Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha
Have you ever went to sleep and wished you never woke up? I have. I don't know, maybe I'm weak. Maybe I'm selfish. Bills, money, food, it's all so much. But when I close my eyes tonight, I promise to open them once more. I won't leave you, no matter what.
Chapter 2: Young Mother
"Sesshy, where are we going?"
"Someplace better"
"But why so late? I'm tired"
"Because this is the best time, now keep up."
"It's cold out here. Hey Sesshy, why is all my stiff in your car?"
"I told you, we're getting out of here."
"But what about da-"
"You don't have to worry about that anymore."
"But I'm scared."
"Hush Rin, big brother will protect ou. No matter what-"
"You'll always be there. I know."
I've been at my desk for awhile now. Bankostu and Jakotsu's morning comedy session just ended. And not flippantly I might add. It concluded with Jakotsu running out of the building is soap opera tears and Bankostu running after him screaming "It was just a joke!" over and over again. So now I have nothing to amuse myself with.
I received a letter from the child of case #225 thanking me and saying he was very pleased with his new adoptive family. It read:
Dear Sesshomaru and all the people who helped me at the CPS building,
I'm really happy with my new family. We have a puppy named Yatsi and I laugh every time he makes an accident in the house, Inuyasha always yells "YATSI!" and it sounds just like the game. Inuyasha is the name of my new father. He's more like a big kid, or that's what my new mommy says. Her name is Kagome and she is very beautiful. She's really nice too and gives me a lot of love. I just wanted to tell you how happy I am and guess what? I start 3rd grade next week!
Love,
Shippo
It's poignant really. This is Shippo's fifth home. His father died in a car accident and his mother is unknown. He had no known relatives and no one willing to take him in. While looking for a new family, he stayed with me, were I took care of him. This all happened when he was 4-years-old. He's 8 now, but it seemed like he always found his way back to me. It must be difficult, to be the only case that had to be reopened again and again.
Shippo-
"Sesshomaru," It's Ichitaka "Alright, I got the paper work, this case officially opens today. Get on it"
"Naturally."
I grab my coat and keys and head out the door.
I glace at the address of the house as I cruise down the street. I quickly notice this isn't the nicest neighborhood.
I park out in front of these brown apartments. They're old and dirty, weather and time didn't spare them any mercy.
Various people of the streets loom around in the area. Dark shadows whose faces hold wisdom and experience, as well as bitterness. It makes me wonder what I got myself in to.
I head up the stairs and put my poker face on. After a long flight I stop at the first floor. Apartment doors, people's homes, lye across from each other in a long row of depression. 303, 305, 307, there it is, 309.
I lift my hand to knock and I stop and inspect the door. Some of its paint has been chipped and you could see the once soft brown wood that's been reduced to a dingy brown. I knock. And I wait.
No response.
I knock again. I can here some shuffling on the inside. Whoever's there is in no hurry to answer. I knock once more. But this time it's not a request, but a needy demand. Shuffling toward the door and then I can hear the door knob rattle as it's twisted. It opens.
And I let out a sigh. I thought I was going to be working with an eight-year-old. But this girl seems to be a rebellious fifteen-year-old. There's a scowl on her young face and she glares at me with these striking red eyes.
Kagura's POV
Not now. Just go away, I just got him to sleep. But whoever it is, they're persistent. I give up and head toward the door. Various items that had been carelessly tossed in my home make it hard for me to reach the door. I'd clean it up, but I never found the time.
I open the door with a glare so this visitor will know that they just interrupted something. I don't know him. He has long white hair and exotic gold eyes. He looks at me with this poker face. I have no time for this.
"Who are you?"
"Good morning. I'm Sesshomaru Tashio of Child Protection Services. We received a call to come to this residence."
Oh god, what do they want? I inertly start to panic.
Sesshomaru's POV
The first thing I do is unknowingly expect this girl for any bruises and other signs of abuse. Its one of the first things we're trained to do. And after a few years, it becomes a natural thing. A reflex.
I introduce myself to her. And I can see her eyes get slightly wide, fear. Alright, now I can narrow this girl's case to abuse. Fear is often a natural reaction.
"May I come in? I have a few questions."
As if she's not certain, she says, "...Sure."
I bombard her with the standard speech. What the CPS do, our goal, we're here to help and other hallmark sentences.
Then I get on to the questions. What's your name? Do you live with both your parents? Would you say you're happy? For discipline, what do your parents do? Are you an only child? Were do you go to school? What grade are you in? And then I would write down these answers, which determine what action I take next. And I would take action, if she answered any of my questions.
We're sitting on an old couch. A coffee table in front of us. She's staring dumbfound at it. I notice this apartment has seen better days.
"I understand this might be hard for you, but in order for me to do my job, you have to start speaking."
"Kagura."
"Kagura?"
"Yeah, my name is Kagura."
Getting somewhere.
"Kagura. Well I thank you for cooperating. I'm here to-"
What's this? Out of nowhere crying floods the room. Kagura jumps up and runs into the only room in the apartment. I get up and follow.
I'm surprised for the first time today. This room looks nothing like the rest of the house. It's painted a soft blue and has sheep gliding over moons on the borders. Toys everywhere. A typical baby's room.
She's cradles the said infant, rocking as she utters soft incomprehensible words. And it all makes sense to me, this is no child. She's a young mother.
"This is your...child?"
She turns toward me, once again she adorns her face with a scowl, "Yeah, what of it?"
"I was under the impression that you were the kid."
"I'm 19 and only getting older."
"Your still just a baby yourself, how have you managed?"
"Well I have, so it doesn't matter. We have a good life so don't bother."
I take a step toward her and the infant and reach out my hand towards it. "You think so?"
She backs up. "Stay back! I told you we're fine!"
I advance. "Is it a boy or girl?"
She recedes. "He's my baby boy and I'll be dammed if I let him get taken away!"
The infant in her arms begins to stir and whines his protest of the noise.
I move more forward with my outstretched hand. "What is his name? We're only here to help."
Her face turns malicious, "Bullshit. You want to help me? Well I'm helping myself. So you can just leave."
I'm very close to her now. She starts to cry. I extend my hand. She filches. I stroke the baby's downy jet black hair gently. So soft. He stops stirring.
And in a whisper, "What's his name?"
She looks up at me with tears in her terror filled eyes,
"Senji." So soft that I almost have to ask her to repeat it.
Kagura's POV
I clutch Senji tightly. No, I worked so hard, and I went through so much. I lost everything. The only thing I have left is what I am holding in my arms. No one will take him away. I'll run if I have to.
This man, no matter what I say, how tough I'm trying to be, he keeps coming. He's so close right now, my body freezes. I don't know what to expect.
He reaches a hand towards me. I recline. And he strokes my boy's hair. And Senji stops stirring. So tired he doesn't even open his eyes, but just stops stirring and continues his sleep as if I were never yelling.
He asks his name, and I tell him. He turns around and heads toward the door. I follow him and eye him at Senji's door as he is about to leave.
"I don't want to take him away, but we'll meet again."
"Bite me." I hiss.
And he gives me this unreadable look and walks out the door, closing it softly behind him.
Sesshomaru's POV
I need to find out more about her.
She's not like other teenage mother's I encountered. Some would just jump at the chance to have their unwanted "mistake" taken off their hands. She's not like that. It seems she will do anything to keep her child. I can tell she tries.
But that's not how it works.
Anyone back at CPS will just see another unfit parent and have only one goal, take that child put it up for adoption.
I don't want to let that happen. And I also don't know how that can be. I just want to leave this girl and see if she can really raise this child, and it looks like alone. And at the same time I consider the infant. Part of me wants to forget...but Ichitaka just sent me a text. He's asking me to report.
Ichitaka is the first person I see upon entering the CPS building.
"So, what'd you find out?"
"To my understanding, there's a nineteen-year-old, she's not in the best living conditions. She has her own apartment."
"Alone?"
"No, her and her child."
"How old?"
"Just an infant."
"Are you going to take it away from her? Just form what you told me--------"
I don't hear a thing he says. From mid sentence I start to walk away. I don't want to hear what he has to say. I don't want to think about this now. My head hurts.
I head over to Izumi's.
Kagura's POV
He's gone, thank god. I don't want this to happen; I don't want this to start. Another problem, another thing to worry about. I know this thing with this man from the CPS will be yet another thing to mull over. Another reason it will become to why I loose sleep.
Something like this would happen sooner or later. It all sounded too good. I got another job; I could pay the baby-sitter as well as pay for Senji's other things. Pay the bills that come with renting an apartment. And things were, stable. Now the CPS wants to take that away. They try to act like their only motives are noble, but I know that in the end, I'll still be here, but this time, without my baby.
I look down at him, my little sleeping prince. There's a speck of water on his cheek, then another, and another. I wipe them off and quickly put him back in his crib before he wakes up. I realize that I'm crying. I'm not Kagura, who's 19 and barely scraping by with a baby. No, I'm Kagura, a little girl, who's just lost her parents in a crowed zoo. So helpless, so scared, she's all alone.
I walk out of Senji's room and close the door softly behind me. In the hall way I sink to the floor and I cry. My hands cover my face as I sob. My shoulders shake up and down. I don't want this. I should be in collage, damn it. It's not fair; I'm not bringing all this miss fortune on just myself. I hate him. I hate him. Senji's creation wasn't made on its own. But why am I the only one to deal with it?
Senji stars to cry. I must have been too loud. I rush into the room. And pick him up and rock him. He stops crying but he doesn't want sleep. He stares at me with his astonishing blue eyes. I take him in, he's so beautiful. At moments like this, I forget. And for once I' m sure, that loving him wasn't a mistake. When I look at him, into those crystal blue irises...
It's like I'm rewinding a video. Senji is pushed back inside me. The months turn from winter to spring. Snow is falling up and petals re- attach themselves to flowers. From orange the leaves on trees turn to a rich green. My stomach is getting flatter and flatter. Our parted hands are once again entwined and I smile.
I'm not gonna think about this morning. Whatever happens, it'll happen. And if I have too, I'll fight. But now, it's Senji's time for breakfast.
"You hungry? Come on babe, let's go grab something to eat."
And we head toward the kitchen.
Tbc...
