Haunted by Death

Note- I really hope you enjoyed the last chapter in this crazy story as the plot thickens. I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing, and, as usual, let you know that I love getting ideas from you! [:

I do not own Inuyasha, or any of its characters. Any made up characters in this story, and this series, are fictional and any likeness to real people is merely coincidental. All I own is the plot. Thank you.

Summary (Full)- Kagome is finally free of her psychotic cousins, their friends, and the murders. Her life has, basically, returned to normal. Despite some lingering nightmares, she's shopping and having fun with her friends. Her relationship with Inuyasha is going perfectly fine. Things couldn't be more perfect. But then, when she signs on one day, Death sends her an Instant Message, threatening her once again. Is it really possible to Escape Death a fourth time?

Haunted by Death

Chapter 8

'It's okay, it's okay,' Kagome repeated to herself as she tentatively followed the love of her life back to his office to give her statement. He had released her arm, and she now kept her sweaty palms tucked securely in the pocket on the front of her pullover sweatshirt, though it brought her no comfort. She continued to fidget, popping her knuckles nervously every so often. 'It's okay,' her mantra continued in her mind. 'He's only mad because he cares.'

As she maneuvered through the flood of detectives bustling about with case files in their hands, she couldn't help but notice that someone had decorated for Halloween. Small bats hung from the ceiling, and stickers of witches and cats with their backs arched and fur standing on end clung to the windows. Some of the detectives even had small, plastic pumpkins sitting on their desks, their cords disappearing somewhere beneath the desk, plugged into an outlet somewhere. The various facial expressions of these pumpkins were alight with an eerie yellow-orange glow. Fake spider webs hung in various places around the department, some possessing small, fake spiders.

"In here," Inuyasha commanded, his voice stern, as he opened his door. He held it open, and leaned against it so she could walk past him. As she passed, he caught a whiff of her scent - white clay and pink jasmine - her usual body wash. Her hair smelled of aloe and chamomile. "Take a seat," he said, closing the door and motioning to the two chairs sitting in front of his desk. Kagome hesitated, and instead, opted to stand behind one of the chairs, her sweaty fingers grasping the back of it. The black leather was cool to the touch. She studied him as he went through and closed all of the blinds so they could retain their privacy. His body language spoke volumes. His face was serious, his mouth set in a grim line, and his eyes looked focused. Upon closer examination, she could see the tiredness in them. She couldn't help but notice the muscles that were taught beneath his somewhat form-fitting t-shirt. He had a holster on, that cradled his gun securely against his left ribcage. Kagome found herself laughing on the inside. He didn't really need the gun, being a half demon, and all. If worst came to worst, he had his razor sharp claws and animal-like ferocity to take care of himself. But what kind of city would this be if demonic cops were allowed to behave as such, while the humans had no choice but to be, well, human?

"Sit," he commanded once again, and Kagome didn't dare challenge him. She quickly walked around the front of the chair that was to the right of his desk and plopped down into it.

"Look, Inuyasha, I-"

"Stop, Kagome," he said, sitting down at his desk and regarding her with a solemn expression. "I just want to know what happened tonight. Everything's a mess, and our department has nothing as far as leads or suspects."

Kagome felt the color drain from her face as her heart made it stomach-churning descent to her ankles. No leads? They had no idea as to who this sick madman was? 'What did you expect?' She asked herself as she stared down at her hands that were balled up on her lap. 'Did you believe they'd miraculously find the guy who has been doing this to you? You don't have any leads yourself. The most viable one was cleared just now in the visiting room.'

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, his voice firm, "If you know anything, you need to tell me."

'Does he know?' She asked herself, her eyes peeking up at him through her bangs. Her heart, down at her ankles, had sputtered to life again, and was beginning to beat quickly. 'Does he know it's happening all over again? He can't know. I have done all I can to keep it hidden!'

"Kagome?"

"No," she blurted, raising her face to stare into his eyes - dark chocolate to bright amber. "I don't know anything."

Inuyasha continued to eye her, studying her carefully. She felt violated, as if he were trying to look deep into her soul. He must have believed her, because, at length, he said, "What the hell happened out there, Kagome? You should have called me!"

"I know!" She said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Truthfully, as horrible as it sounded, after the incident, all Kagome could think about was getting home and working out. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything - or anyone - else. She was pissed at herself for being so naïve, weak, and slow. She knew from the beginning that this was going to have to be a battle she had to fight alone, and she thought she could handle it. After her less than stellar performance tonight, however, she realized just how much she lacked.

"Then why didn't you call me?" He demanded hotly, his amber eyes burning with anger.

"I don't know," she lied through gritted teeth. "I just wanted to get home, I guess. I've seen way too much of that stuff, Inuyasha. I'm tired of seeing it."

That was mostly the truth. Only, she was tired of it happening because of her. The blood and the death - that stuff she was accustomed to. She had accepted that, at this point in her life, she could handle just about anything of that caliber…except the responsibility.

Inuyasha sighed. "Okay," he said at length. "Next time, call me. No exceptions."

"You think there will be a next time?" Kagome questioned, knowing the answer all too well.

"Of course," he responded, matter-of-factly. "This is his second victim in a matter of a day. And this time, he attacked in public. So, back to the subject, I need you to tell me everything."

"What's there to tell?" Kagome asked defensively. "He attacked her during prayer. No one saw anything."

"Not true," Inuyasha argued. "Someone saw a hooded figure standing behind the woman just before the attack. The witness looked the figure over before bowing her head for prayer. She was able to describe the figure as having a decent build, and she believed it was a man."

"That could've been anyone," Kagome pointed out sullenly, not only to Inuyasha, but to herself. It really could have been anyone. "What do you think, Inuyasha?"

"Personally?" He leaned forward a bit. "I just think it's some twisted bastard. But I haven't ruled out a copy cat."

"A copy cat? To what?"

"Our high school murders."

Kagome blanched. "You think that someone out there is such a big fan of what happened to us that he is copying it?"

"Look at it so far, Kagome," Inuyasha urged. "Naoto was from our school. And coincidentally enough, the woman who was killed tonight was Nina Markova - also from our school."

Kagome flinched.

"Now, don't say a word about who she is. Her family is on their way to claim her, and we don't need the damned press getting a hold of any information." Inuyasha ordered. Kagome nodded, her heart slowing down to its normal pace. "Now," Inuyasha began, changing the subject. "Tell me. Did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

Heaving a heavy mental sigh, she pondered her options. She couldn't tell him the truth, no matter how bad she wanted to. The last time she did it, not only did it put Inuyasha and her friends in danger, they were used against her, making her much more subservient and ineffectual. He, however, was only going to keep asking, desperately digging and digging until he peeled away her layers of lies. It was okay, she decided, to tell him some truth. "I only saw the figure," Kagome said at last.

Inuyasha leaned forward, intrigued that she was confessing to seeing something.

"I could just tell it was a man. He was taller than me by a foot, and wore a hat pulled low, and a scarf pulled high. I saw him mingling in the crowd, but I thought nothing of it. He looked harmless."

Okay, that was a lie. As soon as her eyes had fallen on him, she sensed danger. Every nerve in her body had been screaming at her to run, or fight; to do something.

"Okay, anything else?" Inuyasha pushed.

"No. I bowed my head. When I heard the woman gurgling, that's when I looked, and by then, everyone had started to panic. I remember Miroku telling Sango to get Ichiro away while he tried to save her." Kagome closed her eyes when she recalled the desperation in Miroku's eyes as he helplessly fought against the cold fingers of death to save who she now knew was Nina. She gulped when she recollected Miroku's crestfallen expression when Nina died in his arms. "He couldn't save her," she whispered. "He tried so hard, but he couldn't do it."

"What about the killer?"

"I don't know. He got lost in the crowd." Another lie.

"And what did you do afterward?" He questioned. He seemed harsh, but she knew he was just doing his job.

"I ran home." She said simply.

"You ran home." It was a statement, not a question. Both Inuyasha's expression and voice were flat.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I ran home, like a coward!" Kagome shouted. She rose angrily to her feet and began pacing. It was yet another lie, but she couldn't very well tell him that she foolishly chased after the killer, because she knew that killer was Death and he was stalking her all over again. She couldn't say anything about any of it to him at all, and it was absolutely maddening.

"Kagome, you're not a coward." Inuyasha said, rising to his feet. Kagome continued her agitated pacing, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans. He stepped into her path as she whirled around make another circuit, and she collided with him. "Damn it, woman." He muttered, as he opened his arms to embrace her. Kagome fell into his embrace, relaxing her face against his rock solid chest. "It's okay," he assured her. "I'm going to get this bastard if it's the last thing I do."

Kagome smiled a little, suddenly feeling tired. The events of the night were catching up to her.

At length, he released her. "Stay here, I need to run some files downstairs to the evidence room. I'll be right back." He scooped up the files and walked out the door, closing it gently behind him.

Sighing, Kagome wandered around the room, her fingers grazing over the shelves of books and awards he had. She stopped to admire the picture he had from high school. In it, Sango was bonking Miroku on the head for groping her, Inuyasha had his arms crossed over his chest, and she had been the only one smiling and waving. Her mother had insisted on taking the picture of them before their first day of eleventh grade. It was a very dear moment to her. Kagome frowned. 'This is before it all happened,' she thought. 'This was when Koga and Kikyo and Kagura were still alive. Ginta and Hikkaku, too. This was when everything was normal.' A lump formed in the throat, and she swallowed it back.

Forcing her eyes away from the picture, she continued her slow journey throughout the office, her eyes skimming across more pictures - one of her and Inuyasha when they moved into their house, one of Ichiro and Sango right after she had given birth, and one of Inuyasha and Miroku, smiling widely at the camera, acting like silly high school boys.

Kagome plopped down into Inuyasha's comfortable desk chair, amazed with herself that she hadn't been there before. She had been too afraid to go, even after Suikotsu and the other had been locked away.

With a small smile, she began prying into his desk, just to see what he had in it. The drawer on top, directly in the middle had the usual paper clips and pens and various papers. The top drawer on her right contained more files. Cases, she assumed. The second drawer down caught her attention. It was empty, except for a small box. Curiosity overwhelming her, she reached in quickly to remove the small, crimson box. 'Oh, my, God,' she though, gently fingering the case. It was soft, and she believed it was made out of suede. 'Is this…?'

She opened it, slowly, and there, sitting in the box, was a shimmering ring. It was spectacular. Beautifully simple, it was silver - or white gold, she couldn't tell - and it had a square diamond in the middle, with three smaller diamonds on each side of it. She could feel her mouth gape open in shock, but she couldn't close it. Not even when Inuyasha came through the door. When he noticed her face, and what she was holding, he paused, dead in his tracks.

"Inuyasha, is this…?" She couldn't find the words. She was just shocked.

"Damn it, Kagome," he yelled. "That's supposed to be a surprise. You know? Like, you're not supposed to go digging into my desk and find it."

As if she hadn't heard him, she repeated, "Is this…?"

"Yes," he said, his shoulder slumping. "It's an engagement ring."

Kagome just stared at him in open-mouthed horror. This was the last thing she was expecting. She had agreed to trying for a baby - and even that foundation had been wracked to his core, especially after tonight - but marriage? Her heart was beginning its stuttering all over again. "Inuyasha, I…"

He stepped around his desk, took the box from her, removed the ring, and took her left hand. "Kagome, I know, this is not how I intended to do this, and I'm not all that good with this romantic crap, but…" he paused, looking into her eyes. She could feel the electricity charging between them as he slid the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. "Will you marry me?"

Kagome opened her mouth, then closed it again. She wanted to, she was just afraid. It was a big step, and it was intimidating, especially in light of the current situation. 'Come on!' Her mind yelled at her. 'You said yes to a baby, you can say yes to a ring!'

"Yes," she whispered. She looked down at the ring, gleaming elegantly on her finger, then back up to his eyes. "Yes, I will." Her voice was firmer, more sure.

He leaned in and kissed her, and her world erupted into a shower of gloriously warm sparks. Red hot embers rained down on her back, shoulders, arms, everywhere. She was tingling all over, her heart doing cartwheels in her chest. The kiss was intense, beautiful, and everything she could ever want.

"Inuyasha," she breathed as he pulled back for air. The desire and need in her voice sucked him back in, and he kissed her again, his tongue exploring her mouth. He reached up and slid the hair bow from her hair, causing it to cascade gracefully around her shoulders and chest. Her arms snaked up to his neck, gripping his shoulders tightly. She heard the ring box fall to the carpeted floor with a dull 'thud,' forgotten, as his hands explored her body. Pulling away from her, he quickly pulled her sweatshirt over her head, tossing it carelessly on the floor. She gently slid his gun holster over his shoulders, lying it on the floor, before tugging at the bottom of his shirt, urging him to remove it. He did, exposing his perfectly sculpted chest. She couldn't resist running her fingers along his torso, feeling each muscle beneath his warm skin. She didn't have much time to revel in it, however. In an instant, Inuyasha had lifted her up over his shoulder with one arm, while sweeping his other hand across his desk, clearing it away. Papers and pens and pictures scattered to the floor, leaving his mahogany desk clean, and theirs for the taking.

Draping Kagome's body across it, her hair spilling over the edges, he yanked off her shoes, before moving up to unbutton her pants. Slowly - agonizingly slow - he began to slide her jeans down, kissing along each of her soft thighs as he did so, igniting fire. Kagome arched her back, a sharp breath escaping her lips. "Oh," she moaned.

Her pants discarded on the floor, Inuyasha began the task of removing his shoes and pants, as Kagome sat up to remove her shirt and bra. Once accomplished, Inuyasha wasted no time climbing on top of her, covering her mouth hungrily with his, his hands tenderly caressing her breasts. Kagome's hands scratched down his back, leaving ragged, red trails in their wake. She heard Inuyasha growl deep in his throat. It was a sexy, animalistic sound, and she could feel it reverberating through both their chests.

Gripping a handful of her hair, he ferociously trailed kisses down her neck, to her breasts, and back up, nipping at her skin with his fangs, leaning small, painless marks. Kagome moaned again, her breathing becoming unsteady and intense. "Now," she whispered, unable to hold out any longer. She needed him right then. She positioned him at her entrance, and he thrust, once, hard, entering her.

Her back arched, her chest against his, her mouth parted to moan loudly. Inuyasha covered her mouth with a clawed hand. "Shh," he whispered, as he picked up a rhythm. He held his hand over her mouth as he continued pumping into her, his mouth finding her breasts, his other hand still gripping her hair. He began lavishing her breasts with his tongue. She continued to whimper into his hand, her hands gripping tightly onto his wrist. He lifted his head and smirked arrogantly at her, his thrusting becoming harder. His grin only served to turn her on more, and she began thrusting her hips to her own rhythm, matching him, coming up to meet him as he came down to meet her. Her hands sought out his hips, gripping them tightly and pulling them toward her, pushing him deeper into her.

Her moaning became louder and much more intense, her eyes closing tightly in pure bliss. The sparks from their earlier kiss were still pouring down on her, sending chills down her spine. She could feel that familiar sensation welling up in the pit of her belly, and she opened her eyes to give Inuyasha that familiar look.

His supercilious smirk grew bigger. He knew what he was capable of, and he was proving to her then and there, making her submit on his desk. The thought of this strong, dominate demon on top of her was enough to send her over the edge. Her world caved in around her, and glass shattered in her ears as she came, her back arched, her body stiff, her nails biting into his hips. He tightened his hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of her joyful screaming. He continued thrusting, following her soon after, stiffening inside her, spilling into her. After a moment, he collapsed onto her, both of them satiated, panting wildly.

Once their breathing returned to normal, Kagome laughed. "What is it?" He asked.

"Maybe I need to come into your office more often," she joked.

Smirking, he got off the desk and gathered up his clothes, tossing her to her as well. "Maybe so," he concurred. "For now, though, I need to clean up this mess. Head on home, Kagome. I will be there soon."

She smiled at him as she finished dressing and tying her shoes. She embraced him tightly, and he kissed her on the neck, his fangs grazing her skin, causing her to shiver. "Easy, tiger," she whispered with a small chuckle. He only grinned at her in response. "See you later," she said. After she put her hair back into a presentably pony tail, she walked out of his office, closing the door behind her.