…Yeah, yeah, I know I'm incredibly lazy. But, I'm here now, and I'll finish this by the end of the summer if it kills me. My writing has evolved and hopefully gotten better since the posting of the last chapter; the final chapters will probably read differently than the others.
This will be a full chapter with the "chapter teaser" from last time worked in.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Aftermath's Destruction
Chapter Twenty One: Set Up
Kagome's mother reached over and tugged her daughter into her arms loosely; the two women leaned into each other, offering what small comfort they could under current conditions. Mama bent down and pressed her lips to Kagome's temple reassuringly, one hand stroking her daughter's coal black hair just as she had done when Kagome was a little girl. Neither said a word, knowing there was nothing that could be said that the other didn't already know.
They weren't dealing with this alone.
They had each other.
Somehow, things would be worked out in the end. They had to.
Their moment was cut short abruptly, however, when the hospital door swung open and Inuyasha stalked in, Shippou wrapped in one arm while a pile of pizza boxes balanced on the other. Both boys looked annoyed.
"Kagome!" Shippou whined, clawing his way out of the man's hold. "He's being a jerk. Again."
Kagome shot Inuyasha a clear look of resentment for stirring up trouble. Scrambling out of her mother's embrace in favor of getting close enough to her housemate to poke him repeatedly in the chest, she snapped accusingly, "Shippou's barely home and you're already aggravating him. I can't believe you!" Shippou slipped behind Kagome's leg and peeked out from behind her knee to stick his tongue out at Inuyasha triumphantly. "Can't we have a nice, quiet family meal before we take the next step in this kidnapping mess?"
"No," Inuyasha grunted before sliding around the girl and setting the boxes lightly on the side table. An enticing aroma of melted cheese and tangy tomato sauce drifted by his nose, and it was all he could do to keep from ripping the top box open.
"Excuse me?" Kagome asked in a voice that told him that she clearly had not liked what he said and was hoping, the second time around, what came out of his mouth would be different.
Instead of repeating himself, he went on.
"Detective Yagi just called. The old man says we have to go down to the precinct to try and figure out what to do. Grab what slices you want, and you can eat in the car."
Kagome eyed Inuyasha, gauging his seriousness. "When are they expecting us?"
"Five minutes ago," he grumbled, jingling the keys in his pocket impatiently. "They think we've already waited too long to get a jump on things."
"It hasn't even been a full day yet! Why do they want us there?" Kagome looked more than a little peeved at the thought that she was being torn from Shippou's side so soon after his return, only to have to sit with a group of cops late into the night.
But, she reminded herself, that group of cops would be planning on how to get her Souta back. She had done all she really could do for Shippou at the moment, and what needed to be done if she left, Mama would handle.
It was, she decided, actually a good thing that they were going to try and take care of the situation as soon as possible.
Inuyasha shrugged, obviously not caring to elaborate. Kagome figured it was because he probably didn't know himself… either that, or he was just keeping his mouth shut because he knew it irritated her. Whatever the cause, she knew she wouldn't find her answers from him.
She also figured that the only reason why he wasn't complaining about having to go to the precinct was because the hospital was driving him crazy. He'd been muttering about the harsh smell of disinfectant since they'd arrived, not to mention he looked antsy to go out for awhile. Even if it was just to the car, then he'd be stuck in another building for a long time.
He didn't do well with the feeling of being trapped.
She sighed and glanced at her mother. The two women mirrored the same look of weariness, their similar features twisted with the worry that had been plaguing each for days.
Smiling gently, her eyes softening, Mrs. Higurashi reached down and lifted up Shippou. Cradling the small boy in her arms, she told her daughter, "Don't worry, I'll look after him."
It was a useless statement, everyone in the hospital room knew. Kagome would always worry, whether she wanted to or not.
Inuyasha threw on his own coat before snatching up Kagome's. "Here," he said, tossing it to her, "we need to get going."
Catching it by an arm and letting the coat trail on the floor, Kagome cast a fleeting look towards her mother and adopted son that said plainly, save me from having to sit with this in a car for the next half hour. Neither got the message and waved her off sweetly. "Well… help yourself to the pizza, I guess. Don't let Shippou eat too much, Mama. I don't even think pizza is allowed in a hospital." She saw Inuyasha look away innocently from the corner of her eye.
"I will dear, you go and have fun," the eldest Higurashi replied.
Kagome slipped into her winter coat, knowing that fun was probably the last thing she should expect, and waited in the doorway for Inuyasha to grab one of the boxes of pizza. The two walked out of the room together, the door swinging shut behind them.
Detective Yagi shuffled the papers lying on his desk, consulting the facts for the umpteenth time that day. The words were beginning to blur across the page and he had to rub his eyes a few times to get them in focus. The nights since this case dropped on his desk had been long and sleepless. He was nearing his breaking point, and he knew it. Working with Detective Kori, the unfeeling officer officially in charge, was a pain in the ass to put it lightly. Not to mention the fact that the distraught parents were starting to lose hope, while a few had become reckless in their attempts to find their children.
It was already late in the evening of the day that Shippou Higurashi had been located, and Yagi wanted nothing more than to let everyone get some well deserved rest. Kori would not hear of it; he had demanded an immediate meeting in light of the latest developments.
Kagome and Inuyasha would be there shortly to sit in on the meeting with some of the officers working on the case to discuss their options. Kori, obviously, hadn't been told that the pair would be there, since he felt it was completely unacceptable to have outside help aid the precinct. Yagi would deal with him only after it was too late to send Ms. Higurashi and Mr. Youkai away.
With any luck, some good ideas might be discovered with everyone working together.
A knock signaled someone waiting just outside the door to his cramped office. One of the secretaries from the reception area popped her head in, a headset wrapped around her head. She blinked rapidly, adjusting her eyes to the dim lighting. "Detective Kori just called in. He said not to expect him at the meeting; he's chasing some other leads."
Yagi waved her away, and she left, shutting the door quietly behind her.
Well, that dealt with that problem.
Shoving the scattered papers into a folder, he tucked it under his arm and made his way to the briefing room down the hall. Collapsing in his seat at the head of a long table, he collected himself.
Frankly, the entire situation was a mess. One hundred and eleven children were still missing, and the only good thing that had happened so far was Shippou's reappearance. If the boy was correct about the head of operation being a building downtown, the kidnappers were covering their tracks well. All business owners' papers had checked out, and there hadn't been any obvious complaints filed that could point out the correct facility.
Whatever leads Kori was talking about were complete bullshit. There were no leads. Yagi had chased every last one down himself. If it weren't for the overwhelming amount of children missing and the note given to Shippou, it would appear that nothing was out of place in the city at the moment.
Studying the wall across from him silently, Detective Yagi waited for the other members of the meeting to arrive and settle into their seats.
The meeting had been going on for at least an hour and by that point all of the officers were either throwing out half developed ideas or disputing another's. Every suggestion had some kind of underlying problem, but that wasn't surprising. A perfect solution wasn't expected to just drop into their laps.
"Miroku and Sango might have come up with something since we've last seen them," Kagome finally brought up, fatigue starting to darken her features. "They were going to drop by Sesshoumaru's…" she trailed off, chewing on her bottom lip as she avoided looking into the faces of the others scattered around the table.
Yagi tapped his pen on the tabletop before turning away, shaking his head. "Sorry, Miss Higurashi, but we're already crossing the line by allowing you and Mr. Youkai to sit in on the meeting." He paused, then carefully added, "I'd appreciate it if you ask them, however, on your own time. We could use any help we can get."
"Well," an older officer, grizzled from many years on the force, interrupted the two. He leaned back and sighed heavily, the chair shuddering beneath him.
Everyone turned to eye him expectantly.
"We could put a watch on several children around the city that fit the profile of the others abducted, and hope for the best. If one's taken, we could track them to locate the others."
Immediately, several people erupted in comments and criticisms. Kagome was horrified to see that many of them were actually considering such an insane idea. Her hands twitched under the table as she tried to relax, but she couldn't help sending accusing glances around the table. These men couldn't seriously be talking about using children as bait, could they? Heartless, cold…
"How would we get the man power to look after that many households?"
"But no children have been abducted since the Higurashi boys, what if they've decided to make do with what they have?"
"There's nothing linking the kidnappings besides the wide range of age, how would we know who to stake out?"
"Do any of you have children?" Kagome asked suddenly… softly. Several of the policemen stopped discussing the idea and turned to look at her curiously, wondering why she'd asked the question so unexpectedly when she'd barely spoken a word since she'd arrived. The older detective grumbled about having her cut short the debate that had followed his suggestion.
Yet, there were those in the room who looked back at her with sympathy crowding their eyes. These were the ones with children, Kagome realized. They were the ones who spent the meeting half tuned in, their minds reeling at the very idea of their own family being taken from them. These were the officers who tackled the case with a different motivation than the others.
Kagome appealed to them now.
"What would you do if your son or daughter was kidnapped? Would you sit quietly in a briefing room with a dozen policemen and specialists and sit back while they discuss what to do?" She continued, her eyes shining with something akin to resolve. The thought that they had been talking about using children as bait just a few minutes before had drove her wild, fighting the weariness that had been weighing her down. It sparked a maternal fire in her chest, making her sit up straighter and eye the men and women around her with scorn.
"If my daughter was kidnapped, Ms. Higurashi," Detective Yagi began after a pregnant pause, aware that the people working around him were now distinctly uncomfortable, "I would track down the perpetrators and rip them to shreds only after I'd done terrible things to them. I know where you're coming from and what you're trying to say to get us to understand," he stopped again, trying to find the correct way to word what he wanted to say. "However… we're coming at this from our job's point of view, not a parent's."
Kagome nodded, knowing she couldn't question this logic reasonably. "I know. Just keep in mind how all those parents out there are feeling. Right now, just remember that it's your job to do what they can't. Find those kids and rescue them." She ended her little speech with a withering glance at the officer who'd made the suggestion that had set her off in the first place.
He didn't appreciate it. He was, after all, just doing his job.
After a few expressive glances between one another, the men and women in the room nodded cooperatively toward her. Settling back into scattered groups, they continued to discuss what they could do that would result in all the missing children being brought home safely. Minutes, then another hour passed, but no one had been able to offer up a realistic suggestion.
Kagome had cradled her head in her arms, starting to really wish she'd stayed at the hospital with her mother and Shippou. The meeting was starting to seem fruitless, and she'd rather be getting some much needed sleep. She could barely remember everything that would need to be done the next day; people needed to called, Shippou deserved a real welcome home, and she needed to discuss the situation with her friends.
The jewel brought nothing but pain and trouble wherever it landed, she thought. She had half a mind at the moment to just give them the damn Shikon and allow it to bless the kidnappers with its curse. Then all they'd have to do was follow its wake of destruction to track them down.
The young woman suddenly sat up, reaching out and clutching at Inuyasha's shoulder. He turned to look at her, his normal level of irritableness much higher on account of having his time wasted by the cops.
"Why don't we give them—?"
"No, we've been over this," Inuyasha cut her off gruffly. He didn't even wait for her to complete her question before going back to doodling on the pad of paper in front of him. "We're not giving them the damn jewel!"
"Let me finish," she snapped impatiently, vaguely aware of the others in the room turning to listen in on their argument. "Why don't we give them a fake one?"
"And watch them kill all the children when they find out we double crossed them?" one of the cops ventured, looking sour. Almost everyone in the room was about ready to call it quits for the night.
"I know they'd probably recognize a false one, but what if we could create one that looked real enough that it could fool them for just a few hours? We could put a tracking device in it, and then tail them back to where the children are," Kagome pressed, leaning in eagerly towards the center of the table in the briefing room. It wasn't quite the same as following a trail of destruction as she'd been jokingly thinking about earlier, but it was close. A few of the cops exchanged looks.
And they weren't all doubtful ones.
"What if they don't take the jewel directly back to the sweat shop?" A woman asked.
"Then at least we know where one of the kidnappers is. If one's arrested, they'd be able to tell us where to find the others. They'd know, wouldn't they? No one would be allowed to handle the jewel unless they were one of the people in on the whole deal, right?" Kagome personally thought it was at least worth considering.
Everyone rolled the idea over in their minds, contrasting the good and the bad... was it worth the risk? Could it actually work? At least it was something new.
"Why don't we stop for tonight," Yagi finally said. "We can all think on it, then meet again tomorrow afternoon. Kagome, get some thoughts from your friends, and I'll ask around the department to see if anyone knows anyone who could create a replica of the jewel. Someone should also consult Detective Kori. We'll discuss this more then."
Obviously having been dismissed, the team stood and stretched. Leaving the room individually or in pairs, the room emptied slowly until only Yagi, Kagome, and Inuyasha remained.
"Thank you," Yagi said quietly, regarding the couple in front of him. "I know it's late and we probably should have left you guys alone for the day."
Kagome smiled at the detective, then reached over and patted his elbow in a friendly manner. "I'd do anything to get Souta back. Then there's the whole fact that we don't know when the kidnappers will contact us and ask for the trade, so we should probably figure out what we're going to do beforehand."
The two men nodded in agreement. Inuyasha retrieved their coats, handing Kagome's over. He shrugged. "Wanna go home? Or…"
"Hospital," Kagome finished, preferring the later. "If they won't let us sleep in Shippou's room, we can sleep in the car."
Inuyasha tried hard not to make any snarky remarks about the long night they were in for, he really did. Before they'd reached the car, a few had regrettably slipped out.
It turned out that the hospital didn't find their request to sleep in Shippou's hospital room that night entirely reasonable. An elderly nurse ended up having to shoo them from the waiting room, all the while muttering about how visiting hours were over and they would just have to come again the next day.
Wandering back towards the car, taking their time, Inuyasha slung an arm around Kagome's small shoulders and squeezed. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to the house?" He asked it as much for his sake and he did for hers. It was, after all, freezing, and as much as he wanted to stay near Shippou, he also wanted a warm bed.
He knew her answer before she even opened her mouth.
"I'd rather sleep in the car. I mean, what if… what if something goes wrong? I want to be here for him." Kagome stopped at the back fender of the vehicle and leaned against it, glancing up at the night sky. A few stars twinkled lazily back at her, but most were invisible against the light radiating from the city.
Inuyasha paused at her side, but eventually joined her… although not without a longing look towards the warm interior of his car. He bumped his shoulder into her gently, asking, "You okay?"
She didn't answer. Watching the stars, Kagome saw a few blurs become pale smears against the inky blackness. Bringing her hand up to her cheek, she rubbed at the tears in frustration. It seemed, to her at least, that something was always happening in her life to make her weepy and overemotional.
But… she was a heart on her sleeve kind of girl.
She suddenly wished that she could run… run far away from all these problems. When Naraku had ruined things all those months ago, that's how she had handled it. She just picked up her boys and took off; hoping against all odds that she could outrun what her life had turned into.
Now, she couldn't just leave. This time, if she left, she'd be failing Souta.
But that didn't make the impulse any less.
If there was anything good about all this, it was that Inuyasha was seeing her at her worst. Seeing her at her worst and not ditching her, that is. This proved that no matter how much he complained about crying women being the bane of his existence, he couldn't have minded so much.
It always surprised her how supportive he could be when things got really messy. Most of the time he was so immature and rude, that she almost saw him as a different person in bad times like these. For most things, she'd noticed, he denied there was a problem at all. He got angry if you tried to point out that something was wrong, then he pretended like it wasn't there.
Even now, she thought he wasn't taking everything as seriously as she was. He was almost trying to make everything out to be less than it actually was. But, she pointed out to herself, suddenly feeling ashamed for thinking of Inuyasha so badly… he was being incredibly helpful for the time being.
For instance, even as he was grumbling curses beneath his breath about her inability to keep her eyes dry, he was looking for something to give her to wipe those tears away with.
He didn't have any real obligation to stay by her side and let her wipe her snot all over his coat sleeve.
But he did it anyway.
That had to mean something, right? Oh, granted, she'd always known he'd found her attractive. He was actually a lot more transparent than he prided himself on being. Yet, it was one of those general senses of attraction. He hadn't technically acted on it, and then they became friends.
Good friends.
And that sense of attraction he had for her? All it caused now were a few moments of awkward moments or, even, some friendly teasing.
Kagome stifled a laugh, shivering slightly at the chill winter breeze pushing inside her coat collar.
One of these days, she thought wryly, one of them needed to find the nerve to make the first move.
A/N: Can anyone help me by telling me what day the next day would be in this story? Also, could you point out any mistakes and plot holes I happened to miss? Suggestions are completely welcome, too, since the ending of this story isn't exactly set in stone.
Oh… Then there's the whole thing about how when the rest of this story was written, I did a piss poor job of putting everyone in character. Now that I actually want to attempt that, if I make them more in character, then they'll be different than they were in the beginning of the story.
Help?