InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 41 ( Chapter 42 )

As Ban and Jade sparred in the early morning mountain air, Koga awoke from a restless night's sleep with a groan. He rolled out of the bed that he'd slept in at his brothers' home, rubbing his aching head, trying to relieve himself of the pain of the dreams he had. “Why is it that whenever I dream of Jade, that I relieve that horrible night? The pain in her eyes as she runs off, turning her back on me… they haunt me so much,” he thought as he slipped from the spare room he'd slept in. Within a few minutes of getting up, after a quick shower, he slipped into his jeans and a tee shirt before heading out the door, to his Bronco. Seeing the Bronco in the early morning light, a smile of appreciation and love crossed his lips as he thought of all the hard work Jade had done for him.

 

“She is something else,” he thought as he slipped into the clean interior of the vehicle, throwing a duffle bag into the back with some of his clothes, not knowing how long he'd be gone. Quickly he started his ride and pulled out of the driveway, heading toward the very distant mountains.

 

 

With the sound of tires on gravel, Onigumo awoke with a start as he saw Koga pulling out onto the hard road of the highway. Quickly throwing the old woolen blanket into the back seat as he started his car, Onigumo cursed his rotten luck. “Damn wolf, he's got to be a damned early bird,” he growled as he put his sock clad feet upon the gas peddle and pulled onto the road within a minute or so, behind Koga.

 

“If I lose the damned wolf, Naraku will have my head,” he thought darkly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he quickly caught sight of the speeding Bronco. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Onigumo pulled behind the vehicle, keeping a relatively safe distance as they drove. “Now if only he'll stop so that I can take a leak and grab something to drink,” Onigumo thought as they headed out into the country at a reasonable clip.

 

 

As Koga drove down the highway, he thought back to his dream, the dream of Jade and the night he ended up in the hospital. “Seeing the look in her eyes was enough to crush my heart,” he thought. “To see her kissing that… that damned mutt made my blood boil, but to see the pain in her eyes from my betrayal was even worse. The pain in her eyes was enough to break my heart again, a thousand times over if it had to. Any yet, seeing the notes as well as the care that she took in refurbishing my ride, I can tell that she still loves me. What is she going to say when I find her?” As he pondered the last question, he drove through out the morning, deep in thought.

 

 

Back at the ranch, as Jade moved toward the front door of the ranch house, a flash of silver caught her attention as the roar of a super fast engine traveled through the air. Curious as to what it could be, Jade shielded her eyes from the rising sun, as the silver Porsche screamed down the long dusty driveway to pull to a halt in front of the ranch house. Jade looked at the luxury sports car as she saw a relatively tall, man dressed rather extravagantly in a pair of black dress slacks, a lavender Polo shirt with a light yellow sweater wrapped around his shoulders. His shoulder length black hair was worn up, pinned with the ever present twin pronged clip, his favorite hair accessory.

 

Seeing the flamboyant man, Jade sprinted toward Ban's older brother, Jakotsu, throwing her self into his arms, kissing his cheek as he spun her around cheerfully. “Jade… It's been far too long since I last saw you,” he said ecstatically, returning the affectionate hug and kiss.

 

Pulling back from Jak, Jade looked him over as she replied, “I know… the auto shop grand opening was six months ago, Jak. I see that the French Riviera has done wonders for you.”

 

“Yeah… I just had gotten back from a fashion show in Milan when you called. Luckily for you, I was headed out here anyways instead of my New York apartment. I figured on the way home that I needed a vacation before the next show in Paris next month,” he replied as they walked into the farm house.

 

Smiling brightly at the man she viewed more as a sister that she never had, Jade shook her head as she headed toward the stairs to her room, “I've so much to tell you Jak. Would you mind following me, instead of heading out to your cabin with Ban?”

 

“Sure why not? It's been a while since we've had any `girl' talk,” he replied, a slight quizzical look in his eyes.

 

Quickly the two moved up the stairs and into Jade's room, where she shut the door before gathering her things for a shower. Jak sat on the edge of her bed, looking lovingly at Jade as she got ready to take a shower in her private bathroom. Quickly Jade moved to the bathroom, having stripped down to just her bra and panties in Jak's presence. Jade knew that Jak would never do anything to her… considering his sexual preference, that is, which is what made her so comfortable around him, much to Ban's dislike of course, when they dated.

 

“So… Jade, what's been going on since the last time I saw you?” Jak asked as Jade moved toward the bathroom with a pair of underwear, bra, and her favorite oversized grey tee shirt with the Rojo Lobo Auto Shop logo across the back.

 

“You know me, Jak… never a dull moment,” Jade replied as she entered the bathroom, shutting the door enough to keep some privacy, and yet open enough to continue her conversation with Jak.

 

Lying back against her bed, Jak relaxed with his arms crossed behind his head and his slate grey eyes closed as he replied, “I know there's more going on, Jade. You hardly ever call me any more too just `chat.' Spill the beans or I'll be forced to help you with your shower.”

 

With a sigh of frustration, knowing that he'd want details, Jade replied, “Fine… you win, as always, Jak.” Once the water for the shower was ready, Jade slipped off the remainder of her clothes and the tie from her hair, sliding under the welcome warmth of the water. As she ran her fingers through her hair, getting it soaking wet, she continued, “Well it all started about a month ago…” as she related her story to Jak of her miserable month, Jade touched on Inuyasha and his car being the catalyst to the whole problem between her and Koga, as well as Kagome staying at her home after being attacked by Naraku at the bar.

 

As she told Jak of Kikyo's attack on her while at the shop, Jade poured some shampoo into her hand, rubbing it vigorously through her crimson gold locks, massaging her scalp to work loose all the dirt and grime that had collected in the last day or so. Once the soap suds had done their work, Jade rinsed her hair as Jak asked, “Why did she attack you?”

 

“She thought that I was after her boyfriend, which was as far from the truth as possible,” Jade replied, as she grabbed her facial scrub, and applied a thin layer to work the dirt and oil buildup from her face.

 

As Jak relaxed further into Jade's bed, he thought of what Jade had said, “What does this have to do with anything? It sounds all innocent to me, save for the bitch attacking Jade of course.”

 

Once she washed off the facial scrub, Jade continued with her story, touching on the `welcome home party' for Koga, who had apparently been at the shop shortly after Kikyo's attach, but that she only found out after wards because she'd past out due to the pain and blood loss. “From there he took me home, and that's when my real nightmare started,” she continued, sadness laced through her words. She applied a generous portion of body wash to her luffa and started scrubbing down her body, washing down her arms, paying particular attention to her left, getting all the built up sweat and gunk from where the brace had been.

 

Hearing the sadness in her voice at the mention of her night with Koga, Jak sat up, fully interested as he asked, “So what happened after the party?”

 

Once she finished rinsing off the soap suds, Jade retrieved a large bath towel as she stepped from the shower. “We started making out… as it was getting hot and heavy he freaked out on me,” she replied, as she wrapped her hair in a second towel.

 

Suddenly very interested, Jak asked, “I didn't realize that he was kinky, Jade. What did he want to do? Come on girl, I want details!”

 

Shaking her head at knowing that her friend's mind had gone straight to the gutter, Jade quickly changed into her clothes once she'd dried off. “Like I'd tell you about our intimacy, Jak,” she scoffed as she exited the bathroom, towel drying her hair.

 

A quick look of dejection crossed Jak's face as he replied, “You wound me Jade, with your cold heartedness.” He crossed his arms over his chest, with a pout upon his lips as he glanced every now and then at Jade, trying to guilt-trip her into coughing up the lemony goodness.

 

“That's not going to work, Jak… Besides it didn't go as it should have. He caught the scent of that damned mutt in my bed and became really cold and distant, yelling at me that I'd cheated on him. Koga was so mad that he began throwing things. I was so devastated that I picked up a picture of him and I that was at my feet and held it to my chest, not realizing that a shard from the glass pierced my breast, almost to the ribs,” Jade explained as she set upon the bed. With more sadness laced in her voice, she continued, “I hadn't seen him since that day… until two nights ago. He looked so haggard and miserable, Jak it broke my heart.”

 

Seeing the sadness in her eyes, Jak pulled her to his chest, comforting her as she trembled in his arms as he rocked slightly back and forth, as he soothingly said, “It's okay…” Despite his tender façade, Jak seethed with anger at how the fleabag wolf had hurt his girl. “How could he be so damned selfish… to hurt this girl whom he's said is his one and only? I ever see that mutt and he'll be gracing my bathroom floor with his pelt!” Jak thought as his temper raged under the fine veneer of his Polo shirt.

 

Once Jade had calmed she continued, “It was after wards that it got even more heated. I went to him, only to find him in a lip lock with this red headed wolf bitch.” Her temper rose at the memory as she clenched her fist. “I loved the way she dropped after being decked, crumpled like an old wrapper.”

 

As she moved back to the bathroom for her hair brush, Jak replied rather smugly, “I'd have loved to seen that… So what happened afterwards? To your talk with Koga I mean.” He still seethed as she expounded on Koga's attempted apology and how she had kissed Inuyasha after asking if he had a death wish.

 

“Which resulted in another fight with Koga, and he caused a new set of marks on my arms, thanks to that mutt. The pain in Koga's eyes at having my injuries at his hands was too much to bear, especially after Inuyasha exposed the scar upon my breast. I lost it then and left. I couldn't take any more pain,” she cried, tears streaming down her face as she remembered that horrible night.

 

Seeing the pain in her eyes as well as the tears streaming down her face, Jak's anger surfaced as he pulled her to his chest once more. “Why do you want to get back with that wolf if all he does is hurt you?” he demanded as he held her tight.

 

“I… I love him, Jak. He makes me feel whole when no one else would,” Jade cried, tears staining Jak's shirt a dark purple. “He saw me as a person, not some… no body like every one else did.”

 

Pulling her from his chest, Jak looked into her now green eyes as he asked, holding back his temper, “What about Ban? He loved you, cared for you and made you feel like you were the only one.”

 

Seeing the determined look in his gray eyes, Jade replied, “We talked about that earlier, before you got here, Jak. I doubt that after the black eye I gave him, he'll want to talk to me again. In fact he told me to go back to Koga… in not so nice terms.” She turned her back to Jak as she finished brushing her hair, tying it back into a high pony tail.

 

Stunned was what Jak was, beyond a doubt at the revelation that Ban had refused Jade, even so much as to send her back to the abusive wolf. He stared at Jade's back, his jaw open as he tried to wrap his mind around what had happened. “He… he… he actually said that?” Jak stuttered once he found his voice.

 

Looking back over her shoulder, tears trailing down her red splotched cheeks, Jade replied, “Yes… he said, `Why don't you go back to your fiancé, instead of making me miserable?' Those were his exact words Jak… How could there be any mistake of what he said?”

 

Seeing the pain laced through her green eyes, Jak moved from the bed to embrace the heart broken girl. As he rubbed her back, he murmured, “I'm sure that wasn't what he meant… he wasn't thinking straight. You know how he can be at times.” Hearing the words and yet knowing that Jak was right, Jade wiped the tears with the back of her hand before pulling away from Jak.

 

“I know, but it was the look in his eyes, Jak… the look that spoke volumes of how I'd hurt him, not only physically but emotionally as well. It was like what we had didn't mean anything to him any more. I lost a part of myself this morning that I never thought I'd have to loose again, Jak. I know that we could never be more than friends again, but that doesn't mean that I don't love him. I love him as a brother… with benefits, but still a brother,” Jade explained as she pulled on her jeans and socks.

 

Jak shook his head at his brother's actions since Jade had been back. “How could he be such an ass after all that he's been through over her? I'll have to get his side of this story soon, or else all will be lost for him… for good this time,” Jak thought as he looked at the strawberry blond who looked like a major knock out even in the simplest of clothes. “Does he realize what he's missing?” where Jak's final thoughts as Jade headed toward the bedroom door.

 

“Where are you going, Jade?” Jak asked as he followed her from the bedroom.

 

Looking back over her shoulder, Jade replied, “Seeing as I'm not up for any breakfast yet, I was going to take Kami up to the cabin and make sure everything was up and running before Koga got here. I was planning on having him trail me all over the country side to prove his love to me, but now I'm not so sure. Any ways, I was planning on having a romantic dinner with him up at the cabin to make amends for what's happened in the last month, finally accepting his offer in marriage… wolf style.” At the mention of the wolf marriage ceremony, Jade's cheeks flushed a tad pink for she knew that not only would the local wild life know that she was mated, but most likely the whole freaking ranch considering Koga's loud voice… if you catch my drift.

 

With peaked interest at the mention of the marriage ceremony, Jak asked in a suddenly interested tone, “And what pray tell happens during this ceremony?”

 

“I'm going to refer you to the encyclopedia of demon marriage ceremonies, Jak… Even I'm not going to tell you the intimate details,” Jade replied with a quick jab to his shoulder.

 

With a pout on his lips, Jak replied, “You still wound me, Jade… Not trusting me with intimate details as those? Hell… even Ban told me about some of the things you two did up at the cabin.”

 

Jade rounded on Jak as they stepped out onto the front door step, glaring daggers at the man as she growled, “He wouldn't dare…”

 

“You know Ban… get him a little drunk and he'll say anything,” Jak replied with a devious smile upon his lips.

 

Jade shook her head as she replied, “I doubt that he'd say anything that personal, Jak. Prove it?” She crossed her arms across her heavenly chest and a look of determination across her lips.

 

With a finger to his chin, Jak mused, “Let me think… Oh, yes… one night you and Ban were out at the calving grounds… it was a full moon and he pulled you to him as he nibbled on your luscious breasts, you groaned with the way that it felt as his hands roamed between…”

 

“Enough… Enough… Jak!!! How could he do that to me?” Jade screamed her eyes still green but from anger not pain. “If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll throttle him!”

 

“That's if you can catch him,” Jak replied as he followed Jade around the back of the house, toward the distant corrals.

 

Once Jade had collected Kami's bridle and her saddle from the tack room, she moved toward the corral that Ban had put him in the night before. The horse moved toward her as she placed her gear on the fence. Within a few minutes, Kami was bridled and saddled, with Jade walking him out of the corral.

 

“Jak, I'd like for you to do me a favor,” Jade said once she swung into the saddle.

 

Placing a hand upon Kami's neck, Jak inquired, “What might that be?”

 

“Koga should be coming up here any time now. I only gave him directions as far as town. The last time he was here, I drove and he slept… damned wolf making me drive the whole way. Anyways, if you see a really cool looking Bronco driving around like a chicken with its head cut off, send him up here to the ranch house and let grandma take care of him. She knows what's going on,” Jade replied, gathering Kami's reins into her hand, getting ready to head off into the surrounding mountains.

 

“That shouldn't be too hard. I'll see what I can do. Now you take it easy and stay out of trouble,” Jak replied as he patted Jade on the leg affectionately.

 

Jade looked down at Jak as she replied, “I'll do what I can Jak. Take it easy, and please don't be so hard on Ban. I love him still, Jak and I just wish that he could be happy for me. That's all that I ask.”

 

“I'm sure that he is happy for you, Jade. He just doesn't know how to let go is all. I think that you'll have your work cut out for you with him. Now get going so that I can get my fill of Shina's home cooking… seeing as I've got a bit of a break from small portions for outrageous prices, I'm getting my fill of a hearty home cooked meal,” Jak replied with a smile.

 

With a farewell wave, Jade moved Kami out of the corral area, out into the wide pastures of grass and grain. After a few minutes, she let Kami go, letting him run his heart out across the grassy fields toward the mountain foothills. Once they reached the foothills, Jade reigned in Kami from a full run to a slower canter, maneuvering around the trees and rocks. Jade loved riding into the mountains like this, the clean crisp air, the heavenly pine and earthy smells. The closer she got to the mountain lake, the more memories flooded through her mind, both good and bad.