InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 51 ( Chapter 52 )

Bankotsu grabbed a cold beer from the freezer, knowing that he was going to need to do some thinking tonight, but he never realized just how much so. He'd slipped the wet jeans off; thankful that they were a bit looser than the ones he had on earlier, and put on the sweats that Jade had given him. “She thinks of me, even as she's trying to save that damned mutt,” he thought as he leaned back in his chair looking out over the lake.

 

Popping the top of the ice cold Budweiser, he noticed for the first time that the sun had slipped behind the mountains, and that night was quickly falling. “Damn, it took longer than I'd thought to get him up here. I hope that he catches a cold,” he thought deviously as he took a sip of the beverage.

 

As he continued to gaze out over the lake he thought as he continued to sulk, “She should have been mine, not his. She should be in my bed, warming me at night, screaming my name in wild abandon instead of trying to warm that piece of shit wolf.” He downed about half the beer as his thoughts continued down this path for a while, when he suddenly realized something.

 

With the realization of his words and actions from the fight this morning, he hung his head as he clearly recalled their sparing from the morning.

 

Flashback…

 

Reeling from touch of her hand upon his arm, he replied, “You've done enough, Jade. Not only have you broken my heart again, you've probably given me a nice shiner as well. Why don't you go back to your fiancé, instead of making me miserable?” With that, he grabbed his shirts and boots, heading through the back door and into the kitchen for some ice and a well deserved breakfast.

 

End Flashback

 

“I was such a jackass,” he thought as he bowed his head in resignation. “I drove her away, back into HIS arms after all this time. I've lost her… lost her for good this time.” Ban leaned back in the chair, drowning in his sorrows as he thought back to when he first saw the crimson golden locks of Jade.

 

Flashback… Spring Break 4 years ago…

 

Ban and Jak were in the field closest to the main house of the ranch. Both men were stripped to the waist, tossing bales of hay onto a flat bed trailer that was about three quarters full of hay. Suddenly Ban's head jerked up from the bale he was trying to lift, and strained his eyes toward the distant mountain road, hearing the whine of a high performance engine.

 

Seeing that he was distracted, Jak looked at his brother as he asked, “Is it break-time already?”

 

Drawn back to the task at hand, Ban shook his head as he replied, “No, dad said that we had to get this loaded before dinner. If we get back to work, it shouldn't take us very long.” He grabbed up another bale, tossing it onto the trailer where Jak grabbed it and tossed it capably on to the expertly stacked hay.

 

As Ban grabbed another bale, about to toss it onto the trailer, a silver car caught his eye, driving slowly down the dirt driveway, heading toward the main ranch house of which they were across from. Ban tossed the bale onto the trailer then turned to look at the car, his eyes scrutinizing the silver T-top Corvette Coupe with dark tinted windows. Slightly curious as to whom the new arrival was, Ban leaned against the rail fence as the car pulled to a stop in front of the house.

 

Seeing that Ban was distracted yet again Jak hopped down for the nearly loaded trailer and leaned against the fence once more. “What's got you so distracted, Bro?” he asked scrutinizing the far away look upon Ban's face.

 

Nodding his head toward the car that had pulled up, Ban replied, “Wondered who would drive something that fancy up in these parts is all.”

 

Jak looked back at the car, not really recognizing it, but something looked familiar enough that he kept his mouth shut. Ban had just come to the ranch within the last few months, having exasperated their mother enough with his wild ways that she'd finally had enough of his pranks, low grades and lack of discipline. Since their parents were divorced a while back, their mother lived in California and had kept both him and Ban until it was determined that both were `problem' children. He leaned once more against the fence, a slight grin upon his face as he watched the fire works that were about to ensue.

 

Suddenly the driver's side door opened and a lone black Oxford with an ankle high white sock slipped out, leading to a long, tanned sensuously toned calf. Ban's breath hitched in his throat as the leg moved farther out of the car, revealing a well muscled thigh, coved midway by a navy and dark green pleated skirt. “Damn… that looks good,” he said under his breath, as his denim jeans suddenly became constricted as he watched the other Oxford foot and similarly toned mate come out of the car, as the girl got out of her silver chariot. Ban's eyes moved up the mid thigh, pleated plaid skirt, resting briefly on her curvaceous backside before wandering up the white Polo type shirt that hugged her in all the right places.

 

As if sensing that she was on display, the girl turned slowly back toward her car, reaching across the driver's side seat to her duffle bag, giving the guys a generous view of her rump, knowing that the skirt ended just below where it would become indecent. Ban's constriction became even more painful as the girl bent over, causing him to begin to have the ever popular `innocent school girl' fantasies.

 

Having grabbed her duffle bag, the girl swung it over her shoulder like an oversized back pack, before shutting the door of her car. Her eyes traveled over the ranch hands at the fence, noticing one practically making out with her with his azure eyes while the other seemed indifferent to her presence. With a roll of her eyes she turned to head into the ranch house before she shot a wicked glance over her shoulder at the now drooling blue eyed ranch hand.

 

“Do you mind keeping your eyes to yourself you freaking pervert!” she yelled before she walked into the house swaying her backside as she walked, knowing what it was doing to his anatomy.

 

Ban watched as the girl moved into the house, noticing that her crimson golden locks were wrapped tightly in a bun at the back of her head. “What I wouldn't give to run my fingers through her hair, along those legs and then some,” he breathed with a sigh of resignation, knowing that he'd never be able to get with some spoiled rich girl like that.

 

Jak smirked as he replied, “I'd be careful of what you say, Ban. That's the rancher's grand daughter and Shina is very protective of her.”

 

“What?! That's Shina's grand daughter?” Ban yelled as he swept his hand toward the ranch house to where the vixen had disappeared.

 

“Yep… that's Acacia Matador, grand daughter of Shina Matador, and daughter of Doctor's Vincent and Victoria Matador. I guess she's up here for Spring Break from Shikon Academy,” Jak replied as he hopped back onto the trailer tossing another bale onto the stack.

 

As he grabbed up another bale of hay, tossing it onto the trailer as he thought, “That would figure… the only woman so far that I get a reaction from and she's high brow blue blood. She'd never go out with the likes of me.”

 

End flashback…

 

“If only I'd known then that she had such a diverse personality. And to think that four years later she still has that affect on me,” he thought with a slight smile across his lips as another encounter crossed his mind.

 

Flashback… the next day, after Jade's arrival at the ranch…

 

With a massive yawn, Ban looked over at his father, Jak and the rest of the dozen ranch hands as they sat in a semi circle out in the middle of a huge field as the first rays of sunlight raced over the distant mountains. “Why did we have to be out here so freaking early dad, if we're not even going to herd the cows down from the mountains?” he asked as he drooped in the saddle of his blood bay Mustang.

 

The ranch foreman, Kyle turned toward his youngest son as he replied, “Just be patient, Ban. You'll see that we don't have much work to do to get the cows down here, it saves us some time and energy, considering the amount of calves we've got to brand, castrate and such.” Suddenly their horses began to nicker and grow nervous as Kyle looked back toward the surrounding area. “Look sharp men, the herd is on its way!” he yelled.

 

Ban glanced at a near mirror image of himself, only older as he looked at his father, thinking the man had lost a few marbles when suddenly he heard the sound of pounding hooves, lowing of cows and a huge dust cloud. Ban's eyes widened as the first of the black, brown and white cattle came over a low rise, descending into the slight valley as if demons were on their tails. That was when he heard the most beautiful sound ever, a high pitched war cry that any Sioux warrior would have been proud to produce. He turned his eyes toward the lone horseman following behind the herd, as the horse and rider cleared the rise.

 

With the sun coming up behind the horse and rider, Ban couldn't discern who it was until the rider nudged the horse down the hill, riding behind the herd at an easy lope. After clearing his eyes a few times from the bright sunlight, Ban looked again at the horse and rider coming down the hill, and noticed for the first time that it was a woman riding bareback on one of the roughest buckskin stallions that he'd ever had the chance to ride. His eyes widened even more as the lone rider came farther down the hill, pulling abreast of the ranch foreman, his father Kyle.

 

Once he was able to get his heart back into his chest where it belonged, Ban's mind finally registered who he was looking at, the red headed vixen in the school girl's uniform from the night before. He noticed that she didn't look like the spoiled rich girl he'd pegged her for dressed in jeans, roper style cowboy boots, a gray tee shirt and a some what thick oversized black and blue plaid flannel shirt. Her hair, he noticed, had been loosened from its severe bun to flow down her back in a crimson gold braid that rested upon the high strung stud's back.

 

Noticing his eyes roving once more over her body, Jade's eyes flashed green as she demanded, “Is there a problem?”

 

Kyle looked at his son, then back to Jade as he replied, “Miss Matador, I'm sorry to not have introduced you to my youngest son, Bankotsu. He just came on as a part time ranch hand within the last few months. Bankotsu, this is Miss Acacia Matador, Shina's granddaughter.”

 

Ban stretched out his hand to grasp Jade's firmly as he tried to hide a blush that crept onto his cheeks at the close proximity to the young woman. “Nice to meet you,” he said as he pulled his hand back from the vigorous shake that she gave him, trying to feel his fingers once more.

 

“Thanks, same to you,” she said before turning back to Kyle and giving a report of what she'd seen and heard from the wild wolf demons who'd helped herd the cattle down from the mountains. “From what they said, most of the calves made it, but that a rogue wolf began killing out of pure blood lust. He was destroyed,” she continued, her eyes completely on Kyle as she spoke.

 

With knitted eyebrows he replied, “That's not good. Did they say where he'd come from? Was he part of the pack or an outsider?”

 

“I'm not sure…” he heard Jade say as the conversation blurred on in the back ground as Ban turned his attention back to the girl on the buckskin stud. Ban moved his mustang a slight distance away from the two as the cattle began to settle down and the fires for the branding were quickly lit and the branding irons and tags set up at each location.

 

He looked back over at Jade as she moved gently nudged the stud toward the chuck wagon, apparently heading for some breakfast. Ban's eyes followed her and the horse, taking notice of how her thighs gripped the horse's withers, how her backside fit those jeans like a second skin and her body seemed to move as one with the horse. With a shake of his head he thought, “Damn what I wouldn't give to have her ride me like that! I'd make her scream my name for sure.”

 

End flashback…

 

With a slamming of the back door, Ban bolted upright in his chair, noticing yet again that his memories triggered reactions of his body that he had no control over. “Shit… if she sees me like this, I'm going to be in the dog house for sure,” he thought as he tried to ease the tent in his sweats to where it wasn't quite as noticeable.

 

He looked toward the boot-steps as they approached his chair by the window. Looking over his shoulder he saw Suikotsu moving toward him with a slightly worried look upon his face, followed closely by Jak as they moved toward him. With a fake smile upon his face, Ban looked toward his brothers as he said, “It's good to see you guys. I didn't know that you were coming.”

 

“Jade called asking me to come up and take a look at her friend. I thought it was you that she was referring to, considering the condition of your hand last night, but now I'm confused as to who she was referring to,” Suikotsu replied as he placed his medical bag upon a nearby table as he took a seat on the ledge of the picture window.

 

Ban frowned as he replied, “It's that damned wolf that she wants you to look at. He took a dip in the lake and nearly drowned.”

 

“Oh… then that explains why she asked Suikotsu to bring me along with the duffle bag from Koga's bronco,” Jak replied as he sat on the arm of Ban's chair, having changed into a pair of jeans, a regular Jersey knit tee shirt and boots.

 

Looking around the spacious living room and attached kitchen, Suikotsu asked, “Where is my patient then?”

 

Ban jerked his head back toward the down stairs bedroom as he replied bitterly, “Getting warmed up by our fair Jade. She took it upon herself to thaw him out before you got here.”

 

Jade slipped up behind him as he finished his little rant and smacked him upside the head as she growled out, “He'd have been dead you jackass if we'd have waited any longer.”

 

Ban rubbed his skull where he'd been assaulted as he glared back at Jade, his eyes accusing her of cheating on him, although she wasn't even his. Hurt by his unsaid accusations, Jade turned her attention to Suikotsu as she said, “I warmed him up as best that I could with the assistance of a spare electrical blanket. He seems to be resting easily now, but he's still not awake.”

 

“Could you show me where he is?” he asked once he grabbed his bag and turned Jade toward the back of the cabin. Jade glided toward the kitchen then directed Suikotsu toward the back bedroom as she turned her attention to the refrigerator and the steaks that she'd thawed out earlier.

 

Ban watched the two, and then turned his attention back to Jade as she moved around the kitchen, getting things ready to make dinner. Jak took notice of Ban's distraction, slide into a chair next to his brother as he asked, “What happened down at the lake?”

 

Looking back at his brother, Ban replied, “Not much, except that the stupid wolf jumped into the lake, swimming to beat hell toward Jade. Then he suddenly froze up and went under the water. Jade saved his sorry ass, pulling him from the lake, nearly killing her self as well.” He downed the rest of his now lukewarm beer as Jak thought about what he'd said.

 

With furrowed brow, Jak turned his blue eyes toward his brother, almost afraid to ask, “How did Koga get here?”

 

His eyes burning with anger at the memory, Ban bit out, “We fought over that, but she won and had me bring him up here, where I dumped his sorry ass on the bed in back, leaving him for her to take care of.” He shook his head at the sight of her disrobing the wolf, his anger flaring as he continued, “Then she had the audacity to ask my help to get him out of those wet clothes before cuddling up with him, as if they were all chummy. It about made me sick.”

 

Jade walked by with a package of steaks and some tongs in her hands as she spit back at the jealous man, “It would have taken a lot shorter time getting him warmer if you hadn't have argued with me in the first place. You're lucky if I even fully cook your food, mister.” She flashed Jak a smile as she moved out onto the huge patio, starting up the propane barbeque and letting it warm up a few minutes before throwing the steaks on the grill before turning back to the kitchen.

 

Ban watched Jade as she walked back into the cabin, her breasts bouncing slightly under the thin tank top, her nipples forming peaks as the cool evening air chilled her skin. With a shake of his head, trying to clear the thoughts of her naked body rubbing against his, he turned back to Jak as he asked, “So I take it you're here to provide us with a referee?”

 

Jak watched Jade move about the kitchen, quickly slicing up some vegetables and sauté them in a skillet, while she expertly cooked up some sliced potatoes and onions. “I've got an idea that you're right. Jade never had the chance to tell me what happened, seeing as she had Suikotsu get me before coming up here,” he replied after a rather pregnant pause.

 

Watching Jade himself, Ban replied, “I can see it. Me, her and HIM in the same cabin is bound to cause some problems. I'm not sure what to do, about Jade that is. Do you think I even have a chance any more?”

 

Jake looked into his brother's eyes, seeing the pain as he replied, “I'm not sure, Ban. Only Jade can answer that question and it seems that the two of you are on the outs.”

 

“You're right… you're so right Jak. I just hope that she'd give me a chance… you know something that says that she still cares for me, even a little. But I look back at what's happened in just the last two days and I'm sure that I've lost her… for good this time,” Ban replied as he placed his head in his hands, trying to fight back the waves of anger at himself that were ready to burst.

 

By then Jade moved back onto the patio, brushing past the two men as she went to the grill, flipping the steaks and adding a little seasoning before moving back into the house. “Dinner will be on a plate in about 10 minutes,” she commented to no one in particular as she swept back into the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the sautéed vegetables and fried potatoes.

 

Jak followed Jade back out into the kitchen, grabbing plates, silverware and cups in preparation for the delicious meal that she was about to serve. He'd noticed how haggard she looked, nearly on her last legs it would seem. As she bustled slowly around the kitchen, Jak asked, “How are you holding up?” setting the table with the silverware and cups before turning back to Jade.

 

Her blue eyes spoke volumes as she replied, “As best as can be expected, Jak. Koga's dip in the lake wasn't part of my plan, nor having Ban up here, but it just seems to go from bad to worse.”

 

Seeing the pain and confusion in her eyes, Jak pulled her into a warm embrace as he rubbed her back in a soothing fashion. “Things will work out, and you'll know who the better man is for you,” he said as he continued rubbing her back.

 

“It's not that Jak, I've made my decision. It's just that every time that I seem to be getting things back on track, something horrible happens and it spirals out of control until I'm hurt and bleeding. I don't know how much more I can take,” she replied, turning her eyes to those of her dear friend.

 

Jak smiled as he replied, “If love was easy, we wouldn't be here now, would we?”

 

With a slight slap to his shoulder, Jade smiled as she replied, “You're right. As the song goes `Love is a Battlefield.' Now if they'd quit fighting over me it would be so much better.” She turned back to the meal she was cooking as she grabbed up a platter and headed back out to the patio, to grab the perfectly done steaks.

 

 

Ban watched the exchange between his brother and ex-girlfriend, wishing that it was him that was holding her instead of Jak. It irritated him beyond all reason whenever Jak held her like that, pressed to his body, but not enjoying her flesh as he would that of his lover. “Why does he do this to me when he knows how upset it makes me?” he thought as flames leapt into his eyes, especially with the way Jak was rubbing her back, soothing her frayed nerves.

 

As she walked past with the plate in hand, Ban followed behind her, his thoughts on talking with her, even for a moment as she lifted the lid of the grill. Absently she moved the plate towards his empty hands, which he took as she picked up the tongs. “Where do we go from here, Jade?” he asked as she moved the steaks from the grill to the plate.

 

She turned her blue eyes back to his, searching for the right words, but seeing the pain in his eyes as well Jade scrapped what she was going to say, wanting the night to think about her decision and how it would affect not only Koga but Ban as well. She still loved him, but not as he wanted. In the four years since that summer, Jade had moved on, finding love in another. She just wished that he'd do the same, but seeing as he was pretty much stranded on the ranch, Jade knew that getting her out of his mind was damn near impossible.

 

With a slight smile across her lips, Jade replied, “Let's talk about it in the morning. We've had a long day and a good nights rest is in order after some good food in our guts.” She took the plate of mouth watering steaks and moved back into the house, setting them on the counter near the vegetables and potatoes, kind of like a buffet, except without very many choices.

 

Ban followed behind her as well as Jak into the kitchen, allowing her to serve herself before the others grabbed up their food. With just enough left for two more, Jade plated the other steaks with the fixings and covered them with some tin foil before placing them in the refrigerator. Once she was done, Jade took up a vacant spot at the table before ravenously devouring her dinner, leaving nothing but the bone from the steak. Leaning back in her chair, letting her dinner settle a bit in her stomach, Jade closed her eyes for a few moments, only to be nudged by Jak back awake.

 

Jade turned a bleary eye toward Jak as she quirked an eye brow in question. “You were snoring,” he replied softly.

 

With a shake of her head, Jade slowly got up from the table taking her plate with her to the sink as she replied, “I do not!”

 

“Yeah right, Jade. I know better then that!” Ban teased as he too took his empty plate to the sink. After she placed the bone in the garbage bucket with the potato peels and vegetable ends, Jade moved slowly toward the stair case. Seeing her nearly falter, Ban reached out, gripping her arm as he said, “It's time for bed, Jade. You're dead on your feet.”

 

Trying to pull her arm from his grasp, but failing miserably since her energy was nearly depleted, Jade scoffed, “You're not the boss of me, I'll go to bed when I feel like it.”

 

“Yeah, right,” Ban replied as he quickly bent down and pulled her over his shoulder. Once he righted himself, Jade pounded on his back in protest, her fists just irritating him more than doing any actual damage.

 

“Put me down!” she squawked as he carried her up the stairs. Ban grinned as he enjoyed the close contact to her body, as he went up the stairs and into her bedroom.

 

Once he'd reached her wooden framed bed, he quickly pulled back the sheets, blanket and quilt before dumping her on the bed rather harshly. “Now go to bed,” he chided as he pulled up the blankets, covering her before he turned his back, whipping off his tee shirt before his hands moved to the waist of his sweats.

 

“Just what the hell do you think you're doing?” Jade demanded as she sat up in bed, getting serious as she watched his actions.

 

“Well getting ready for bed as well, seeing as you need to be warmed up,” he replied, turning back toward her, his signature smile across his lips.

 

With a cross of her arms, Jade replied, “I don't think so lover boy. No man will grace my bed this night; now get out of here before I give you another black eye.” She tossed a pillow at his head to drive the point home as he grabbed up his tee shirt and sprinted out the door, pulling it all but closed behind him, leaving it an inch or so open before heading back down the stairs.

 

“She's just too much at times,” he thought with a sly smile across his lips as he slipped his shirt back on before going back into living room. “That's what I love about her.”

 

 

 

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