Home to My Heart

Don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 1: Community Service

"Kohaku?" Sango called from the porch. She had no idea where her fourteen-year-old brother had gotten to. After the death of their father, he had been acting out more, and hanging around with a thug named Naraku. It always terrified her when she couldn't find him.

Pulling on a fall jacket, Sango began to search the neighborhood. It was a nicer area. Her father had seen to it that the house was paid for before he died of cancer a year ago. If he hadn't, Sango couldn't imagine that they would have been able to get by as they did. Even now, things were tight. Sango's salary as a secretary for the Takahashi brothers didn't pay for more than the necessities. Sango had been life long friends with Inuyasha's wife Kagome, and she knew that if she even hinted to her that they need it….Kagome would make sure Sango got a pay raise. Yet Sango's pride would never allow that.

The air was getting cooler, and Sango was beginning to worry even more. Maybe he made it home already, she thought hopefully. When she got half way to her house, she stopped dead in her tracks. In the drive sat a police car. Her heart pounded wildly as she ran. "Kohaku?"

Her brother was sitting on the front porch with his head in his hands. "Oh, thank God! Kohaku are you alright?" she cried wrapping her arms around him. Only then did she recognize the officer standing behind him. "What's going on?"

Sango knew Tom Riley. He'd been on the force with her father for years, but she'd never seen him look this angry. He took off his hat, and ran a hand through his thinning gray hair. "Sango, I'm afraid there's been a problem. Kohaku and some other kids were vandalizing a disabled man's van. The guy's a friend of mine, and I was passing by when it was happening. I caught Kohaku red handed, but the others managed to get away."

Sango's head spun. How could he do this? Her voice was as cold as ice when she finally did speak. "Kohaku, go to your room." She turned to the older man. "So what now?"

"Well, now I am going to get the other kids. Kohaku did give me the names of two others that were involved. He claims it was Naraku's idea, and knowing that little bastard….he's probably right. Charges will be filed, so you are going to have to make a court appearance," he told her calmly. His features had softened a bit. "Sango, is there something going on here? I've known you kids for a long time."

"Kohaku hasn't been himself since Daddy died," she said shakily as she held back tears. "I just can't believe that he would do something like this."

Tom sat down beside her on the steps. "He misses your old man, but that's no excuse. I tell ya, I've known the guy they were messing with. He used to be a damn good cop. Got shot in the line of duty protecting a kid in a gang shoot out. Seeing something like this happen to a guy like him doesn't make me feel very sympathetic, but I knew your dad. I talked to Miroku, and I think we might have an agreement."

Sango swallowed hard. "I just don't know how we'll afford to pay for the damages, but I know we have to."

"Not necessarily," Tom said. "Miroku's a good guy like I said. I talked it over with him, and he's willing to take it out in trade. He pays for people to do some lawn work for him…ya know mow grass, that kind of thing, and in the winter he has someone shovel snow. He'll "pay" Kohaku to take over until the debt is paid. Of course, there still will be a hearing, but with Miroku standing for him, Kohaku will probably get a slap on the wrist."

Biting her lip, Sango nodded. It would be the best thing for Kohaku. He had been getting out of control for a long time now. This was just the final straw. "Thanks, Tom. I'm so sorry that he did this. Will you tell your friend?"

The officer nodded. "I will, but I've got to get going."

Sango watched the squad car drive off, and noticed that she wasn't the only one. Neighbors were all out on their porches and lawns staring and whispering. It was no secret that Kohaku had been getting in trouble lately. In this place, people didn't have anything better to do than gossip. Within a week, she didn't doubt that the entire housing plan would know about it. Kohaku was going to be the "bad" kid on the block now. Her father would be ashamed.

Inside, Sango called for her brother. He came down the stairs with his head low. "I thought I could get away," he said solemnly as he stepped in front of her.

Before she knew it, her hand flew across his cheek. "Is that all you can say?"

Tears began to flow from his eyes. "I'm sorry!"

"Are you?" she cried. "The man is handicapped! He's crippled because he saved another person's life, and you decide to mess with his van? How could you?"

"He called the cops on Naraku when he was selling….something in front of the mini-mart. It was payback."

Sango saw red. "He did the right thing! Since when do you hang out with drug dealers? I don't even know you anymore, Kohaku! How could you?"

The teen turned on his heel, and ran upstairs. She heard his door slam. Sango managed not to cry until she was sitting in her kitchen. The only thing running through her mind was failure. She had failed to keep her promise to their father. Just before he died, Sango had promised him that she would never let anything bad happen to Kohaku, that she would always take care of him. Her father would be so ashamed of her. Like her, their father had been a proud man. He had raised them on his own since their mother died. Never once did he let something like this happen. What was she going to do? Sango covered her face with her hands and wept inconsolably.

A week later, Sango and Kohaku were seated in the waiting room at the county court house. When they'd found out what happened, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had both insisted that the company's lawyer, Jaken, go with her. She was thankful that she had friends, but it was still rather embarrassing. Jaken was a short, bald man with yellowish hazel eyes. He'd never been all that nice to her, but he'd never do anything that could even remotely anger his boss. Jaken had a healthy fear of the older Takahashi brother.

Jaken straightened his expensive tie. "You should be grateful that this is his first offense, and that he's a minor," he said irritably.

Kohaku rolled his eyes, and muttered something under his breath. Jaken didn't catch it, but Sango did. "Fuck you, you little toad."

Sango's lips thinned and she ignored it.

Time seemed to be passing at a snail's pace. About five minutes to the hour, Sango caught a glimpse of Tom coming through the door. The officer held it open as a young man in a wheelchair came through. All she could do was stare. THIS was the man her brother had terrorized? He was much younger than she had imagined; he couldn't be more than twenty-five. Even in the chair, he was exceptionally handsome with his dark hair pulled back. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, and his suit was neatly pressed giving him a very stylish look. He seemed to notice her staring, and nodded in her direction.

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as she returned the gesture.

The magistrate that ruled over the hearing was an older woman. She adjusted her glasses, and narrowed her eyes at Kohaku. "I have just finished reading over the list of damages to Mr. Koriasu's van. Do you have any idea what the total of all of the damages comes to, young man?"

"No, ma'am," Kohaku replied softly.

"All told it comes to nearly five thousand dollars," the judge told him. "From what I have learned in your friend Naraku's hearing. This was a crime of revenge. I commend Mr. Koriasu for doing his civic duty, and I find it disgusting that you would seek to punish the good people of this community who would come forward about such disgraceful behavior. Haven is a good community with hard working law abiding citizens. I will not see them victimized for standing up to the scum. Mr. Koriasu, do you have anything to say before I read my descision?"

Mr. Koriasu nodded. "I do, your honor. I was a police officer for nearly seven years, two in New York city as well as another five in Haven, and during my time on the force I learned a lot about human nature. There is always a root source to every problem. I believe wholeheartedly in doing the best to address the cause and not just the effect. From a friend of mine, I have learned that Kohaku and his sister have been through a rough time. While that does not excuse his actions, nor does it change my mind that he should be punished for them, I ask that you consider a lighter sentence for the boy. In lui of monetary recompense, I am willing to let him work off his debt to me. I believe that learning just how hard you have to work to pay for something like this may stop him from ever doing such an act again."

"You are a very forgiving man, Mr. Koriasu. I doubt there are many people who would see things the way you do. While I am taking your words into consideration, I will add to them. Kohaku Akiato, this court finds you guilty of breaking and entering, destruction of property, and of harassment. You will be fined seven hundred dollars, and be responsible for paying in cash for one fifth of the estimated damages. Also, you will be serving four hundred hours community service providing whatever assistance Mr. Koriasu requires of you. Now, this sentence is relatively light by comparison to that given to Naraku as it is your first offense, but I warn you, Kohaku—make this your ONLY offense." The judge tapped her mallet, and that was that.

Sango had to fight the urge to drop her head and cry. Where was she going to get the money? The only way she could even possibly make it was to dip into Kohaku's college fund. The thought of taking money out of the account her father had left for him turned her stomach.

After the hearing, it took all of Sango's courage to approach the man who was now speaking to Officer Riley in the parking lot. She smiled. "Tom, how are you?"

The older man smiled back sadly. "Can't complain. Sango this is Miroku Koriasu. Miroku, this is Sango Akiato. She's Kohaku's older sister."

Miroku shook her hand, and even with the sunglasses back on she could tell he was looking her up and down. "Under any other circumstances, I would say that it's a pleasure to meet you."

"That about sums it up. Mr. Koriasu, I am terribly sorry about all of the trouble Kohaku has caused you."

"Please call me Miroku," he told her casually. "He made a mistake and he's going face the consequences. There is no point in holding a grudge as long as he has learned his lesson, and used it to grow from."

"If you haven't guessed," Tom quipped. "Miroku's into all that psychology crap."

Miroku laughed. "And I think your could use some professional help Tom." He sobered up a bit, and turned to Sango. "I work with troubled teenagers at the youth center as a counselor."

"Well that explains why you are so lenient with Kohaku," she said looking to the ground. "I don't know that I could be."

"If you knew some of the mistakes I'd made, you'd understand. I know what it's like to be caught in a gang mentality. With your permission, I would like Kohaku to spend some of his service time at the center with me."

"It's alright I guess, but I thought you had lawn work for him?" Sango asked.

Miroku nodded. "We have a lot of time for both. When can I expect him?"

"He's off school at three-thirty tomorrow. I could take off early and drive him over," Sango suggested. Not that I can afford to take off, she add to herself.

"I would offer to pick him up, but my van is still in the shop." He was looking directly at Tom.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it, but this is the last time I let you call in a favor for the Malone case!"

"Tom, here and I thought you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart."

The camaraderie between the pair made her miss her father terribly. As a life long cop, he had been a big on this kind of relationship. "A guy won't have your back in a bad situation unless he's like your brother and your like his," he'd told her. All of a sudden, a ball of emotion rose in her throat. She excused herself, and went to the car where Kohaku was waiting.

"Tom's going to be picking you up from school tomorrow and you're going to Mr. Koriasu's," she told him flatly. She couldn't break down, not yet.

Kohaku didn't respond. He spent the entire ride home staring out of the window. It broke Sango's heart to realize that she really didn't know the boy sitting beside her. From the time her father had died, it was like he had become someone entirely different. Kohaku had always been a gentle boy—almost too soft hearted, she used to think—but that wasn't the boy who had done this. At home, Sango let him race up the stairs away from her. What good would a lecture do right now?

A knock at the door interrupted Sango's pity party. She had known that Kagome wouldn't wait long after the trial to come over. "Hey, Sango," Kagome said softly. "I heard things didn't go so well."

Sango nodded and told her all about the trial. "But at least Kohaku didn't get hit with the full cost of the damages," she added. "But still…"

Kagome nodded, and reached for her purse. "Well that I can take care of."

"No!" Sango cried. No matter how bad things got she wasn't going to start relying on her friends charity.

"Geez, Sango, just think of it as yours and Kohaku's Christmas and birthday gifts for like the next ten years from me and Inuyasha. You'll be saving me from taking that dog brain to the mall—Have you seen him shop?"

Even in her bad mood, Sango had to laugh at the image of Inuyasha carrying all of Kagome's bags as the pregnant woman shopped for the baby. "If I agree to take money from you, you have to let me pay you back with interest," Sango told her.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Tired of the topic, Sango decided to bring up something happier. "I got the invitation to Sesshomaru's wedding."

"I still can't believe he's marrying a girl younger than me," Kagome said with a laugh. "That old perv! He's eleven years older than she is."

Sango snorted indignantly. "That old perv is only three years older than I am! And Rin isn't that young." Sesshomaru and Rin were the oddest couple Sango had ever met. Rin had grown up with the Takahashi brothers, and had followed Sesshomaru around since she was a small child. It amazed Sango that the cold man really loved anyone, but she'd seen just how much he really did when Rin was in an accident a while ago. The hyper-active beauty had a hold on him that no one else ever did. It was good to see them happy together.

"Those two kind of prove that sometimes things work out for the best," Kagome told her with a smile.

"Sometimes, but not always."

Kagome ignored Sango's pessimism. "So you met the gifted groper?" she asked holding back a laugh.

"Gifted groper?"

"Miroku!"

Sango's eyes widened. "You know him? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I kind of didn't make the connection until I heard his name. You never told me all of the details until today, and it would be just wrong for me to push Jaken for details."

"Not to mention illegal," Sango grumbled. "So why do you call him that?"

"The man's hands have a talent for ending up on women's asses. I was so tempted to smack him the last time! If it wasn't for the wheelchair, I think Inuyasha would have killed him."

"I can see the headline now: Irate Billionaire Murders Disabled Man. So exactly how is it that you know him?" Sango asked.

Kagome shrugged. "We met when I was doing volunteer work at the youth center. Miroku puts just about all he's got into that place."

"He's a saint, or so I've heard." Sango didn't know why she was being so contrary about the man.

"Um, I wouldn't go that far," Kagome corrected. "Miroku isn't perfect, but he is a good guy. Just think of what would have happened to Kohaku if he hadn't been so great about the whole thing."

"True enough," she agreed.

Kagome picked up her purse, and hugged Sango. "Listen, if there is anything you need, call us. Inuyasha might growl a bit, but he cares as much as I do."

Sango nodded. "I know, and thank you."

Feeling only marginally better than before her friend had come, Sango stared at the last family photo that had ever been taken with her parents. Kohaku was just a baby then, and her parents both looked so young. She wondered if they were watching her right now. She hoped not. She didn't want them to see what a mess she'd made of things.