InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 23 ( Chapter 24 )

Kagome helped Miroku, Shippo and Mitch, Shippo's girlfriend get the Wolf's Den ready for the `Welcome Home' party for Koga. Ginta and Hakkaku told the group that they were going to pick up Jade at the hospital and that they would be back in about an hour or so. Kagome had been in shock of the attack and felt rather sad for her new friend. “Why did this happen?” she thought as she helped Mitch hang streamers from the wooden beams.

 

“Hey, Kagome, could you raise your side up a little? I'm having a hard time trying to get this even,” Mitch called out, pulling Kagome from her thoughts. Glancing at the red headed, emerald green eyed fox demon, Kagome smiled lightly, thankful for being welcomed with open arms in to Jade's clique, no questions asked.

 

Shippo came over, his arms loaded down with a waiter's tray stuffed with place settings. Seeing the precarious position of his girlfriend on the barstool, he called out, “Mitch, do you need a hand? I'll be more than happy to assist you, my love.”

 

Mitch locked her emerald eyes onto her boyfriend as she replied, rather curtly, “You're not much taller than me. I'm doing fine by myself.” A smile slid across her face as she saw his face contort to one of disappointment. Anchoring the unruly end of the streamer to the beam, Mitch jumped down to her dejected boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she whispered in his ear, “Thanks for the offer, although, I have other plans for later this evening, which may require your… assistance.”

 

Once the implications of what Mitch suggested registered in his addled brain, his equally green eyes shot open and his lips moved into an `o' position as Mitch tenderly kissed his cheek as a slight blush crossed it. Spying the couple, Kagome sighed as she thought about how she used to have someone that made her feel that way.

 

“Why did things turn out so badly between us,” she thought. A tear escaped her brown eyes as she thought back to the betrayal of her old room mate. “I hope that they both rot in hell. Him for believing the lying bitch over me and her for manipulating everything to her advantage,” Kagome thought bitterly, as she drew her hand into a fist, digging her nails into the palm of her hand.

 

Miroku approached Kagome, cautiously, seeing the tears streaming down her face and the look of disappointment, anger and betrayal played across her face. Quietly he cleared his throat, trying to get her attention, without scaring her. At the slight noise, Kagome wiped the tears from her face and turned toward the sound. She saw the look of concern across his handsome face as she took notice of him.

 

“Are you okay, Kagome?” he asked, moving a little closer to her, in case she needed a shoulder to cry on.

 

Kagome, uncertain of how to take the lawyer, replied cautiously, “I've been better. Just trying to work out a few things in my mind is all. Thanks for the concern.” She continued to help get the tables set up for the party, placing red and white checkered table clothes on the tables so Shippo and Mitch could put down the place setting.

 

Miroku moved toward the table, assisting Kagome as he commented, “If you ever need legal advice, give me a call. For Jade's friends I normally work pro bono, seeing as if it hadn't been for her, I would never have found the love of my life.”

 

A sly smile crossed Kagome's face as she replied, “I'll keep that in mind. Now we'd best hurry or else everyone will show up and nothing will be done.” Quickly the four friends got the rest of the bar ready for the party. A live band had been booked in advance and they were setting up as Ginta and Hakkaku pulled into the parking lot.

 

Once the truck had stopped and the engine turned off, Ginta and Hakkaku looked at the sleeping wolf demoness. She looked so peaceful, lying there nuzzled up to Hakkaku, blissfully unaware of her current surroundings. The brothers looked at one another as they contemplated what the next move should be. Easing out of the drive's side, Ginta moved toward Hakkaku's side, helping to ease Jade into a more manageable position.

 

Being the stronger of the two, Hakkaku pulled Jade, carefully across the bench seat into his arms. He eased her head against his muscular shoulder, as he carefully picked her up, bridal style and moved away from the truck, afraid that she would either wake up from being jostled or if he'd accidentally brushed her injured shoulder against the open door of the truck. With a little luck, he avoided both scenarios and moved toward the front door of the bar. Ginta opened the door to the bar, hushing the others as Hakkaku brought Jade in, moving toward the back office and a rather comfortable couch.

 

Seeing what Hakkaku intended, Ginta moved quickly toward the office, opening the door for the two and getting the blanket and pillow from a storage closet for the sleeping girl. Once Jade was placed comfortably on the couch, both Ginta and Hakkaku left the office, leaving the lights off so that she could regain her strength. To them, they saw how much the fight with Kikyo as well as the surgery had taken out of their friend, for she looked frail lying on the huge couch. Never had they seen her in such a state, with her normal healthy tan a ghostly pale. They knew that Koga wanted to see her, had actually had really big plans for her, but seeing her like this, frail, helpless, they feared that he would be devastated.

 

 

Koga drove the long way back from the Taisho mansion to the Wolf's Den a million thoughts going through his mind from the fight with Inuyasha over Ayame all those years ago to his current girlfriend being in the hospital after being brutally attacked by some one. “What is it with that mutt? What does he always seem to ruin every good relationship that I have? Is it some kind of sick, perverted game to him?” he thought, as he pulled into the parking lot, noticing a number of vehicles parked helter-skelter as if they just drove in than parked. Shaking his head, Koga turned off the truck and leaned back against the seat, still in thought about the cur's scent on Jade. It had been faint, but definitely there, as if put there on purpose. “What does it mean? Did she… cheat on… me?” he thought as a knot of raw emotions that he'd not felt for years gripped his stomach. As he blocked the thoughts from his mind, Koga eased out of the truck and headed toward the door.

 

Miroku got every one to hide as Koga made his way toward the door of the bar; the lights were dimmed as the guests scurried for cover. “What the hell?” Koga called out as he opened the door, “Why are all the lights off?”

 

Suddenly, as if on cue everyone jumped out of their hiding spots, yelling `Surprise' as the lights came on and the guests swarmed Koga. With pats on the back and a few words of thanks, Koga made his way toward the culprits of the party. Ginta, Hakkaku, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all tried to hide their ecstatic faces under the glare of the azure eyes. “You knew all about this and never cracked?” he growled out, slightly menacing.

 

Hakkaku ran his hand through his Mohawk as he replied, “You told us not to tell Jade, Koga. You never mentioned not telling anyone else as long as they kept it from her.” Startled by his brother's logic, a huge smile crossed Koga's face as he gripped the younger wolf in a rib cracking huge. Looking around at the number of guests and the amount of time that it took to gets the party going; a genuine smile crossed his face. “I see that you have been busy since leaving the hospital. How's Jade doing?” he asked, a little hesitant, trying not to be overzealous in news of his girlfriend.

 

A slight smile crossed Ginta's lips as he replied, nodding toward the office door, “Why don't you go look for yourself, bro?” Taking the hint, Koga quickly moved toward the door of the office, easing it open ever so slightly as if afraid of what he'd find. As the door inched open, on rather squeaky hinges, mind you, Koga revealed the lone couch, covered with a lumpy blanket. With a quizzical look on his face, Koga slipped into the office, moving stealthily toward the couch, careful as to not trip over any other object. With his excellent night vision, Koga was able to make out the sleeping figure on the couch. His breath caught in his throat as she slept, oblivious to his presence or surroundings.

 

A smile crept across his face as he knelt down before her, brushing a stray hair from her face. “She could sleep through the rifle qualifications and heavy artillery fire out on the ranges, and yet be the first one to wake up at the drop of a hat,” he thought. Slowly, he eased toward her, placing a chaste kiss upon her cheek, gently sniffing her to see if his nose had betrayed him earlier. Now all he smelled was her unique order as well as something else… a meatball sub with the works. With a smile on his face, Koga left the sleeping girl as he returned to the party.

 

 

Deep in the throws of sleep, Jade watched as Koga turned his back on her, leaving her half naked in a pile of broken glass as she reached out to him, tears trailing down her face as he walked out on her. “Why… why is this happening?” the dream Jade cried out, pulling the broken picture of them to her chest, unaware of the shards of broken glass, penetrating the delicate skin of her breast, spilling her own blood for the man who walked out on her…

 

As the tears slid down Jade's cheek as she lay in the office of the Wolf's Den, the young woman's senses awoke to the rhythmic sound of a bass drum beating through the walls, and the smell of a lodge pole pine fire permeating the air with its delicious scent. Slowly, she opened her eyes, afraid that her nightmare was reality, and that she had lost her beloved Koga. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit office, seeing as the only light was the soft orange glow of the parking lot lights and the full moon outside. Carefully, as not to jostle her left shoulder anymore as normal, Jade eased into a sitting position, the soft wool blanket draped over her to provide a bit of protection from the slight chill that enveloped the office.

 

“What am I doing here?” Jade thought as she tried to recall her last waking moments earlier in the evening. Suddenly it dawned on her, “Ginta and Hakkaku… they must have been called back to the bar for some reason, and instead of leaving me out in the truck, they brought me into the office. That was nice of them, now if only I could get one of them to take me home so that I can get something to eat and more sleep.” Sliding from under the blanket, carefully getting off the couch, Jade picked up the blanket and folded it as best she could with only one good arm and the other in a brace. As she moved both her arm and shoulder, pain began to creep in waves from a dull ache to a more intense throbbing sensation. “Damn it… I need to take some of the hydrocodone that dad prescribed. But that makes me feel ill as well… Damn it… This really sucks… I hope that bitch shows her face so that I can make her go through what I am!!!” Jade thought as the pain increased. Despite her relatively high tolerance for pain this was getting beyond what even she could handle.

 

Slowly, as not wanting to blackout from the pain, Jade worked her way toward the office door, using the desk and walls for support. Carefully, she eased the door open, and was blasted back a few feet from the crowd of people and the roar of the music. Regaining what little composure she had left, Jade moved out the door and toward the pool tables, nearest the door. As the pain increased, tears streamed from her eyes, covering her flushed cheeks, turning her eyes green, as she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying her hardest to not cry out, trying to find the help that she needed to ease the pain.

 

Suddenly, a strong arm was around her shoulders, guiding her toward a nearby table, as a rough yet handsomely familiare voice called out soothingly, “Don't worry, we'll get you all fixed up.” Unable to take much more of the pain, Jade closed her eyes, allowing the somewhat familiar stranger guide her toward the table. Carefully, she was pushed into a waiting chair, where she placed both arms, much to the protest of the left, on the surface to lay her head down upon. The strong arm left her shoulder, momentarily, before returning a few minutes later, pushing a glass of water and a small bottle of pills toward her. Raising her head briefly, as it whirled from the intense sounds of music, combined with pain, Jade's eyes fixed on the water and medicine. With fervor, she grabbed the bottle with her brace covered arm, twisting the child proof lid with her right. After removing one of the hydrocodone, she slipped it into her mouth chased by the whole glass of water.

 

Closing her eyes to the waves of pain induced nausea, Jade returned her head to the table, once she returned the cap to the medicine. The strong hand that guided her to the table returned to her back and shoulder, providing reassurance that she was going to be okay. As the medicine began to take effect, Jade heard the scrap of metal against the wooden floor as a chair was moved toward her. Suddenly, she felt a second hand against her bare shoulder, rubbing it in a comforting manner, similar to the way that Koga used to comfort her after her physical therapy sessions so long ago. A lone tear slid down her face as she recalled her nightmare that pulled her back to consciousness.

 

Seeing the tear, the kindly `stranger' wiped the tear away, despite his own mixed emotions at seeing her in such a state. “No more of that now, this is to be a happy occasion, Jade,” he spoke in hushed tones, meant for her ears alone.

 

As the words began to register, through the lessening pain in her head, Jade raised her head, ever so slightly to look at the gentleman sitting beside her. When her pained green eyes met azure orbs, she forgot the pain in her left arm and shoulder and launched herself at her beloved. “Koga…” she gasped out in a mere whisper as she tackled said wolf into the wall nearest where they were sitting, her arms around his neck and her head against his shoulder.

 

With a smile on his face at her reaction, Koga wrapped his own arms around her lithe frame, avoiding her shoulder as best he could as he replied, “How I've missed having you in my arms, love. But who ever did you piss off to get the crap beaten out of you like that?”

 

Jade pulled back a bit to look into his eyes as she processed what he said. Then it dawned on her. “You… you were the one who found me?” she asked, hesitantly as she recalled the fight from earlier with Kikyo.

 

“It never fails, I'm gone for a bit, only to come back and find you in a pool of blood and injured,” he replied, taking her face into his larger hand, rubbing away the tears that moved down her cheek. A smile graced his lips as she leaned in for a long awaited kiss.

 

As their lips were a mere hairs breath away, Sango and Kagome came over, exclaiming, “Jade… you're awake!!” Cursing slightly under her breath, Jade looked at her two friends, grateful for their concern and yet pissed that they had interrupted what she had considered something of the utmost importance to herself and beloved.

 

She turned from the straddled position on Koga's lap to sitting across his legs to face her friends. “Hey guys. So what's going on?” Jade asked, keeping a healthy grip on her beloved, afraid that if she turned her attention away from him that he'd vanish like a mirage.

 

“We're throwing Koga a `welcome home' party, silly,” Sango replied, taking Jade's former seat as Kagome pulled one from a nearby table. From the look of confusion on Jade's face, they knew that she was well out of the loop as to the reason for the party. Motioning toward Koga, Sango mouthed the words, `tell her.'

 

Catching the blatant hint, Koga turned Jade toward him as his charming, signature smile graced his lips, he explained, “I'm home to stay Jade. These past three months I was able to resign my commission at the end of my tour of duty. Instead of going to NTC with the unit, I was clearing Ft. Riley to be here with you.”

 

As the words sunk into Jade's medicated brain, she tightened her grip on Koga, nearly crushing him in an unexpected bear hug, with her good arm. “I wish that you had told me, Koga. I would have been more than happy to have helped you come home,” Jade explained.

 

“After talking with Ginta and Hakkaku over the past month, I realized that I would be selfish if I'd asked you to do that. I would be taking you way from your shop,” he explained, a soft blush covering his cheeks as he continued to breath in the scent of her hair, becoming lost in memories of the past.

 

Pulling away from him slightly, Jade locked her eyes to his as she replied, “I would have taken the time off, honey. It's not like I don't deserve to pull rank at the shop and leave when I can. That's one of the perks of being boss.” A smile graced her lips as she leaned in for yet another kiss.

 

As before, with a hair breathe away from her beloved, another distraction came, in the form of two plates of food plopped down on the table. Looking over at the plates of sizzling steaks and pile of fried golden brown, thin sliced potatoes and onions, Jade's stomach suddenly roared to life, expressing it's desire for sustenance. Begrudgingly she slid from her perch on Koga's lap to another chair, next to him as she began to inhale the medium rare prime rib and the side dish. With a little help from Koga, who had kindly cut the meat into bite sized pieces, without getting stabbed with her fork or knife in the back of the hand, Jade finished off her meal in record time. As the food began to digest, Jade leaned back in her chair for a moment, enjoying the flavor of the lodge pole pine steak and the bacon grease fried potatoes and onions as it mixed on her tongue.

 

“Compliments to the chefs,” Jade finally commented after a little bit. Ginta and Hakkaku thanked her as they continued serving the rest of the guests of the party. Jade glanced at the other patron of her table, noticing that as she had cleaned her plate that the guests increased to include Miroku, Shippo and Mitch.

 

With a final bit of meat eaten, Koga also purred in contentment at the steak. As a quizzical look crossed his face, he asked, of no one in particular, “Why does this steak taste so awesome?”

 

Ginta, hearing the question, moved toward his brother as he replied, “It's an actual lodge pole pine wood fire that we've moved to grill our steaks. Jade shared this from one of her many trips up to her grandparent's place near Challis over this past spring. We found that by adding a little salt and pepper was all that was needed to give it that right amount of flavor. It's been a hit ever since.” Ginta flashed Jade a smile of appreciation as he moved to grab her empty plate.

 

Leaning toward Koga, Jade huskily commented, “It tastes even better over an open fire by a lake after a hard day of hunting.”

 

“Is that so? Well then, we'll have to try that out later,” Koga replied as he finished his steak and potatoes dinner, savoring every bit as if it would be his last. Considering the rations that the fort Chow Hall considered `food' or the Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs) that tasted similar to shit, not that he'd ever tried feces before, this was heaven on a plate. He remembered that Jade's cooking was out of this world and appreciated that she had helped her brothers bring in more customers for their food. If there was one thing that Koga had learned from going to the bars off base was that a drunken soldier is usually a hungry one and if the food was edible they normally came back.

 

A while later, feeling a little tired, Jade excused herself from the table, having enjoyed one of Koga's favorite deserts of homemade peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Slowly, she moved toward the office of the bar, wishing to resume her nap on the couch from earlier, when a strong hand gripped her arm, pulling her into a rock hard chest. Without looking at the man who had claimed her, she asked, “Can you take me home? It's been one hell of a day. All I want to do is to curl up and go to sleep, that is… if you don't mind.”

 

“You read my mind, Jade. Let's get out of here. I'm sure that the others will understand,” Koga replied, his voice tickling her ear as he spoke. Carefully he guided his beloved toward the front door, avoiding anyone from jostling her as they left. Kagome came up to the couple as she collected the desert plates, before they exited the bar.

 

“Jade… I'm going to stay and help Ginta and Hakkaku clean up after everyone has left. So you don't have to wait up for me,” she said, collecting yet another plate from a near by table.

 

Turning toward her friend, Jade replied, “I'll keep the porch light on. Did Sango give you the spare key from the cabinet this morning?” With a nod of acknowledgement, Kagome left Jade and Koga, heading toward the kitchen.

 

Feeling that there was a need for explaining Kagome's situation, Jade turned toward Koga about to open her mouth, when he placed a single finger across her lips, sufficiently silencing her. “I know that you offered her sanctuary after a run in here at the bar. The guys filled me in while we waited for you to wake up from surgery,” he explained. Slowly, they exited the bar, heading toward Hakkaku's pickup. Making sure that Jade was secure in her passenger seat, Koga moved to the driver's side, deep in thought about what had taken place that day. “I hope that this day ends soon. I'm not sure how much more I can take. All I wanted to do was be with my girl,” Koga thought as he got into the truck, heading out toward Jade's home, which he happened to share with her.