was who. He'd add a remark or two about each person, a joke, but some of it she could tell held a bit of truth. She wore the necklace Miwa usually did, with the small microphone in the black stone.

The men chit-chatted and she found the man seated to her left, a young man named Sagara, was really very funny. Tall, broad-shouldered and with brown hair and eyes, he smiled and leaned over from his great height to joke with Enishi and his 'little missy'.

"So, Kagome was it?" Sagara waited for her to nod, "Where did you meet Enishi-no-baka, I'll have to make sure and drop by if there's ladies like you around."

"We met at a party," Kagome grinned at his calling Enishi a baka.

"We met at one of Sele's parties," Enishi corrected, knowing Sagara did not partake of such fun.

The man raised an eyebrow at that, not hesitating to speak his mind, "What would a classy dame like you be doing at one of those gatherings?"

"Playing the escort," Enishi answered for her, "She works as one you know."

Sagara's eyes darkened a little, "Indeed?"

"I-It's really not so bad," Kagome felt the man's disapproval hit almost like a physical blow, "Its just a temporary thing, I'm enrolled in Tokyo University but my family can't afford it."

"There are better ways to earn your money," Sagara insisted.

Kagome could only nod, feeling her throat tighten and her eyes sting. Their host, Seijuro Hiko stood then, calling the group's attention to him. While he gave a small speech on how good it was to get some time out of the office with them all, she was struggling to regain her poise and felt a hand take hold of hers. Glancing back over her shoulder, she felt a squeeze on it and was relieved to see Sagara smiling at her again. Obviously he'd realized how much she disliked her job and that his disapproval hurt.

Releasing her hand, he leaned back when the waiters appeared with their food and Seijuro finished his speech. Lunch was eaten over plenty of small talk, they shared some laughs, a few anecdotes, and finally when some ice cream was being brought out, they began talking business. Enishi had been flirting mildly while they ate, his hand resting on her knee and sliding up her skirt a bit. It took Kagome's best efforts to keep from stabbing her knife into the back of it, the way Inuyasha would have stabbed a youkai. But she couldn't do it, she had to play nice.

"As you have all heard, I will be retiring soon and there is some uncertainty about who is to take my place. We all know who the most likely people are so we don't really need to mention them, but I must say I am quite pleased with the potential each is showing. Seeing how well the company has been doing recently as I pull away more and more, I have decided to push things forward a bit and will be handing over the reigns sooner than expected."

The men and women looked shocked at the news since Seijuro had been loathe to retire at all. Enishi leaned back a little to whisper, "Megumi's doing."

Knowing Megumi was the man's wife, Kagome smiled a little, giving his hand a playful swat, relieved when he removed it from her leg.

"Therefore the pressure is up men, and I will be looking into each of your sectors much more closely over the next couple of days, by the end of the week I shall announce my decision."

Hiko looked less than cheerful, but gave a nod and allowed for the spotlight to be taken off of him again.

Enishi draped an arm around her chair and leaned over to speak with Sagara, "So who are you betting on?"

"Me? I don't bet," Sagara took a spoonful of ice cream and shrugged.

"Very wise of you," Kagome smiled, taking a spoonful of her own ice cream.

Her 'boyfriend' gave a laugh, "Don't believe him kitten, Sagara once bet himself out of his very pants."

Sagara glared, "I didn't bet my pants, they spilled wine all over them. Red wine on white pants doesn't work very well, I was having them washed."

"In the middle of a work day? While you sat at your desk in your black silk boxers?" Enishi grinned.

Kagome swallowed, looking wide-eyed at the embarrassed man beside her, "Black silk?"

Not expecting that question, Enishi gave a hoot of laughter, turning her head and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before remembering where they were and grinning at Sagara again.

"Gomen nasai Sagara-san, I was just surprised you'd wear black under white," Kagome blushed, realizing they'd caught the attention of some of the other people at the table, Seijuro included.

"They weren't thin white pants, you couldn't see through them," Sagara defended himself.

Before they could continue with their somewhat odd conversation, a voice was cleared and Seijuro's assistant made a few important announcements. Kagome listened vaguely, stifling a yawn as the boring business talk went on and on.

"What the hell's your problem? Hand it over already!"

Shinji reached up and unclasped the necklace brusquely, hurrying to the back room where he could listen to the recordings and save them. He hardly noticed the terrified girl losing her lunch upstairs while he worked. Kagome finally closed and flushed the toilet, laying her head down on the cover dejectedly.

A furious shout from downstairs brought her head up and suddenly she could hear him stomping back up. Before she could move, the door was thrown open and Shinji stood there demanding to know what she'd done.

"Do?" Kagome crawled back until she hit the tub, "I just went and had lunch with them! I sat there and smiled while they talked and that thing recorded!"

"It didn't record!" Shinji threw the microphone at her, hitting her in the arm that she lifted defensively. Grabbing her up by the waist, he lifted her high as if she weighed no more than a doll and gave her a good shake. "What did you do to the necklace? What did they talk about?"

The phone rang at that moment, just as she gave him a pathetic shrug, "I don't know! I listened half-heartedly, you didn't say I had to pay full attention, just to get it recorded - oww!"

Kagome cried out, crashing into the tub none-too gently. As he turned to go answer the phone, she gave a soft moan, banged her head back against the wall, and opened her eyes in time to look up and see a shampoo bottle just before it hit her left eye.

"ITAI!"

Scrambling out of the tub, Kagome held it while she made her way downstairs, reaching the bottom step just in time to see Alexei finally back after hours in the office.

"Cara!" Alexei rushed over, carefully helping her into the kitchen and easing her hand off her eye. "Did Shinji do this to you?!"

Kagome winced, touching her eye carefully, taking a moment to speak while he asked again.

"Cara did that baka do this to you?"

"Do what to her?" Shinji entered with the phone in his hand, "Kami-sama, what happened to you?"

"Don't try to play it off Shinji! If you-"

"Your mother Kagome!" Shinji interrupted, thrusting the phone into the girl's hand, effectively stopping the man from continuing with his threat.

"Mama?!" Kagome's face lit up, causing another wince when her eye opened too wide.

"Mom?!"

"Hello sweetheart!" Asami sounded cheerful as ever on the line, bringing tears to her daughter's eyes. "How are you honey? Having a good time with Dai?"

[Oh Mama if you only knew!]

Kagome bit back the answer she wanted to give, "Hai, uncle Dai and I have been having tons of fun..."

Twenty minutes and many lies later, Kagome was feeling slightly better, hearing her mother's treatments were going well. Hearing her yawn, she gave a laugh and sighed, "Of course Mama, you go take a nap now, aishiteru."

"Love you too baby," Asami sent her a kiss over the line before hanging up.

Setting the phone down on the counter, Kagome grabbed a bag of frozen peas to press onto her eye before heading upstairs. Entering her room, she was surprised to find a cd on her bed, picking it up and finding a small note attached. It was from Alexei, he'd heard her singing one of the songs earlier and bought it for her. With a small smile, she closed her door and put it into the radio on her dresser. Propping her pillows up against the corner of her bed, she lay quietly listening to the music.

At one point Shinji came up and gruffly told her she could have the night off and go to her friend's house if she wanted. Giving a soft thanks, she watched him close her bedroom door and sank back into the pillows. Earlier that day she would have jumped at the chance to leave, but now she didn't want to go anywhere. She didn't want to see anyone, or rather, she didn't want anyone to see her.

Staring at the mirror on her dresser, she gulped when she saw the picture of herself with Inuyasha she had there, the carefree expression on her features. And then her gaze lowered to the image of herself now, seeing the wan expression she had, she ignored the music until a song's strange tune caught her attention. The lyrics seemed to fit her life perfectly, almost as if she had written them herself.

I'm full of regret
For all the things I've done and said
And I don't know if it'll ever be ok to show
My face around here
Sometimes I wonder if I disappear
Would you ever turn your head and look
See if I'm gone

Cause I fear
There is nothing left to say to you
That you wanna hear
That you wanna know
I think I should go
The things I've done are way too shameful

Closing her eyes and curling up around one of her pillows, she shuddered at the memories of her luncheon with Enishi. During the meal he'd kept his hand on her leg, going up her skirt every so often and she'd managed to nudge it away, but he'd gotten a few touches. The limo ride had lasted forever, he'd ordered the driver to go for a spin around the city and taken the time to have some fun with her.

Violent tremors ran through her body as she re-lived those moments. She could feel his hands still, rubbing, rolling, pinching, tickling, probing. His breath on her skin, the feel of his tongue in her mouth, moving down her neck.

[How can I go back and face Inuyasha and the others? After everything I've done, how would they react?]

Looking at the picture of all of them she'd taken once, she hardly noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks as she silently dreaded their discovering how low she'd sunk.

You're just an innocent
A helpless victim of a spider's web
And I'm an insect
Going after anything that I can get
So you'd better turn your head and run
And don't look back

Cause I fear
There's nothing left to say to you
That you wanna hear
That you wanna know
I think I should go
The things I've done are way too shameful

[Inuyasha, I promised I'd go back today, I left that note saying I'd be back to explain tonight, but I can't go! If you ever found out... I couldn't bear it if you knew... I'll never be the same again... I don't think I'll ever be clean again.]

And I have done you so wrong
Treated you bad
Strung you along
Oh shame on myself
I don't know how I got so tangled

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"Feh, so?"

Inuyasha sat at the top of the well, waiting to hear what the old hag had to say. He'd cooled down and removed the boulder, brining the old miko to check out the spell again. She hadn't been able to unseal it last time, but Miroku said he sensed it was weaker this time.

Kaede nodded, "Miroku-sama is correct, the ward Kagome placed on it is much weaker, we should have little trouble breaking through it."

"You hear that? Get down there monk," Inuyasha snapped at Miroku, who was already climbing over the edge.

"But I still say Kagome-sama will be upset when you go through, she must have had good reason to seal it," Dodging a swipe of the hanyou's hand, Miroku jumped to the bottom, landing and taking a seat beside Kaede.

Inuyasha huffed, "Just do it ok?"

Kaede nodded, touching Miroku's shoulder, "If I didn't sense a deeply troubled aura I wouldn't do this Miroku-sama, but Kagome-chan is dealing with some serious troubles, can't you feel her distress?"

"Hai," Miroku admitted, "But Inuyasha is in no condition to go, he's about ready to beat someone into a pulp."

"He will calm once he knows what is going on," Kaede assured him, "Now let's get this seal removed."

The removal of the seal took a bit longer than expected, but finally they managed to get it done with. Before they could blink, Inuyasha was jumping into the well and being carried off by the familiar light. Rolling their eyes at his lack of thanks, they managed to climb out and settled down to wait.

"I hope Kagome-chan's ok," Sango murmured, resting her elbows on the edge of the wood.

Kaede nodded, "We all do."

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"What the...?"

Inuyasha glanced out of the well house, changing into the clothes left there for him while he stared out into the shrine. Paper lights were strung over the yard and people crowded around here and there, some talking, some dancing, others laughing and drinking. The place reeked of alcohol, food, all kinds of perfumes and sweat.

Once dressed he carefully slipped out of the door, adjusting his hat that covered his ears and making his way through the crowd to Kagome's house. At the doorway of the kitchen, he stumbled and looked down to see a couple kissing heatedly, the guy's leg having unconsciously stretched and crossed his path.

[Since when does Kagome's family throw parties like this? None of these people are anywhere near her age!]

Entering the house, he shrank back a moment at the concentrated smells. The place reeked of booze, food, sweat, perfume, and the smell of sex was thrown in also. He ground his teeth together, fighting down the growl that threatened to escape at that particular smell. In the kitchen a couple was nearly going at it on the counter, others talking and making out nearby. Checking the living room, he fought down nausea at the headiness of the scent there. On both ends of the sofa, two pairs of legs hung over the side, and on the floor, coffee table, and chairs, other couples were equally busy.

Rushing out, he headed upstairs, going straight for Kagome's room. Surprised to find the door open, he wasn't surprised to find another two couples making use of the room and turned away to check the others. She wasn't anywhere to be found on the second floor and he hurried downstairs. The sights, sounds and especially smells were overwhelming and he was near-panicking, needing to get away from the disgusting scents.

Unable to pick up hers alone in the heady mix, he was about to go outside when he heard a familiar squeak. Moving over to where he'd heard it, he stepped into the room and scanned it, his body freezing when he finally found the girl he was searching for.

Lying on a table top, shirtless with only a skirt up around her hips, she lay moaning as a man kissed and fondled her. Shocked, Inuyasha shook his head, wanting to deny the sight, disbelief written plainly across his features. But the voice was definitely hers, although he'd never heard her moan quite like that. Ending the kiss, the man moved to nibble and lick down her neck and she arched her body into his, mewling and whimpering.

Suddenly a hand clamped down on his shoulder, "Hey kid who let you in?"

Eyes still locked on her form, Inuyasha watched her and her partner turn to see him and his eyes briefly locked with hers. She showed no signs of recognition, merely glanced at him with passion-glazed eyes for a second before turning her attention back to the man kissing down her chest.

Stunned by everything, the house, the guests, and especially her betrayal, Inuyasha turned away, running as fast as he could to the well, back to his time. Grabbing his clothes before he jumped in, he ripped off the items she'd left for him, tearing them to pieces in his rage. Putting on his familiar clothes, he cursed and continued tearing the others, taking his anger out on them.

Hearing Sango and Shippo calling out to him, he leapt out of the well and growled, grabbing Miroku and Kaede. Jumping back in, he stood at the bottom and released them, "Seal it!"

The fire in his eyes made them both shrink back, shocked by the rage in his voice and aura. Miroku managed to speak, asking what had happened.

Inuyasha growled, "It doesn't matter, you were right ok, the damned wench sealed it for a reason and you don't want to know what it was. Just seal the damn thing so she can't come back!"

"What?!" Sango leapt down, "You can't mean forever! Inuyasha we need her she's..."

His arm reached out and grabbed her by the front of her kimono, dragging her close, "She's a betraying little bitch and I won't have her back. We don't need her."

"Yes we do, she's..." Shippo shut up when the hanyou's eyes turned to glare at him. The anger there was so fierce, his eyes were acquiring a reddish hue and they knew he needed to be calmed down.

Sinking to the ground, Kaede and Miroku shared one troubled glance before concentrating on sealing the well once again, this time to keep Kagome safe. God knew what Inuyasha had seen, but whatever it was had been enough to nearly send him over the edge and into his youkai form.

If Kagome ever came back, who knew how he'd react.

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Next chapter will be up soon, I promise!

Thanks for the reviews guys, I really appreciate them!

KawaiiChica

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