A/N: Chapter nine! Ok, so things are going to get much more interesting here, I promise. Thanks to all those who've stuck with me so far! And, as always, please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't understand where you come up with the idea that a simple girl like me could possibly own Inuyasha. I don't, sorry. He, and everyone else associated with his name, still belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Unnatural Amnesia
Chapter Nine:
They had long since finished their dessert and migrated back to the living room, and it was getting rather late, so Mrs. Higurashi finally spoke up again.
"I know everyone's feeling a bit anxious, but we can't stay up all night, and Souta, you've got another game tomorrow, so you need your sleep. I think we should go to bed."
"Bed? Are you crazy? I won't be able to sleep! I'll be too worried that that creepy guy'll show up while we're sleeping!"
"That's what I'm here for, Souta. No worries, no bad guys are making it up to your room." Inuyasha stated reassuringly. Souta fell quiet, obviously thinking.
"Why don't you keep me company tonight, Souta? Or are you too old for that stuff?" Gramps suggested, pulling himself to his feet.
Souta hesitated, then stood. "Ok. Good night Mom, Sis, Inuyasha."
"Good night, Souta."
"'Night, twerp."
"I think I'll head up to bed, too. Kagome, you can show him where the extra blankets are, can't you?"
"Yeah, I can. Good night, Mom."
"Good night, dear. Good night, Inuyasha." And then Mrs. Higurashi ascended the stairs and disappeared down the hall way, leaving Inuyasha and Kagome alone in the living room.
Kagome stood a couple of moments after her mother had gone upstairs. "Mom's right, it's getting pretty late."
"What, midnight's late to you?" Inuyasha joked, grinning as he, too, stood up.
Kagome chuckled softly. "Only when I'm tired. Come with me, I'll show where all our extra blankets and things are." As she spoke, she led him down a side hall, stopping about half-way down it, facing a closet door. She reached up and pulled it open slowly, obviously waiting to be bombarded by something. Sure enough, an old throw blanket fell out and landed half in her face. Inuyasha reached over and pulled it away from her, slinging it over a shoulder. "You know, we've got warmer blankets."
"Keh, it's practically summer time, I don't need too many blankets. This'll be fine."
"How many pillows do you want? I think we have four in here."
"One'll be enough."
"Only one?"
"Yeah, only one." When you spend half your life sleeping in trees, one is sometimes too much.
"Ok, here you go. One pillow, extra fluffy." She grinned, handing him a semi-smushed pillow that had, at one point, probably been rather big and cushiony. He grinned and took the pillow gratefully.
"Thanks."
"Don't thank me. You're the one who volunteered to spend the night just for our peace of mind."
He grinned again as they made their way back to the living room. "Peace of mind is important. And, like I said, this is my responsibility. I intend to fix it."
They fell silent as he tossed the pillow on one arm of the couch and the blanket on the other end. Then he turned, thumbs stuck in his pockets casually. "Well, good night, Kagome."
"Good night, Inuyasha. Thanks again." Then, impulsively, she leaned in and planted a soft, quick kiss on his cheek before turning and walking up the stairs. She paused at her door, waved down at him, and disappeared into her bedroom. He heard the lock click and released the breath he'd been holding. Stepping back into the main part of the living room, he collapsed onto the couch and his eyes drifted shut. Instantly, the feel of her lips on his cheek shot through him again, and he tried to force that feeling away.
A few hours had passed since the Higurashi's had gone to bed, and Inuyasha was still wide awake. He'd known when he made the offer that he wouldn't be sleeping that night. What he hadn't considered when he'd made that offer, however, was the temptation. He kept finding himself at the foot of the stairs, or half-way up them, before realizing that he didn't have the right to check on her now. He knew she was ok. He just…wanted to see her. With a low growl, he turned and returned to the couch angrily. It was going to be a long night, unless Tao was dumb enough to show up. Which he doubted.
Kagome couldn't believe her luck, or lack of it, rather. She'd tripped over an ant hill and twisted her ankle. How in the world did I manage that? Her thoughts shifted completely when she felt her senses tingle in a familiar, comforting way. She blushed, already embarrassed for herself. A moment later, an equally familiar shadow was looming over her, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
"How the Hell'd you manage to twist your ankle over an ant hill?"
"I don't know, I wasn't paying attention, I guess. Can you help me up, please?"
"Keh, you need to pay more attention, clumsy. One o' these days you could really hurt yourself with this habit o' yours." As he spoke, Inuyasha bent over, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms and they were racing towards the village.
"You don't have to carry me, you know."
"Of course I do, you'll just trip again, now that that ankle's givin' you trouble. Just stay off it for a little while, an' you'll be fine."
"What is wrong with you? You could've gotten yourself killed!" Kagome shouted, grabbing one of Inuyasha's ears to keep his attention.
With his head tilted to ease the pressure on his ear, he growled, "He had it comin'! Besides, he was the one who went and attacked you! You should be grateful!"
"Grateful? You almost got yourself killed because you couldn't wait three more hours for your demonic powers to come back! If he hadn't been distracted with Shippo and Kirara, he'd have killed you! Is that what you want?"
"Don't be ridiculous! That bastard was trying to kill you, you know! Dammit, Kagome, just drop it!"
Releasing his ear, she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest angrily. He knew that look well, and his expression shifted from irritation to trepidation. "Just drop it? I'm sorry I don't want you to kill yourself!"
"C'mon, Kagome, it's not like he could've killed me-"
"Inuyasha! Sit boy!"
Morning came uneventfully, and by nine everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Souta was talking about his game that afternoon, and Gramps was reading the newspaper while Mrs. Higurashi made breakfast. Inuyasha was lounging on the couch, having already put away the blanket and pillow he hadn't used. Kagome was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at her glass of water and trying to remember what it was she'd dreamt about. All she could remember was having an argument with Inuyasha; something about someone who'd almost killed him. The stress of this whole thing must be getting to me. Why else would I dream something like that? And why is the word 'sit' stuck in my head?
Mrs. Higurashi grabbed the nearest plate and instructed Kagome to fetch Inuyasha for breakfast, so she got up and walked into the living room. He looked over at her when she walked in and flashed her a small grin. "Breakfast ready?"
"Yep. Hope you're hungry; I think she made a lot."
"I've got a big appetite." Kagome laughed as she lead the way back to the kitchen.
It was 10:30, and time for Souta to leave to meet his team, as they had an hour and a half of practice, then a lunch break, and then it was game time. Kagome assured them that she'd be ok until it came time to show up for the game, and Mrs. Higurashi and Gramps reluctantly left to accompany Souta.
When they were gone, Kagome sighed and collapsed on the couch. Inuyasha arched an eyebrow.
"Do you think he'll show like he said he would?"
"I don't know. Would've thought I'd have heard from him by now."
"How come that doesn't sound reassuring?"
He grinned despite the situation. "'Cause it isn't?"
"Oh, gee, thanks for that. Seriously, though, what am I supposed to do? Just wait around for him to show up?"
Inuyasha shook his head and stood. "No. C'mon, we'll go kill time and see what happens."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you worried?" Kagome pretended to glare at him as she took his proffered hand and stood. She allowed him to lead her out the door, and made certain to lock up once they were outside. Then she pocketed her keys and cell phone and followed him towards the stairs.
After Souta's game, the family opted to go out and see a movie, so Inuyasha took the risk of heading back to his brother's for a couple of hours, to see what they might have found. He was operating under the assumption that Tao wouldn't be stupid enough to do something in public. And that his twin nephews, who happened to be attending the same movie, would step in if he did.
He got back in time for Jaken to go squealing by about something or other that he really just didn't care about, so he popped the imp on the head for old-times-sake and kept going, heading towards his brother's office.
He threw open the door and saw his brother on the phone. Sesshoumaru held up a finger, signaling that he be quiet, and, for once, Inuyasha complied. He allowed himself to collapse into one of the expensive chairs facing the desk while Sesshoumaru talked to whoever was on the other end. His ears twitched at what he heard, and he leaned forward almost instantly, forgetting all about being tired.
"I'm sure. I know his stench pretty damn well, and it's all over this dump. Ayame's checkin' it out, seein' if she can follow the trail." Kouga's voice reported from the other end.
"I see. And you're certain he only left moments ago?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Hold up, she's comin' back." A pause, then, "What'd you find, babe?" Another pause, and Kouga directed his voice back to the phone. "You'd better grab the mutt and get over here. Fast."
"Then we shall meet you there." Sesshoumaru hung up and glanced over at Inuyasha as his little brother stood.
"He found him?"
"It seems that is the case. Are you ready?"
"Been ready all night. Let's get this damn thing over with."
Half an hour later, it was done. Tao was dead and the threat gone with him. Checking his watch, Inuyasha figured Kagome and her family would probably be out of the movie by then, so he hopped in his Mustang and drove to her shrine. When he got out, he could tell instantly that they hadn't gotten home yet. Frowning slightly, he dug out his cell phone and scrolled down until her name popped up, and clicked the right button. It rang four times before her voicemail kicked in.
"Hey, you've reached Kagome Higurashi. Sorry I missed your call, but please leave a message, and I'll be sure to call you back. Thanks!" And then it beeped irritatingly in his ear.
"Hey, Kagome, it's me. Just thought I'd let you know, everything's clear. We found Tao and took care o' the situation. You can rest easy an' all that. Call me when you get this, just so I know you know. Talk to you later, I guess." What the hell? Why wouldn't she answer her phone?
He decided to hang around the shrine for a bit, to see when she'd get back. After half-an-hour, he caved, and leapt into the Goshinboku once more. Settling on his favorite branch, which had served him well over the centuries, he let his eyes drift shut.
He didn't know how long he'd been asleep when he heard the Higurashi family car pull in to their garage. Shaking himself awake, he jumped from the tree and walked over to the front of the building, leaning casually against the wall and waiting patiently. It didn't take them long to walk up.
"Hey, Inuyasha. What's going on?" Kagome asked, her meaning obvious.
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you get my message? I called a while ago."
"You did?" Kagome said, digging into her pocket and pulling out her phone. Flipping it open, she said, "Huh. I never heard it ring. Sorry."
"Keh, no big deal. Just wanted to let you know, you can sleep in peace tonight. Tao's no longer a threat to you, I promise. We found him this afternoon."
"You did?!"
"Yeah. It's all over now."
"Oh, that rocks!" Souta declared, pumping the air with his fist.
"Thanks so much for everything you've done, Inuyasha. If there's ever anything we can do to repay you, please, just let us know." Mrs. Higurashi stated, smiling.
He shook his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You don't owe me anything for what I did. Anyway, there's still some paperwork to catch up on, so I'd better be going. Suppose I'll see you all later, then." After exchanging temporary good-byes, and accepting an invitation to dinner, which he was instructed to extend to his brother and sister-in-law, on that upcoming Friday, he left.
Kagome woke up sweating Monday morning, but once again, she couldn't remember her dream. Shrugging it off as just another nightmare, she climbed out of bed and got ready for school. I can't believe that that all happened in one weekend. It seems almost like a dream.
She got to school ten minutes earlier than usual, and headed to the library so that she could study in quiet for the quiz they were having that day in history. And she got about five minutes of solid studying in, too. Until her friends showed up and discovered her.
School went by fairly quickly, and soon Kagome was walking by herself back to the shrine. She was about twenty feet away from the school when Hojo's voice called out to her. She cringed, hoping it wasn't time to hurt his feelings inadvertently. She stopped and waited for him to catch up like a good friend, smiling up at him, as he was once again on his bike.
"Hey, Hojo. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm doing great. Actually, Kagome, I really want to talk to you about something."
"Oh, ok. What's up?"
"Well, you see, this is really awkward, but, um…well, I feel really horrible about this, but I realized something the other day, and I…I don't want to upset you or anything, but…well, I got the impression that you didn't really want to be going out with me, am I right?"
Kagome stopped, paling and staring at him, wondering how he'd come to that (accurate) conclusion. "I…uh…Hojo, I'm sorry. I don't know what it is, I guess…I dunno, I don't think I'm interested in dating right now, that's all."
"Oh, it's ok! I didn't mean to sound angry or anything! The truth is, I was thinking about that, when something occurred to me. And it's really embarrassing that I haven't already figured this out, but, well…I think I've got a bit of a crush on your friend, Ayumi."
Kagome gaped again, totally thrown off by this last statement. Finally pulling herself together, she said, "Ayumi? Really? Oh, wow, I totally didn't see that coming."
"Are you angry with me?"
"What? No! Of course not, Hojo, you're entitled to like whoever you want to! I'm just surprised, that's all. Truthfully, I'm a bit relieved. I was so worried I'd hurt you when I told you that I wasn't interested in dating, I'm glad you're not upset over that."
Hojo laughed, smiling at her. "So, if we're both in agreement, can we still be friends?"
"Of course! I'd love to still be friends. And good luck with Ayumi, by the way."
"Do you think I stand a chance?"
Kagome smiled knowingly. "Well, as a friend of Ayumi's, I can't say. But as a friend of yours, I think you can take the risk."
"Great! Well, then I'll see you tomorrow, Kagome! Bye!" And with that, Hojo rode off quickly. Kagome just stood there and stared for a bit, completely thrown off by that unusual exchange.
With life more or less back to normal for Kagome, the week seemed to fly by. Soon it was Friday, and she was more excited than she'd thought she'd be to see Inuyasha again that night for dinner. She was sitting under the tree at lunch, and Yuka and Eri had just joined her, saying Ayumi would be there in a few minutes. Then they started talking about random things, mostly their least favorite teachers and how they couldn't wait to graduate next month.
Ayumi came over a few minutes later, her face flushed, and sat down quietly. Eri looked over at her curiously. "What's with you, Ayumi?"
"Yeah, you look a little pink." Yuka added.
"You're never going to believe what just happened." Ayumi stated, smiling. The girls exchanged looks, then looked back to Ayumi. Seeing that they weren't going to try and guess, she said, "Hojo just asked me out."
"What?" Yuka and Eri shouted in unison. Kagome smiled.
"You said yes, right?"
"Of course I did!"
"Well, then congratulations. I bet you'll have fun."
"And you're okay with this, Kagome?" Yuka demanded.
"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like Hojo and I don't get along or something."
"You're so weird, Kagome." Eri muttered teasingly, biting into her sandwich.
The school day was over quickly and Kagome practically ran home, knowing full well that dinner was still three hours away. She kicked her shoes off in the entry way, hollered that she was home, and bounded up the stairs to get her homework out of the way and change into something casual.
It took her nearly an hour and a half to get all her homework done, and then she came downstairs and flopped on the couch, her personal reading book in hand. Just as she made herself comfortable, an idea occurred to her. She stood up again and headed outside, walking over to the Sacred Tree. Stepping easily over the small fence, she settled herself beneath the tree and opened her book.
Before she knew it, she heard the gentle rumble of an expensive car pulling into her driveway. Slipping her bookmark in, she looked up just in time to see a black limo come to a stop and an equally black motorcycle swing around it and park at an angle. Inuyasha swung off the bike just as a butler held open the limo door and Sesshoumaru stepped out, offering his hand to his wife. Once they were out, Sesshoumaru nodded at the driver and he got back into the limo and backed out of the driveway.
Kagome stood and brushed off her skirt before stepping over the small fence once again. Inuyasha turned around and tossed her a grin as he shrugged off his light over coat and tossed it onto the bike, beside his helmet. "Hey, Kagome. How's life?"
She smiled back at him. "Not too bad." Directing her attention towards Sesshoumaru and Rin, she smiled graciously. "It's good to see you both again."
"It's good to see you, too. You look like you're doing well." Rin said, returning the smile.
"Thanks. Please, come in. Dinner should be ready soon, I imagine." Turning, Kagome led them into the house and escorted them to the living room. "Make yourselves comfortable, I'll go check on dinner." Then she disappeared down the hall, and Inuyasha claimed the armchair, leaning back and inhaling the scents of the house. Or, rather, one of them.
Sesshoumaru and Rin sat down on the couch and looked around briefly before looking back at Inuyasha. "You certainly look comfortable, little brother."
"Cram it, Sessh." Inuyasha declared, intentionally using the 'nickname' his older brother hated.
They both heard two sets of footsteps coming down the hall, and moments later, Kagome and her mother entered the living room.
"Oh, hello. Kagome told me you'd all arrived. It's good to see you again, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha inclined his head respectfully. "You, too, Mrs. Higurashi. I'd like you to meet my older brother, Sesshoumaru, and his wife, Rin."
"Hello, Mrs. Higurashi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sesshoumaru said, standing politely and inclining his head.
"Hey! Gramps! Inuyasha and his brother are here!" Souta's voice hollered from the door way. A moment later, the energetic young boy came running into the room.
"Souta, slow down, dear." Mrs. Higurashi instructed. Turning to her guests, she smiled. "Dinner should be ready in just a few minutes. If you'll excuse me." She said, returning to the kitchen to tend to the meal.
Souta and Grandpa Higurashi were readily introduced to Sesshoumaru and Rin Taisho, and then Kagome reported that they were being summoned to the dinner table, so they all stood up and migrated to the kitchen. The table-leaf had been added to assure that there was enough room for everyone. Gramps took his seat at the foot of the table, and Souta took the seat to his left. Sesshoumaru and Rin took the seats to the left of the head of the table, and Inuyasha sat opposite his brother, beside Kagome, who was sitting beside her brother.
Mrs. Higurashi served the dinner, placing the plates in front of everyone and then seated herself at the head of the table. "I do hope you like it."
"It looks delicious, Mrs. Higurashi." Rin commented honestly, taking a bite of her dinner. Soon everyone was focused more on eating than making small talk.
To Be Continued…
A/N: So, that's that for chapter nine. Please let me know what you think! And stay tuned for chapter ten!