AN: Woo-hoo! 131 reviews! For me, that's pretty awesome! ^_^ I've never gotten so much praise; thank you all so much! Your replies to your reviews are at the end of the fic.

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THE MAID

CHAPTER 8

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A few days passed by and like Sesshoumaru promised himself, he didn't bother to change; he stayed the same old annoying dog Kagome knew ever so well. She still had to hold the same insults, commands, yells, growls, glares, and the same cursed orbs of golden sunshine. Every time she stepped inside that room, those and more are the things she had to go through everyday for these past 2 weeks.

She'd go each day to her room with her forehead beading with sweat. She never knew why this happened. She would be perfectly fine when she would stand in his room. But when she leaves, she passes her palms through her face only to see her hands wet from her own sweat. She would ask herself why this would happen to her so much, and every time she could find no answer and thus sadly sighed.

But oh well. It's time to get to work again. She already ate breakfast, and was prepared to get ready to clean His room around 10:45 am. She tied her shoes, ponytail, and apron; now she was on her way.

She arrived in his room to notice with relief that he wasn't in at the moment. Oh, what sheer gladness she felt. She glided inside the room with a slight tinge of freedom in her step, and started to fix the room with a slight bounce in her ego. It was the first time in weeks that she cleaned the room without His presence, and she felt glee all around her. She would tiptoe around the room like a dancer and place everything where it belonged. Melodies circled around her head, and everything but reality gripped into her mind.

~*~*~*~*~

Sesshoumaru was on his way to his room as he returned from the kitchen. He was doing great and dandy up until he heard something from his room. He lied against the wall, and checked his watch. He groaned and noticed that it was clean-up time. She was in there, wasn't she? His earshot stretched on inside, and he heard something he'd never expect to encounter: singing...

"Young girl don't cry

I'll be right here when your world starts to fall

Young girl it's alright

Your tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly

When you're safe inside your room you tend to dream

Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems

No one ever wants to bother to explain

Of the heartache life can bring and what it means

When there's no one else, look inside yourself

Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within

Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way

You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."

Sesshoumaru was wrapped around in the ropes of her delicates dancing and her sweet voice. His eyes could not glue away from hers and his throat was unsure of what to speak or say. He was lost inside of her...

"Young girl don't hide

You'll never change if you just run away

Young girl just hold tight

Soon you're gonna see your brighter day

"Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed

It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid

No one reaches out a hand for you to hold

When you look outside look inside to your soul

When there's no one else, look inside yourself

Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within

Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way

You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."

He then heard her sing with such a voice of passion that he supposed her imagination was taking over the soul of a long dead legend. Her mind took over her senses and he noticed the maid he knew before was long gone. There was now this diva dressed in a uniform that did not match her capacity. She was definitely no maid...

"Life is a journey

It can take you anywhere you choose to go

As long as you're learning

You'll find all you'll ever need to know

You'll break it...

You'll make it...

Just don't forsake it because

No one can tell you what you can't do

No one can stop you, you know that I'm talking you...

When there's no one else, look inside yourself

Like your oldest friend, just trust the voice within

Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way

You'll learn to begin to trust the voice within..."

Sesshomaru in the verge to just call out a praise or two at the blooming diva standing in his room with broom in hand. She was not even aware he was there, was she not? She just sang on with not a care in her mind...

"You girl don't cry

I'll be right here when your world starts to fall..."

She was just about to high-note her way to a magnificent finale, but she then heard the bucket fall to the floor. She was suddenly swept back to a world she wished she never encountered. She was back to being just a dull maid. She wasn't standing in that red-carpet she wished to step upon. She wasn't at that shrine she wished to live in, and most painfully, she wasn't in the home she wished to be in ever so much...

Kagome heard someone clear their throat, and she turned to the voice with a look of guilt, fear, and insecurity facing towards her master. He was relaxing his arm on the door frame, his arms crossed on top on his torso, and his eyes facing towards her. Kagome was going to say something, but he did not speak...

Kagome gripped the broom in her hand and triggered him an eye of bewilderment and irritation. Even though she dared not speak either, they just stared at each other.

Without any choice, she continued with her work. She ironed his shirts with a much emptier agony in her back. She felt no burdens and no anxieties like before. She looked over at him, and looked at his eyes deeply concentrated on his college work. He seemed to have not a single tinge of interest in her. It was as if he was actually ignoring her! Obviously, you would be thinking that Kagome would be relived and beaming with joy by the discovery. But you know what?

She was furious! Yes, you read me correctly. Furious!

Why wasn't he paying attention to her like before? Why was it that he suddenly lost interest in his own maid? How dare he! Kagome noticed that she hasn't burnt any shirts like other previous moments in the past. Thankfully, it was only once she has done so.

Kagome didn't speak a word as he looked at her. She wasn't scared with the fact that she looked at him, but she hated the way he was looking at her.

He wasn't glaring at her! No trace of anger! No trace of bitterness! No nothing!

"Oh my God..." she thought, "What... the hell... is going... on?"

He then turned away from her, and continued on with his work. He suddenly noticed that she has had three strikes so far: 1) grabbing his sketchbook without permission, 2) burning his favorite shirt, and 3) preaching her sermon to him without his consent. No one except him knew about it. If he reported this to Toutousai, she would surely be out of this mansion for good. But somehow he has refused to do so. He did not want to bother to say anything to anyone. It was either caused by laziness, or because he didn't want her to leave.

But like any other taiyoukai living in denial, he surely picked laziness... [But we all really know why, right? 6_^]

Eventually, she finished her mission and placed her utensils in her bucket and left the room.

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Sesshomaru was so relieved when he heard that cursed door close. He immediately moved away all his work and plummeted his forehead on the desk with groan escaping his throat.

"See, Sesshoumaru! You did it! I told you it wasn't going to be that bad!" said his conscience. But Sesshoumaru had other things in his mind other than his triumphant success with silence.

"Did you hear her voice?" he whispered, "did you hear it?"

"Uh... oh yeah! She's definitely Star Search material, isn't she?" Sesshomaru nodded slowly with eyes on the carpet as always when he was in deep thought.

"She has awesome pipes," he said slowly, "she could get in record deal in this country if she tried."

"If you say so..." said his conscience, "if I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're actually beginning to like this girl not only for her beauty but for talents. Now that's something called admiration. A little too big, if you ask me." Sesshomaru scoffed a smirk as he stood up and lied on his bed with a pillow in his face.

"Heh. Is it that obvious?" he muffled sarcastically.

"Yes."

"Hm. Oh well. It's not like she'll ever really succeed any fame. She's just a maid, right?" Sesshoumaru asked in weary.

"Oy, vay... Still in denial, are we? But I'm your conscience, and I have to say that you really do like her. I don't care if you live in denial. Deep inside you like that Kagome girl."

"Hey! How did you know her name?" asked the youkai.

"Oh my god... Sesshoumaru, I'm your conscience! I know everything that goes through your mind!"

"Oh yea, dammit, I remember now..." Sesshoumaru exclaimed, "I'm really tired... I'm going to bed now."

"Yeah, yeah. Just when you're about to break the dam to your emotions, you always go to bed. Way to be, Sesshy!"

"Uh, can't you see I'm trying to sleep here?" he asked. That voice in his mind sighed hopelessly.

"Okay... whatever..."

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She left the room with sudden confusion and anger in her features. She noted that not a single word escaped from his mouth. Not even a sigh! Kagome closed the door to her room and she looked out the window towards the chirping birds and the shining rays of the sun. Today was a beautiful day, and she could not even get out of the house and enjoy it. She could not even open her window in case that none of the servants ran away from the house.

She wished to be in that shrine right now, sitting on the steps overlooking Tokyo with her littler brother Souta annoying her like always. A smile would curve in her lips as thoughts like these roamed around her imagination. But immediately she would look at her surroundings only to discover that her thoughts were mere illusions...

She knew her master heard her sing, but she feared the worst the next time she came into the room. This ignorance of his made her insides boil with not only rage but with confusion. He didn't insult her at all throughout her time in there. He didn't even dare insult her like he used to. She at least saw to yellow orbs once, so she supposed that today was not that bad. She looked at the clock as it stroke noon, which meant

"Lunch time, everyone! Get your butts out of those rooms and let's go dig in!"

She laughed as Shippou came into everyone's room and scampered about inside yelling "Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time! Lunch time!" over and over. Kagome finished her lunch with satisfied stomach, and a relieved unburdened back. Sesshomaru, as always, loved the food the maids put together, especially the ramen his maid cooked.

The night came along and the girls went this time to Kagome's room for that night's official Huddle Club meeting, and all the girls gasped with amazement at the story told before them.

"He didn't glare at you?" Sango asked Kagome.

"But that's impossible! How can he not glare at you?" Ayame asked. Kagome shrugged at the red-head.

"I'm as clueless as you are. He didn't speak to me either!"

"Not even a command?" Koharu.

"Not even an insult, Koharu-chan," Kagome answered. Souten was shaking her head towards the storyteller.

"That's just so weird, Kagome-chan. One day he's all rude and conceited to you, and then the next minute he's mute... He must definitely be a crack head..."

"What!" Kagome exclaimed, "I've never seen him smoke in my life! No, he couldn't have been high. I refuse to believe that, Souten-chan!"

"But wait. Did he hear you sing?" Nazuna asked. Kagome looked glanced a round and sighed.

"I don't know," she said, "but if he did, I'm toast."

"Oh well, it's time to go. We'll console Kagome-chan's poor heart later on tomorrow."

Everyone giggled at Kagome's pouted face, and left the room with hugs and embraces before she closed the door. The girl was finally alone, and she turned off the light in her room with an immeasurable worry upon her heart. She didn't want to go again into his room if he was so blank-faced and mute the entire time. She didn't want to handle the silence in the room. She would most rather see him glaring at her rather than doing him homework and ignoring her.

"Maybe he'll be back to normal tomorrow..." Kagome thought, "let's just pray so..."

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Chapter 8 is done! Hope you liked it! ^_^ I'll update as soon as I get 5+ reviews. Please tell me your thoughts and comments on the story.

Peace out, minna-san! ^_^v

~*~ Ruu-chan