Okay every one I have decided to repost because about 3 days ago Ideas for this story had just started coming to me and just wont stop, so i'm assuming that my muse is back which is a good thing, so over the next few days i'm going to repost the story afew chapters at a time and then hopefully in a few days I'll have the most coveted chapter 18 for you all. and boy It's going to be along doozie to make up for everyting. I Appoligise to every one for 1. making you wait so long and 2. for removing this story and keeping from every one to rereread.
Please Review again if you feel the need I need the support my readers offer as my life had been pretty shitty for the past 2 months.
"HOLY SON OF A BAKER BATMAN, It's back"
Chapter One
"Investigator"
Wiping the grease off her well manicured hands, Kagome placed the already greasy rag back into the pocket of her even greasier coveralls. The car she had been working on had at one time been a beautiful cherry red 1969 Camaro with black leather interior. Restoring old cars had become a hobby over the past ten years. Having finally given up on getting into University, Kagome had decided that a trade skill was a good way to make a living, it kept her mind on the present, kept her mind from straying too far back into her past.
Though digging into peoples past was what she had been doing for eight of those ten years.
K-Rashi Investigations, a business that Kagome had built from the ground up after having worked in an investigative firm while putting herself through trade college. The job had been convenient as it allowed her to set her own hours around her school and learning mechanics had been part of a plan to keep the money she spent on a crappy car from turning into a fortune, though it was kind of ironic that this tiny woman was a mechanic.
The idea to start her own business had formed when her former boss had told her that she was good enough to go on her own. Taking that remark to heart, K-Rashi Investigations was born. During the eight years she had run her own business she had become the best and most expensive investigator in Japan, China, and parts of Europe. though the first year had been the hardest being so new, however being Kagome Higarashi she persevered though for the entire time she had been a P.I. she had gone by her middle name so that her loved ones would be safe should anything bad happen, she didn't want her mom grandpa or brother being kidnaped or worse because she was too nosy. She was always very picky about the cases she took they were chosen on the case it self not how much money was being put in front of her, she never took cases like "I think my boyfriend/husband/girlfriend/wife is cheating on me, can you follow him and make sure" No she refused to be a cheep investigator doing crappy jobs like that and being picky as such developed her reputation and two years into it all she began to get the clients that would take her higher.
Not one to be stupid with her money, the first five years she had lived in a tiny apartment with little more than a bed a very tiny kitchen, and only lived on the basics, using the money instead to invest, currently owning very large portions of stock in various companies around Japan. The returns on her investments allowed her to buy a large estate in the northern outskirts of Tokyo. Which was where she currently resided.
Three years ago she had finally decided to take on a partner, Haru had been a loyal and hard worker, though obviously not a partner in the business but an employee, still it had been fun having a partner some one to watch her back. considering it had been a while that she had worked with any one. though she distinctly remembered many occasions defending with a bow and arrow a long time ago, now she used a gun with the same practiced skill she used to use the bow.
Six months ago, every thing had taken an unexpected turn, when Haru didn't show up for the stake out they were supposed to be on. though stakeout's were more than just sitting in the car and watching for people or other cars, having a partner incase things went bad was always a good idea. Haru had been running late that night or at least thats what had been said in a letter he had left her. the stakeout was potentially dangerous and her partner was supposed to be there for backup, the information she had dug up had resulted in a ton of drug connections and Kagome was leary of doing this by herself, but she waited for him to show, and the police were waiting for the information she was trying to provide, she didn't do any undercover work however she did have better connections than the police did.
They had seen her and attacked, leaving her for dead next to her still running vehicle, only her miko powers had kept her from the precipice of death. The disfiguring scar she now sported, over her left shoulder and down the side of her chest and onto her stomach and down her back to curve over one butt cheek, had caused her to doubt her ability to trust any one including her self. During her recovery she had been able to speed the healing using her miko powers but she had been unable to heal herself with out a scar, and this scar was huge, she didn't wear tank tops any more in fact all her cloths covered her from neck to toes. Because of the incident was a constant reminder of the betrayal of Haru, though she never really found out if it had been betrayal. The man had known that this was dangerous work and accepted the fact, she had no idea of what went wrong, all she knew was that when she woke up in the hospital she found his letter of resignation and a vase filled with flowers, she had never seen him again. It was just as well Kagome doubted that she would have been able to trust him again. Like she had trusted another too many times but with something a little more fragile. The Incident as she would refer to it as had knocked some sense into her, until that day she had been a work-aholic and dove into her investigations head first, after that day she retired and was content to spend her time rebuilding old cars.
Looking at the calender on the wall of the restoration garage, she sighed. Three more days and it would be her twenty ninth birthday, Hojo had plans to take her out to celebrate. After all these years he was still in love with her, even though she had always made it clear that they would never be anything more than friends, and though he had kept to her rules any one could tell he still had hopes, but after living a life of adventure with demons and a certain red clad hanyou, and his brother for her models, the men of the present were too weak for her, they could never compete with the kind of men she had known. Still in three days it would have been fourteen years since that fateful day that she, met him.
"Gah, stop thinking about it, Kagome" She said to her self "You are just going to start crying again, It's past time you moved on" more annoyed with herself that she was even thinking about it.
The large estate Kagome had purchased five years ago had become her sanctuary in recent months since the accident, even though she felt lonely she was never really alone she did have a servant of sorts, Kai had never really been a servant though he did like to play the role when she had company, he got a kick out of it and who was she to tell him she couldn't. Kai had become a friend and confidant, a companion. Kai was some one whom Kagome was comfortable, he was the only one who had seen her scar, whom she allowed to see her scar, not even her mother whom had been there for her for every thing in her life. She was still the strong minded person whom she had always been, the same person whom had fell through the well at the tender age of fifteen, still the same girl whom had faced demons, still the same miko whom had befriended a white haired hanyou, a fox kit, a lecherous monk, and a demon slayer who was the last of her tribe.
How she missed those days, days of running around feudal Japan hunting down jewel shards, but those days were long gone never to be seen again. Thoughts like these were dangerous, they would always bring her back to a happier time when the only really big worry was Naraku. Her thoughts had been too introspective lately too focused on her past.
Angry with the way her mind was going Kagome turned on her stereo and plopped back on to the dolly, laying back on to the large wheeled board she adjusted her backwards ball cap and slid her welding goggles back into place over her eyes, wheeling under the Camaro she went back to work on the cars undercarriage.
She didn't hear the door to the garage open, nor did she hear the footsteps, she did however feel a very powerful demonic presence enter, with practiced ease she suppressed her miko powers from flaring. She had felt the presence of demons here in Tokyo and other places she had been, but never one of this power.
SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK
He couldn't believe he was doing this, never had he had to go out side his inner circle o trusted to handle a problem, but this one was a doozy, and being who he was, he always got the best of the best and he knew the woman who ran K-Rashi investigations was the best.
This problem was not going to go away this blackmailer was defanatly a problem that would not go away though he was unable to put an end to it him self, the attacks threatened to spill from his person to the ones he cared about, it was getting quite annoying. Despite his contacts in the demon underground and the human world, and the fact that he was one of the most powerful demons to ever have existed, he could not get the information he needed, no one was talking and every one knew nothing. Something out there had them more scared of them then they were of him.
As troublesome as this all was the fact that he now had to trust a human with such sensitive information was even more annoying. To introduce a modern human to the demon world was tricky, especially when that world wanted to be secret from the other.
Walking from the beautiful estate gardens into a large almost hidden garage which was a good twenty minute walk from the main house. The loud music hurt his sensitive youkai ears, he was accustomed to the loud noises, however at this decibel it was more painful, the sound of welding accompanying the music.
Seeing the blue and grease clad legs with black steal toed work boots sticking out from under a very old rusted Camaro. One leg propped up on the drawer of a tool box that was as big as the car, the other one knee bent foot on the floor. He didn't really smell anything but grease, and melting metal. He had been told that the investigator was a woman, however no woman he knew would ever dirty her self like this.
"What do you want?" a very sexy, very feminine, called out from under the car, into the sudden silence. That voice, that voice did something to him, he wasn't sure what but it pulled at his senses.
"I am looking for Miss, Mai, Higarashi?" he said moving forward closer to the legs sticking out from under the car. Careful not to touch any thing that might transfer some of that grease to his cloths.
"Well ya found her, who are you and what do you want?"
"My name is Sesshomaru Tashio and I am in need of your particular skills" he said.
She froze, then slid slowly out from under the car. Still laying on the dolly taking off her gloves she flipped up the shield for her welding goggles. A small gasp escaped her, it had been ten years since she had seen the taiyoukai, ten years since she had seen those piercing amber gold eyes, that wash of knee length silver white hair. He hadn't changed, well except for the clothing. Now sporting a grey Armani suit and a brief case, the suit was tailored to his muscular frame, leaving almost nothing to the imagination he was just as intimidating and just as gorgeous as he had ever been. The white haori with armor and swords appeared to be a thing of the past, though she had no doubt that he was just as deadly now as he was then.
Standing Kagome grabbed the rag out of the back pocket of her coveralls, eyeing him through the clear part of her goggles not bothering to take them off. He hadn't appeared to recognize her, and she wasn't about to remind him who she was, when the time came she would find him again and tell him, briefly she wondered if InuYasha had also survived the centuries.
"I have several skills" she said leaning up against the rusty car "Which one's are you referring to?"
"I am in need of your investigative skills"
"Well that's too bad, I'm retired" she said leaning down and turning off the welding torch before going over to the sink to wash up.
"I am willing to pay quadruple your fee" he reasoned, he had been hoping that he would not have to resort to bribery, but he was not above it to achieve his own ends.
Turning around sharply she glared at him, the effect lost through the goggles.
"I can not be bought, Mr. Tashio, I told you I'm retired, there are plenty of good investigators, go hire one of them" she didn't want the case she really didn't she was done with the dangerous stuff what she needed was just a normal life for once, she did kind of had one for the past ten years and she liked it.
"This Sesshomaru always gets the best, you are the best" he growled advancing on her, annoyance plain on his face, which was a change from the stoic lord she used to know, whom even in anger held no expression.
Nope he hadn't really changed in five hundred years, still the same arrogant bastard he always had been.
"Doesn't any one say 'no' to you?" she asked a little exasperated at having now to tilt her head to look him in the eye.
"No"
"I see, well guess what, I am. I learned recently that there are things that are more important in life than my work"
"That is not an acceptable excuse, you are the best of the best in your field and this Sesshomaru requires that you forego your misgivings whatever they may be" he said
"You know nothing about my reasons, and misgivings or not they are valid" her eyes narrowing on him.
Stepping back from her to place the brief case on the counter and pulling out a file folder, handing it to her. Opening the folder, she glanced at the contents, well this was interesting, she really didn't want to get involved though this was something that she just couldn't bring her self to get in to regardless of the fact that she really really wanted to help
"I require your services, Miss Higarashi, because someone is trying to blackmail me with incredibly sensitive information, and as much as I would like to be rid of the trouble maker, my own attempts have proven unsuccessful. Again you are the best and possibly the one person whom could rid me of this problem"
Looking at the Taiyoukai, Kagome could see the honesty in the lines of his face, his eyes held hers, and she was shocked at the emotions she saw floating in them. This was quite a shock for the miko, having only ever known one side of the lord. Well five hundred years really did change a person, or demon.
"Can I keep the file? I would like to study it before making a decision, I realize that this is very sensitive information, if I decide not to take the case it will be burned"
"Very well, I expect an answer in two days" closing his brief case he grabbed the handle, pulling out his business card he placed it in her hands "You can reach me at that number day or night and the address of my offices is on the back" and then he left the garage
SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK
Clean now after a long hot shower Kagome sat in the large overstuffed chair near the window of her balcony, looking out in to the dark moonless night, she went over the information in her head for the hundredth time. It didn't seem to be that complicated, Sesshomaru was being blackmailed by an unknown party, and the fact that the person was unknown to the Taiyoukai, told her that this person knew who or rather what he was. Though that information was not in the file it wasn't hard to figure out given the fact that she knew that Sesshomaru was a youkai and a damn powerful one at that, There should have been no problem in him dealing with the culprit which would mean that this person or demon whom was blackmailing Sesshomaru was quite powerful as well, which could spell dangerous encounters, however dangerous encounters with demons she knew how to handle, she could be just as scary as the demon lord.
Striding over to her computer, Kagome pulled the laptop from it's place on the bed side table to her lap. She needed to do research on what Sesshomaru Tashio had been doing for the last five hundred years or so, the more information she got the more likely she would be able to help him. It was a risky thing she was going to do for him she had to go into a world she hadn't been in for a long time dealing with youkai who only knew her as a myth. Though she knew a lot of her contacts were youkai they didn't know she was a miko and she was always careful that they never knew.
Seeing Sesshomaru all modernized had thrown her for a loop the once feared taiyoukai was, according to the information on the screen, the president and C.E.O. of Tashio Enterprises. It was no wonder why he wanted the best, the best was something he was accustomed to in his long life, however it probably helped that he was also worth a few hundred billion. The man could defanatly afford her fee, no question.
The decision to help Sesshomaru was quickly worming it's way from a definite 'NO' to a 'Yes' and though she didn't want to be near the youkai should he remember her, that was the last thing she needed she really didn't want to be reminded constantly of her past, of her dead friends, hell she didn't know if InuYasha was still alive, he could be, given the fact that Sesshomaru seemed to have mellowed a little, he showed a lot of emotion in the ten minuits he was in her presents. The Youkai Lord had been polite and open, until she had denied him his desire of acquiring her services, after that his annoyance was prevalent before she relented to an "I'll think about it" though he didn't really go back to being polite, his demeanor had changed to one of 'slightly miffed' which was a good deal more manageable.
Things were going to be weird and dangerous, she was going to have to start retraining with her miko powers she hadn't really used them in a long time even though she had done minor things like healing herself for colds, cuts and scrapes, the powers she was going to need were her purification abilities and those had long since been unused.
Shutting down her laptop and putting it back on her bedside table, Kagome slid out of her robe and crawled into bed naked. Her decision weighing heavily on her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
