Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, VizMedia.

Chapter 21

Summary: Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless reunion when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

Last Time…

"What the fuck are you smiling about?" Inuyasha growled.

"Fucking whelp," the youkai rasped. "Disgrace to inuyoukai."

Inuyasha and the other officer set out to bind and restrain him. Inuyasha looked over the edge of the building and felt his body go limp from the familiar scent of blood.

Kagome had crawled back into her car, across her seat to pull her father into her lap, his blood staining her and splattered inside the interior of the car. Her wails reverberated in the silence of the plaza.

"Dad!" she screamed. "Kouga, do something! Please! Daddy, no! Please, please, please, no!"

She heaved and began to rock slightly in her seat, her arms wrapped around her father's limp shoulders.

Kagome lost control of her body as she shook, overwhelmed by a maelstrom of fear, anxiety, rage, and despair. Her father's blood seeped from between her fingers as she pressed down on the bullet wound in his lower abdomen. She then caught sight of the other entry point higher up on his chest. She caught her lower lip between her teeth to try and stifle the whimpers that escaped her. Kagome could feel her heart pound in her ribcage, a heavy rhythmic thud like it was trying to break free from her chest, the tightness too restricting. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, her vision becoming hazy.

"Daddy? Dad…. Y-y-you're going to be okay— it's gonna… oh kami! I-I-it's going to be okay… Dad! Dad!"

His eyelids had closed and she gripped him tightly, gingerly dragging him further onto her lap. Kagome shrugged off her blazer and balled it up before pressing it to his body in order to try and staunch the bleeding. She attempted a feeble smile when her father opened his eyes weakly.

Sadao groaned, trying to breathe through the burning sensation that had ripped through him when the bullet hit. When he was first shot, it was like when he had been beat by an inuyoukai— the force knocked the breath from his lungs. When he awoke from his injuries before, there was a dull ache, a soreness in his body. Now, it was like fire constantly licking at him, spreading through his veins, pain overwhelming him. He was disturbingly aware of the warm liquid spilling from him, staining his daughter's hands.

"Kago…me…" he tried to speak.

"No, Dad, conserve your strength. It's okay. It's going to be okay," Kagome repeated. She continued to murmur it under her breath like a mantra. Her eyes darted downwards from his face to his wounds. "Kouga!" she cried out, grief warping her voice.

His son-in-law's face swam into view, and Sadao couldn't help but groan again, his head throbbing and his vision doubling. Kouga gently gestured for Kagome to move away but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Kagome, I have to get him out of this car. We can't treat him in here. You've got to move so I can carry him," he said firmly.

Kagome shakily nodded and gently lowered Sadao's upper body onto the seat. Kouga was quick to take over and move his hands to where Kagome's were, continuing to apply pressure to the blazer acting as a gauze. His face was set in a grim frown.

"Sadao?"

The elder man grunted softly in reply.

"Can you move? Wiggle your fingers and toes," Kouga instructed stoically.

Sadao didn't move at first and Kouga's frown deepened. Kagome gasped from behind him to try and hold in a sob, pressing the back of her wrist to her mouth to try and muffle the sound.

"Sadao? Sir, please, I need to know the extent of your injuries."

With a pained moan, Sadao lifted an arm slightly and his legs twitched in a jerky motion.

Kouga offered a tight smile. "That's good," he reassured his father-in-law. "I'm going to move you now, okay? We need to get you out of here and into an ambulance."

Sadao grit his teeth and nodded, the initial shock of the gunshots was slowly fading and he registered the numb feeling spreading through his body. He met Kouga's eyes with wide eyes.

Recognizing the panic, Kouga spoke in soothing tones. "You're going into shock, that's all. You're body's going through a lot of stress. Stay calm." Kouga maneuvered awkwardly to crawl further into the car and took Sadao into his arms as gently as possible, slowly backing up to lay him onto the ground, blood smearing across his forearms as he did so.

"Kagome, is there something in the car we can use to keep him warm? He's going into shock."

Kagome nodded frantically and grabbed the emergency blankets she kept in the trunk. She wrapped it around her father and her skin paled when she saw how he had bled through her blazer.

"Kouga…" she whispered, staring at the blood.

"Go wait over by the others."

Kagome's head snapped up and she glared at Kouga. "No," she said firmly.

"Kagome—"

"I said 'No'," she grit out.

"Kagome," Sadao groaned.

Falling to her knees, Kagome crept towards his head, reaching out to squeeze one of his hands. She brushed away the graying hair from his forehead. Managing another weak smile, Kagome fought not to stare at the stain of his lifeblood on her hands or feel its sticky warmth as he bled onto her lap. She used the blanket to apply pressure from both his chest and back.

"It's okay, Dad. The ambulance is almost here and everything will be fine. You'll get through this."

"Kagome," Sadao said more insistently.

"You're going to get better again. We'll help you. Don't worry."

When Sadao took his next breath, it sounded like gurgles and he coughed violently, his entire body lurching slightly. He cried out in pain from how it tore at his wounds. Kouga cursed as he felt more blood seep through Kagome's blazer and into his hands. He tore off his own dress shirt and pressed it on top of the ruined clothing.

"Fuck… we need to stop the bleeding… Might've nicked an artery."

Kagome turned from her father to stare wide-eyed at Kouga.

"Kagome," Sadao said once more.

"I'm here, Dad," she assured him, her voice soft. "I'm right here. I'm not— I'm not leaving you."

Sadao coughed again and Kagome held onto his shoulders as he heaved. When he settled again, blood trickled from his mouth and stained his teeth. He smiled placidly at Kagome. She felt herself crumple and shook her head at him.

"No," she weeped.

"Kagome, I love you very much," he rasped. His other hand blindly reached to cover her hand so that he cradled her palm between his. "I don't want your tears to be the last thing I see."

"Stop," she cried. "It's not going to be like that. Just wait— hold on for a little bit longer. Help is on the way!"

"I am an old man and I am tired," he murmured. He wheezed and grunted against a flare of pain.

"Daddy, please."

"I love you and Souta so much. You two are my greatest achievements. I'm so sorry—"

"There's nothing to apologize for!"

"Listen to me! I want you to be happy. I want you to live a good, long life. Don't be like me, Kagome. Don't make my mistakes. Don't forget about your heart."

Kagome shook her head. "Please," she begged.

Sadao's eyes slid away but Kagome kept her gaze trained on him. "Take care of her," he ordered sternly, the demand no less powerful even though his voice was weak. "Don't let her down again."

At this, Kagome turned and saw that Sadao was staring in Kouga's direction, but his eyes were fixed at a point behind him. Kouga nodded mutely at Sadao, but the man didn't register the reply, focused on the shaken hanyou standing just over Kouga's shoulder. Inuyasha's lips parted in surprise, his chest tense and his ears flicking backwards slightly.

"Promise me," Sadao growled.

"I promise," Kouga said.

Inuyasha's face morphed into a fierce expression. His lips pressed together into a hard line and his gold eyes took on a strange gleam, intense with determination. He jerked his head in a sharp nod before Sadao relaxed into Kagome's arms again. He lifted his gaze and met Kagome's, her own expression stunned and confused. However, she ignored the exchange to focus on her father.

"Kagome, be happy," he told her once more. "That's all your mother and I ever wanted for you."

Kagome blinked furiously at her tears and tightened her grip of his hand. "Okay," she said, her voice cracking.

Sadao's face relaxed and he leaned back, settling into her hold. He stared at the sky peacefully and sighed. "I missed your mother so much."

A sob escaped Kagome's lips but she sniffed and shut her eyes as she took in a deep breath, tears spilling over. Opening them, she lowered her head to kiss Sadao's forehead tenderly. "Go to Mama. She'll be happy to see you."

Sadao reached up and brushed his fingertips against her cheek, frowning at the red streaks on her pale skin. Kagome shook her head at him and held his hand to her face affectionately. She smiled at him. "I wish you would stay…"

"Can't…"

"I know. Tell Mama I love her, okay?"

"She… a'ready knows."

Sadao's eyelids drifted down, becoming heavier. Kagome closed her own eyes, whispering, "I love you, Daddy."

Her father's grip slackened as he took a final breath.

Kouga watched solemnly as Kagome stood in front of the new headstone, her head bowed and her hand clasped tightly in Souta's. The siblings were surrounded by bountiful floral arrangements— gifts of condolences from friends and the many people who knew the late Sadao Higurashi from his extensive career. Incense burned slowly before his grave, the thin wisps disappearing from the brisk autumn wind. It ruffled their black hair lightly in a cold, teasing embrace.

"How are they doing?"

Kouga turned and acknowledged Inuyasha with a curt nod as the hanyou stepped to his side. Kouga sighed and shook his head. "Like you'd expect. Kagome threw herself into planning the wake and funeral, preparing everything. Meeting with the executor of his will. Souta took off from school to help her… we have to go back to the shrine tomorrow and pack up his things. Decide what to keep, give away…"

Inuyasha crossed his arms, his face impassive.

"Thanks for coming, Inuyasha. It means a lot to her."

Inuyasha grunted lightly in reply. "Keep an eye on them."

Kouga bristled, visibly upset at the implication of Inuyasha's words. "I know how to take care of my family," he hissed.

"I'm not saying you don't. Calm down." Inuyasha shrugged. "Just reinforcing it."

His face falling, Kouga considered his wife. He had known her since high school. They had been in each other's lives when her mother died. He had gone to the wake and funeral of Satori Higurashi in support of his then-friend. Kouga racked his mind to remember how she coped. Flashes came to the forefront of his memory— Kagome crying silently during the wake as numerous people spoke about Satori, half turned into Inuyasha's chest, Kagome holding a weeping Souta while her father stood at her other side, Inuyasha standing behind her in solidarity, Kagome sobbing as she knelt in the mud, her fingers digging into the fresh earth while Inuyasha sat in the mud with her, his face buried in her hair and arms curled protectively around her to lend her his strength while the rain bore down on them. The next few weeks were spent with her trying to find some semblance of normal, attempting to move on and interacting with her friends and schoolmates as if nothing happened, but always with Inuyasha at her side, gripping her hand, an arm around her shoulders, his arm brushing against hers. She had simply sought the knowledge of knowing he was there.

"Kouga," Inuyasha repeated.

Kouga blinked and stared at him in bewilderment.

"I asked where her grandfather is."

Clearing his throat, Kouga answered tersely, "Didn't want to come. Kagome didn't want to push him. Sango and Miroku left right after the rites to go back to the shrine and look after him."

Bowing his head knowingly, Inuyasha muttered, "Been to too many funerals in his lifetime."

A soft female voice coughed delicately behind them and caught their attention. Ayame stood there with an envelope in her hand— koden. She smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. I just found out and I, uh… I had a shift and just got out so I thought… um… I'm sorry I missed the funeral rites."

Kouga offered an understanding smile. "No worries," he said quietly.

Ayame's green eyes widened and she stepped forward, reaching an arm out. Inuyasha and Kouga watched Kagome step towards the female youkai and accept the koden with a gracious smile. Surprising Ayame, Kagome's arms encircled her in a brief but heartfelt hug.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome."

Kagome shook her head. "You have no reason to be sorry, Ayame. You must be exhausted coming straight from work. Go get some rest." She nodded at her reassuringly. "Thank you, really." She gestured at the envelope. "This means a lot."

Ayame frowned in sympathy. "Please let me know if you need anything."

At Kagome's answering smile, Ayame nodded at Kouga and paused as she stared at Inuyasha. His jaw muscles ticked and he sighed.

"I'll give you a ride."

The tips of Ayame's pointed ears turned pink and she shook her head in refusal. "No, really, it's okay."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha turned. "Suit yourself."

Ayame pouted and huffed, "Rude."

"What? You said you didn't want one."

"I was being polite. You're supposed to insist."

"Well damn, okay, I'm insisting," he jeered.

"Idiot," she grumbled before following him to his car.

Kagome watched them walk away, a vacant expression on her face. Kouga stepped closer to her and settled his arm around her waist. Before he could pull her into his side, Kagome flinched and pulled away, walking towards the direction of their car.

"We need to go to the shrine," she said bleakly.

Kouga frowned. "I thought we were going to do that tomorrow."

"I changed my mind. Am I not allowed to?" Kagome snapped.

Kouga stared at her, hurt evident in his blue eyes. Souta's lips curved into a deep frown and he took her shoulder.

"Sis…"

Kagome closed her eyes, her eyelids quivering as she took a deep calming breath. "I'm sorry, Kouga," she said dully.

"Don't. Don't apologize. I know."

"I know what I said before… but I— I just… I'd rather get it out of the way. You can just drop me and Souta off. We'll spend the night at the shrine."

"I don't mind staying with you at the shrine."

Kagome opened her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. I don't want to leave you alone."

Staring blankly ahead of her, Kagome shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Kouga. You can just drop Souta and I off. I don't want to bother you."

"Kagome, it's no bother," Kouga insisted.

"It's fine, Kouga," Kagome cut in. She sighed and began walking to the car alone.

"Kagome doesn't look good," Ayame sighed worriedly. She stared out of her window sorrowfully.

"I don't expect anyone who recently lost a parent would," Inuyasha commented, his brow furrowed as he drove.

"I noticed… there were two other headstones…"

"She had an older brother. Died in an accident when she was still little. Her mother died when we were in high school. Cancer."

Ayame closed her eyes. "Kami. I can't imagine. It was hard enough when jii-chan passed away. I can't imagine going through it three times."

"Kagome's strong. She'll get through this." His voice was so sure.

"How did she do it before?"

Inuyasha's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "When her brother died… I guess she had her mother there to help her cope. Her dad…" Inuyasha made a face, not wanting to speak ill of Sadao. "Let's just say he didn't take it well. Her mom was the one who really looked after Kagome and her younger brother."

"Souta."

Inuyasha nodded.

"What about when her mom died?"

Ayame didn't miss how Inuyasha tensed. "I'm sorry. I'm being nosy."

"You are."

Flushing at his chastise, Ayame tried to sink into the seat. Inuyasha mumbled, "I was there when she found out her mom died. It was the middle of the night. I stayed with her the whole time. At the wake, the funeral. After. I never left her side. Wanted to make sure she remembered how to smile."

"And now?"

Inuyasha glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What about now?"

"I mean, I'm sure Kagome needs someone right now."

"Keh! That's what her husband's for, isn't he?" Inuyasha retorted harshly. Ayame flinched at his tone and Inuyasha grit his teeth. "Sorry," he said gruffly. "It's not your fault."

Ayame stared at him, a miserable expression coloring her face. "Isn't it, though?"

Inuyasha wanted so badly to agree with her. Desperately even. Instead, he continued to scowl at the road ahead of him until he exhaled heavily, his anger deflating at the same time. "No," he said firmly.

"Inuyasha—"

"Shut it, Ayame. We've already made peace with that shit, okay?"

"Okay," she decided, although there was still a stubborn set to her jaw. "But will Kagome be okay?"

"Kouga will look out for her. They love each other."

Ayame sighed again. "I know what that means."

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you on about?"

"You know, you can be there for her as a friend, too. It'll be hard, but you'll do it for her."

Inuyasha scoffed. "What makes you say that?"

"You still love her," Ayame said frankly. "Don't even try to deny it, Inuyasha. It's plain to see. Look, you can take my word for it or you can be a stubborn dumbass about it, but I'm telling you, she needs to be able to rely on someone."

"She's got a bunch of people to turn to before she turns to me," he grunted. "Besides, she needs her space. I'm letting her grieve. Giving her time to herself."

With a disbelieving gasp, Ayame shook her head. "After so many years, I don't understand how you can still be such an idiotic baka."

Inuyasha pulled up in front of the apartment complex where Ayame lived. "Idiot is a prerequisite condition to being a baka," he scoffed. Inuyasha hissed when Ayame punched his arm. "What the fuck was that for?"

"I know you're hurting, too, so I'm going to let it go, but call me when you're ready to talk and can admit that you're full of shit!" she huffed before climbing out and slamming the car door, the frame shaking from the impact.

Inuyasha glared at her back and slammed his hands down on the steering wheel in frustration before peeling away, his tires screeching.

Heads snapped up as Inuyasha stormed back into the bullpen, plopping into his chair with more force than necessary, throwing the heavy files onto his desk, smaller notes and various pens flitting or rolling off of the cluttered surface. He glared at all of the bystanders, who rushed to duck their heads and turn to their work. Inuyasha felt a deep, feral growl build up deep in his chest and quickly cleared his throat in order to curtail the sound, his ears continuing to twitch as a remaining symbol of his agitation.

"Calm down, Takado," one of the other inspectors murmured, the words muffled by the pen cap she chewed on while she typed up her latest report.

Inuyasha shot her a glare from the corner of his eye. "Aw, shove it, Mizuki," he grumbled, but there was no spite in his tone.

"What's got you so worked up?"

"Fucking lab screwed up a DNA test a few weeks ago. I told them to redo it but now they're not getting back to me about it."

Mizuki snorted and her red lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "You probably pissed them off with your horrible bedside manners," she teased.

"She's right, Inuyasha."

Silence settled over the area where Inuyasha and Mizuki's desks were, many looking up to stare as Kouga calmly made his way to his desk, shrugging off his backpack and throwing it underneath as usual before taking his seat and starting up his computer. It was a well-known fact that Kouga had taken his compulsory five days of leave for bereavement. But with Sadao being a large figure in Tokyo's legal circles, the superintendent granted Kouga an extra week to settle everything and as a show of good faith towards the work his late father-in-law accomplished.

Quickest to recover, Inuyasha snapped back, "You'd side with anyone who disagreed with me, you piece of shit."

The surrounding officers and inspectors raised their eyebrows at Inuyasha, scandalous expressions on their faces, save for a few like Mizuki who understood the dynamic and relationship Inuyasha shared with his partner. She laughed quietly under her breath, shaking her head before she went back to finishing up the details as she summarized her last case.

Kouga smirked and nodded at Inuyasha in gratitude. Inuyasha shrugged and continued looking through his notes again, before a scowl fell into place. A shadow fell over his desk but Inuyasha kept his head down.

"Take a damn picture."

"What is this?"

Inuyasha looked up and saw Kouga holding a file, his face torn between confusion and anger. Inuyasha glanced at the file name and his face fell in understanding. He scrubbed at his eyes with his knuckles and yawned tiredly.

"Our new case," Inuyasha said bleakly.

"What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean our new case? We're taking on the inuyoukai that murdered Sadao. It's the same fucking guy that tried to kill us months ago. The same guy that tried to kill Sadao before. That's our case! We were working it for almost a year!" Kouga slammed down the file. "Not this bullshit!"

Inuyasha growled, "Come on!"

He gestured for Kouga to follow him and they rushed out of the bullpen and into an empty interrogation room. Inuyasha shut the door and lowered the blinds of the one-way glass.

"Superintendent said we're too close to the case. Sadao was your father-in-law. It's a conflict of interest—"

"What about you?"

Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms. "You're my partner, Kouga." He pulled a face. "I'm not exactly the best cop buddy, but I've got your back. We take the cases together. We work them together."

Kouga gaped at Inuyasha but mimicked his stance, turning away and crossing his arms over his chest. "Not so bad for a mutt. Would rather have you than half of those dumbasses."

"Yeah, enough with this sentimental crap. Like I was saying… it's a conflict of interest for you, but I think the results of that DNA test also got leaked. Lab won't get back to me."

Color drained from Kouga's face. "What?" he asked quietly, shock evident in his tone. Kouga made several attempts to speak before he sighed, "Fuck, Inuyasha, I forgot about that. With everything that's happened—"

"I know, okay? I'm not as big of an insensitive jerk as other people I think I am. I didn't want to bother you with this until I was sure. But… no matter how much I try, they won't talk to me."

"Why… w— they'd only do that if they thought— I mean, it's obviously a screw up that some lab intern did but is too fucking scared to own up to."

"I've been looking it up… annoying as shit. I hate forensics." A crease formed on Inuyasha's forehead as his scowl deepened. "Might have been a screw up by a lab technician, but I mean, the youkai and I were brawling. There was a lot of blood getting thrown around. It could have gotten mixed."

"Enough to warrant a partial match to your DNA profile on record?"

Inuyasha tensed, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge. "That's why I've been doing so much research on it. It's a grey area, but I found enough to at least suggest the possibility that cross-contaminated samples caused the partial match and lend reasonable doubt. It's hard to prove definitively that it's not mine, though. Separating DNA profiles once they're blended is almost impossible."

"You really think the lawyers will go for it?"

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "They better. Or else I'm going to jail for murder."

Edited May 2019