Chapter 21

After last night's talk with her father Kagome was now sure more than ever that he was not going to say a word to her mother. That she would have to be the one to tell her mother the truth, even if it would hurt her. After taking in a deep breath, Kagome opened her eyes and continued to get ready for the first show of the day. Although she was a bit nervous, Kagome knew that everything would be alright, that she would do fine and that she would soon be going back home in three days…two if they left in the middle of the night right after her last show. She had no idea why but all she knew was that she was starting to get very nervous. Just as she had finished getting into her custom, Kagome turned to the door as Ken walked in saying, "Kagome, you have someone in the lobby asking for you."

"Really? I'll be there in a bit." Kagome answered before looking for a robe to cover her costume. She didn't want anyone to see it until the show. She was going to surprise every since she and Ken had been the only one to work on it before the show. While Ken had been helping her with the costume she had made sure that it would look like a combination of Inuyasha's fur of the fire rat and her priestess outfit whiling using the colors you would normally find on a jester.

"Alright but don't take long, we're going to start our first show soon and it's a packed house so try not to be late…you are opening it after all." Ken replied as he turned to leave.

"I won't." Kagome answered with a smile on her face.

After covering herself up, Kagome walked out of the room and made her way to the front. Just as she had reached the area that they were waiting for her, Kagome couldn't help but smile as she said, "I'm glad you got my tickets. I hope I send you enough for all of your children."

"Thank you very much miko." He stated in a low voice. "My children are with their mother inside and seated for the show."

"Are you leaving?" Kagome asked in a confused voice.

"No, I just wanted to thank you and tell you if you ever need anything please just let me know, I was also curious to see if you have mastered the advanced weights already." He replied.

"I'll be sure to do so, I have to get back but please enjoy the show." Kagome replied as she turned around to leave. "And to answer your questions, I mastered them this morning, but I feel that I should use them in today's show so that I know what my muscles are supposed to feel for my act…I don't want to jump to high and miss the trapeze."

"We will…" he stated with a surprised grin on his face as he watched her make her way back from where she had come from.

After going back to the dressing room to get her hat that would finish off her costume, Kagome made her way back to the top of the stage for the beginning of the show. She would jump down and do a small act while playing her song as Sarah sang the lyrics. 'It just had to be a love story.' Kagome thought sadly as she removed her rode and got ready to jump down into the barely lit stage. Ten minutes before she was to jump down, Kagome slightly jumped when she heard her father's voice say, "I'm sorry if I haven't been the way you remember me but you have to understand, I care about you and I just want to make sure that you are making the right choices in your life. I also didn't want you to find out about the affair the way you did and for that I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me and you shouldn't be worrying about my choices but it's just as you said…it's MY life." Kagome hissed before adding. "You don't need to worry, just go to your mistress dear father. I'll be alright."

"Damn it Kagome I was going to tell you! But you never gave me a chance!" he yelled in a soft voice so that he was not heard.

"You were going to tell me? Ha, I asked you and you refused to answer my question. Besides you should have told my Oka the moment you wanted out. Maybe then it would have saved her the heart ache and maybe than I would have been hurt by you…" Kagome hissed as her own pain came out.

Before he could say anything else, Kagome was given her cue and jumped down on to the stage in her costume. Once she had landed on the tight rope, Kagome gave a slight bow and began her act. She would hear all of the kids laughing and smiling and knew that she was doing the right thing as she twisted and spinning on the tight rope while playing the song. However it wasn't until the final act of the show that Kagome had felt his aura in the city. Not realizing that at the sudden appearance of his aura, Kagome had been able to perform better and in the end she had given the audience the feeling of the jesters love for the prince and the loneliness that she felt after bringing the two lovers together.

After the show, Kagome had stayed on the stage not wanting to get down. Every time someone would try to get her down she would only jump higher and move faster to keep from getting caught. While a part of her was telling her that it was probably just another one of Sesshomaru's kids, another was telling her that it was his reincarnation while her heart told her it was the real thing. It wasn't until Kagome had been approached by Leon, Sora, Karlos and Sesshomaru that she realized she would have to get down and get something to eat before her next show that she began to make her way down. But before she could even say anything, she heard her father's voice ask, "Do you have any idea what you did today?"

"Yes but I would like to point out that it is not my fault. Furthermore father, I would like it if you did not address me until my Oka arrives. I know that she be getting here soon and I want to support her when you tell her what a cheating bastard you've been." Kagome hissed out in English not caring if Karlos, Sora, and Leon had just found out what it was that she refused to speak with her father.

"Do not speak to me in that tone young lady." James stated in a cold tone as he approached her only to stand next to her.

"Kagome…please you need to hear what Karlos has to say." Sora was heard as she tried to get her to forget about her father.

"Alright…what is it boss?" Kagome asked as she ignored her father and his attempts to try and take hold of her.

"I know that you told me that you wanted to leave the stage in three days but I would like for you to stay. Everyone would like for you to stay and some of the investors have offered you a higher pay check if it would get you to stay." Karlos stated.

"I can't I have to get home, besides I would just feel as if I was bought off." Kagome answered with a smile her face before adding, "But you can tell your investors that I thank them for their offer."

"You were told to stay here for six months. It will only be three before in a few days, you could just stay the remaining three months since the first three just flew by with you devoting yourself to your work." James stated as he tried to convince her with a different approach.

"I am well aware of that but I am perfectly fine to get back home. I will not be staying and you cannot make me." Kagome hissed in a much colder voice as she glared at her father.

"Well it would seem that you're jester of the stage knows what she is doing…Karlos there is nothing more we can say to this girl." Sesshomaru was heard as he looked over Kagome. "It would seem that there will be no convincing her."

'What are you up to father.' Leon couldn't help but think as he locked eyes with his father for a brief moment.

"Leon, let's go, we were only supposed to help them find her anyway." Sora stated once she realized that this was not something they should get involved in.

"It's alright, I'll be just fine." Kagome whispered in a low voice so that only Sesshomaru and Leon would have heard her.

"Don't listen to her, she will take the money and she will take the offers, she is going to stay for another six months." James was heard as he was finally able to take hold of her arm.

"Well then, I will need you to come by the office tomorrow so that you can sign for another three month contract." Karlos stated with a smile on his face knowing that James would keep his word.

"Is this a wise choice?" Sesshomaru was heard. "It is clear that she does not want to stay."

"I am her father and by law she will have to obey me." James stated as he locked eyes with Sesshomaru while applying more pressure to her arm.

"I am 18 and therefore am an adult and by law can make my own choices without your permission and without your approval." Kagome hissed as she tried to get free from her father's harmful hold. 'He's putting too much press on the weights on my arms…'

"Maybe in Japan but here you will be under your parents care until you are twenty." James bit back while keeping his hold on her.

Having had enough, Kagome locked eyes with Karlos and said, "I will not be signing and that is that, I will be leaving with my Oka after my last show. If my father signs for me it would only be an illegal contract."

"Could you just give us a few moments? I'm sure I'll be able to talk her into staying." James was heard as he reached over and told hold of her other arm.

"I'll leave this to you than James…come Mr. Tashio we can finish our conversation in my office." Karlos was heard.

"Kagome you have got to listen, this can help you in life. You will never have to work anywhere else." James stated once the two were out of the room.

"He is right dear; you are already trained for this place." Emily was heard as she came up to the two of them. "You belong here.

"I don't need to listen to you, you are not my mother." Kagome hissed as she broke free of her father hold only to turn to face him before adding. "I will not do this. I have somewhere to go and I will not be held back by a father that doesn't even care about what I want any more."

"He cared!" Emily yelled as she reached Kagome only to slap her across the face so hard that it had forced her to turn her head.

"Kagome…you will do as I say." James warned as he stood alongside Emily as if she was his wife.

"I will not." Kagome hissed as she looked up to lock eyes with the two as she surrounded herself with her miko energy.

"Kagome," Emily asked in a scared voice as she stood behind James.

"Kagome stop this, this instance!" James roared in anger.

Kagome locked eyes with her father took in a deep breath and in Japanese said, "Why? So that you can have your little whore slap me again or do you want to do that for her this time? I've had enough. Just leave me the hell alone!"

Before James or Emily could say another word, they watched with open months as Kagome jumped up and off the stage only to land in the center of the stairs by the seats where the audience sat. They watched as Kagome ran out of the room with a speed that was not humanly possible. Once the shock had gotten over the two of them Emily turned to James and said, "I told you she was out of control; you'll have to make her understand that she has no choice…that she as to listen to her father."

"I'll have to wait until after the last show of the day to speak with her so that I can convince her not to say a word to her mother." James stated in a tired voice.

Meanwhile, Leon and Sora had just arrived at his parents' house to have a small lunch before going back to Kaleido stage to get ready for their next show. He had been able to tell what his father was trying to get him to do and knew that he would have to wait for him at the house to get the full explanation. But just as Leon had walked in, he ran forward when he heard his mother yell out, "That is enough!"

"Oka!" Leon growled out only to stand still at what he saw.

There in the living room, stood Inuyasha in his demon form with blazing red eyes. Realizing that it was too dangerous for Sora to be there, he reached for her and placed her behind him. Next to his uncle stood an elder woman and a boy about the age of thirteen. Before he could say or do anything, they all heard his uncle say, "How many times do I have to repeat myself. I did not lose control. She would have sat me by now."

"It's true. My sister sat him while he lost it at my house in Japan before we got here." Sota explained.

"Please believe us…he is alright and will not harm anyone." Ms. Higurashi stated as she tried to get everyone to stay calm.

"Than how is that possible?" Rin asked.

"Feh, I made a made my wish on the jewel a while back but since Kagome wasn't around the jewel is inside me and is waiting for me to get Kagome back to the feudal era so that my wish can be granted." Inuyasha explained before turning to Ms. Higurashi and adding, "I'm going to turn her into an inu miko hanyou."

"That's cool, I'll have a half demon for a brother and a miko hanyou for a sister." Sota was heard with a grin on his face.

"I suppose I approve since it will be the only way she will live through the centuries before coming back home to us." Kim was heard before turning to Leon and Sora and saying, "I'm sorry you had to walk into the house only to watch this."

"It's alright, Leon we need to hurry up." Sora answered as she turned to face Leon.

"Oh, you're dinner is in the kitchen, please make sure to have your fill." Rin stated with a smile on her face.

Realizing that Sora was right and that they would have to get back to the stage soon, Leon nodded before facing his mother and saying, "Thank you Oka-san."

"It's not problem dear." Rin answered with a smile on her face. Once he son and his intended had walked out of the room, she turned to Inuyasha and said, "Now can you get a hold of that power or will I have to do something about it. We don't want Kagome to go into shock since she sensed you now do we?"

"Feh, where is he? Where did my brother go?" Inuyasha growled as his markings began to die down.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon, you know Sesshomaru's all work and no fun." Rin was heard.

"When am I going to get a chance to see my sister again? Is my sister going to meet us here when she's done with work?" Sota asked in a hopeful voice.

"No, but I'll have my son take you tomorrow to go see her before their next show." Rin answered with a smile on her face.

"If they go with us they will have to wait outside since they won't be seeing the show for another two days." Leon was heard as he and Sora walked back into the room with a fruit in their hand.

"Is that all you are going to eat?" a worried Rin was heard.

"We'll be fine I promise." Sora was heard.

"I don't mind the wait; I just want to see my daughter." Ms. Higurashi stated. 'I want to make sure that she has not been hurt again.'

"I suppose that would be alright, Leon will you kindly take them with you?" Rin was heard as she understand Kim's hidden intention.

"We'll be back than." Sota was heard as he followed Sora out of the house and toward the car.

"Thank you." Kim stated before following after her son and the two that would take her to go and see her daughter. She didn't care about her own happiness, if her husband had started to abuse her daughter than she would not think about it for a minute, she would request the papers that Rin and Sesshomaru had prepared for her and she would leave her husband so that he would be unable to abuse Kagome anymore and so that he wouldn't get the chance to abuse Sota. 'My children come first…and if he has laid one hand on her…he will regret it.' She thought as she sat in the back seat with her son at her side.

Once they had arrived at the stage, Sota got out of the car and ran around the large place. While Sora ran after the young boy to go and show him the back of the Kaleido stage, Leon turned to Kim and said, "If you'd like to follow them Sora will show you to the lobby while I go and get Kagome. It is almost time for us to get dressed so she will be unable to speak with you for that long."

"I understand…I just want to make sure that she is doing alright." Kim answered with a smile on her face before adding, "And I would like to thank you for looking after my little girl."

A/N: we're almost at the end here people so please please let me know what you all think. Do you hate it, do you love it, do you think it's ok…do you think could be better? Please, please let me know I would love to know these things…even if you don't like it just pleases…please REIVEW! lol

Darkiceone