Hikaru- san: Sorry I didn't update in a while! Been busy, I was in Washington DC last week, which was totally fun, but the big bummer was the SIX HOUR FLIGHT! Oh well for the first half of it before I crash, I wrote the first half of this chapter. Yay Me! (claps hands super fast) anyway… I kind of left your favorite couple sad and gloomy, I mean, you'd be sad too if your little pride and joy was stolen… (sighs) anyway… shout out to Bert8813 for a lend! Thanks a bunch! Totally helps with the story! Anyway… I'll shut up and let you read…
Kohaku continued to spin around in his chair, watching the big guys go out into the world of crime, bringing criminals to justice. It only made him more depressed. Here he was, recently graduated from the police academy, and he was working at a desk at the police station. That's what he gets for competing with the Youkai Elite (thanks for the lend Bert!)
"Why so down in the dumps?"
A pretty black haired woman said, sitting on top of Kohaku's desk.
"One… you're on top of my files…" Kohaku said, pulling the papers from under her. "And two, I want to be out there… not here doing secretary work…"
"Hey! I like this secretary work…"
"Sorry Koharu…"
"But relax… you'll get your chance… they can't keep Taro Tayija's son behind the desk forever!"
Kohaku sighed.
"If only they'd let me go out sooner…"
"Taiyja!" A white tiger youkai called out.
"Matsuba- San!" Kohaku said, leaping out of his chair, and straighten up.
Sano Matsuba was the top dog (or rather cat) in the Youkai Elite, an exclusive force made for the toughest youkai on the force. Only one hanyo is known to make the force (now she currently owns a kick ass hair salon with her sister! .)
Sano threw a pair of keys to Kohaku, who caught them in mid air.
"You're coming with me. Need some assistance on a big case…" Sano said, as he headed out the door.
When he was sure no one was looking, Kohaku did a fist pump in the air.
"Did I tell ya or did I tell ya?" Koharu said, rolling her eyes as she picked up the files that Kohaku was working on so she could finish them.
"Fine! You were right… I'll see you later…"
"Tell me all about it when you get home!"
"So… what's the big case?" Kohaku asked, getting into the car with Sano. Sano just threw some case files into Kohaku's lap.
Great… more paper work…
"Kidnapping…" Sano simply said, taking off in the car down the road.
"A six year old inu- hanyou girl. Happened at least three hours ago. I think it also said she was an heiress…"
Kohaku didn't hear the last part. All his attention was on the photo of the little girl in pigtails with a cute smile.
Karei…
"That's why I wanted you on this case…" Sano continued, well aware about the sudden silence. "A friend's daughter?"
"My sister's best friend's niece…" Kohaku said quietly.
"Karei Tashio… wonder why someone would want to kidnap a little girl…"
"So, what exactly happened?"
"Let see… it's all in the file… the adopted daughter, Rin, and the kid were home alone, while the parents were out with the older son and his now fiancée. There was a break in, and poof… little girl gone, and Rin's all tied up, severe cuts and bruises where the rope was and where the wind was knocked out of her…"
Kohaku remembered Rin well. Though he was 5 years older than her, he still had that school boy crush on her, thought he didn't dare reveal it to anyone or else face Sesshomaru's wrath…
They finally reached the Tashio home. Most of the police cars that were there before were gone now, mostly because when they heard that the head of the Youkai Elite was coming in, it was the smartest idea to move on out of the way or be in the tiger youkai's warpath.
Sano parked the car.
"You ready?" he asked.
Kohaku took a deep breath.
"Let's go…" Kohaku said.
Sayuri looked up from her current project in the kitchen when she heard the doorbell.
Not more police men… Sayuri thought to herself. Or worse… the press…
That was the last thing she wanted to deal with.
First, her oldest daughter was hysterical when she got home.
Next, her youngest turns out to be kidnapped. MIA in capital letters, if you will…
And finally, too many questions from officers that were trying to help, but really weren't.
Luckily, Sesshomaru sensed her distress and told her to go upstairs while he handled the police. Just now, she was able to go downstairs to make some green tea to calm her nerves.
Sayuri shrugged and went to answer the door.
"Kohaku!" Sayuri said in surprise.
Kohaku almost responded casually, but then remembered he had a higher ranking officer with him.
"Um…. Mrs. Tashio…"
Sayuri instantly got the mental message Kohaku sent her.
"I'm Officer Taiyja, and this is Special Agent Matsuba. We're here to investigate your daughter's disappearance…"
Sayuri nodded.
"Please… come in…" Sayuri said, letting them inside.
Rin was on her way downstairs when she saw Kohaku and the other officer enter the house. She stayed where she was and took a seat on the steps.
Ryusei and Lili were in the living room with Sesshomaru, when Sayuri, Kohaku and Sano entered the room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tashio…" Sano started.
"Yes?" Sayuri, Sesshomaru, and Rysei said at the same time.
"Uh… the other Mr. Tashio…"
"Oh right…" Ryusei said.
Sano cleared his throat, though it sounded more like a growl.
"I know you have been asked this millions of times, but would you mind to have us interrogate you again for the Youkai Elite records?"
"I really don't care…" Sayuri said quietly, her shoulders shaking. Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around her. "As long as I get my daughter back…"
Rin, who was eavesdropping from the stairs, felt a jab in her chest. Why couldn't have she fought harder to protect Karei? She would never forgive herself if anything worse happened to Karei. It made her sick to her stomach thinking about what's happening to Karei now.
"Taiyja…." Sano suddenly said.
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you talk to Rin, while I take care of things here?"
"Are you sure?"
"Just go…"
"Right…
Kohaku hurried out of the room before testing Sano's temper. The Tiger Youkai was well known through out the force to have a nasty temper.
But I still think Sayuri's temper is worse…
Kohaku suddenly stopped at the end of the stairs, to find Rin looking back at him…
"Ok! We did what you wanted us to! Now where's our payment!?" Ryuka shouted.
"Here, take your money and leave. But the girl stays…" the man behind the desk said.
The dragon demoness took the sack thrown at her, and she and her partner took off.
Karei sat there quietly, bound to a chair, her feet dangling off the edge. She didn't dare make a sound. Her face was already streaked with tears, but she never cried out loud. She wasn't going to give her captors the pleasure to see her cry like that.
"So… you're her daughter?" the man said.
Karei remained silent.
"I'm an old friend of your mommy's."
"Mommy wouldn't be acquainted with a bad man like you…" Karei said in a very Sesshomaru- ish tone of voice. Her eyes narrowed in the same way too.
The man leaned forward on his desk, his face coming into the light.
"For a kid in this much trouble, you sure have a sharp tongue…" Kentaro said coldly.
"Ok… from what I see here on previous reports… the four of you were out…"
"That's right… we were at my sister- in- law's restaurant." Sesshomaru said. (A/N: I don't think I said what Kagome did for a living in the other story, so I decided to make her a restaurant owner)
"Hm…. Mr. Tashio… do you know anybody that might want to get back at you for something?" Sano asked next.
Sesshomaru thought for a moment.
"You're going to regret that… Sesshomaru…"
Sayuri was thinking of the same thing.
"Naraku…" Sesshomaru said.
"As in… Onigumo Naraku?" Sano asked.
Sesshomaru nodded.
"I'll do a background check…" Sano said, walking out of the room to make a quick call on his phone for a check…
"Rin…" Kohaku said.
Rin forced a pained smile on her face.
"Oh… hi Kohaku…." Rin said, her voice slightly shaking. "Wh… what brings you here?"
Kohaku felt himself turn red a little. Damn it… he still liked her…
"Uh…. Police business…"
"Oh…"
Rin gestured him to come upstairs with her. Kohaku hesitated a little, but followed.
"So… um… how have you been?" Kohaku asked.
DARN IT! That was a stupid question!
"Fine…" Rin said absent mindedly.
Kohaku thought for a moment about what to say next. Damn the school boy crush. But Rin spoke first…
"You need my story for the investigation, don't you?"
"Wha…?"
Rin sat down on the couch in her bedroom.
Oh great! Alone in her room! This won't look good!
"Karei and I were just in the living room playing video games…" Rin started saying. Kohaku took a seat next to her.
"… and them we heard a crash upstairs… I told Karei to hide, so she decided to go behind the heater vent. When I heard someone come down the stairs, I grabbed the fire poker to use as a weapon. But…then they caught me from behind…"
Then… Rin started to cry.
"I tried to fight him off… I did… but they still got Karei…"
Kohaku moved his arm to hug Rin, but she collapsed in his lap.
"If I just fought harder…. Then Karei would have been alright! I could have saved her! But… but…"
"just be quiet Rin…" Kohaku said. "It'll be alright. It wasn't your fault. I'll find your sister. I promise. So just…. Just don't blame yourself anymore…."
Rin and Kohaku stayed as they were for a while, until Kohaku heard Sano call for him.
"Thanks… Kohaku…" Rin said, after she calmed down a little. Kohaku looked at Rin as he was nearing the door.
"You're a really good friend…"
Kohaku gave Rin a small smile.
"Just do one thing for me. Keep smiling. Your mom's gonna need it."
"Ok…"
Hikaru- San: Hm… that took longer than I thought… so anyway… as usual… Thanks for the help Shikon!!!!! Please read and review!!!!!