The Doll

By Final Serenity

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter Twenty Five

Persuasion In Many Forms

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The room was nothing but shadows, the blinds to the outer worlds were tightened and closed off, and not a shed of light could penetrate through. He sat in his large corporate black leather chair; the arms a stained oak that almost looked black but instead a deep crimson like blood. His elbows propped upon the spotless, stainless top of his wooden custom made desk; appliances adorned it, things used for everyday work neatly placed upon it.

Not one single thing out of place.

Unusual for him, to say the least…however today was a day made with several exceptions.

He hands connected together, fingers overlapping each other supporting his forehead which he had laid upon them. His mind had come to a stand still and refused to use its works to try and even comprehend the situation placed before him. Having yet to even begin his inner debate about the path he should even consider taking for fixing this mess…

"Inuyasha I need to tell you something," Miroku was frantic.

He thought that the monk was just being himself, something frivolous that he was trying to tell Inuyasha, something about a woman.

"Miroku not now, I'm trying to plan my date,"

It had been a miracle…when he survived the interview and the people that watched him and Kagome walk back up the steps, they held him up in even more light. With the beautiful passion that the interview instilled in the room, Hiro's interview with Kouga wasn't as anticipated as they would have liked it to be. The wolf demon actually looked so angry he could have burst right then and there; his face had barely managed to stay calm throughout the whole ordeal.

Then the last interview came, the one that set the action packed rampage that the entire classroom became a frenzy of playing "let's grab the hot guys and see if we can rip their shirts off". Nightmare as usual when crazed people start looking at him like a piece of meat that they can rip into pieces and sell on the internet; something he couldn't fathom why anyone would buy a piece of cloth. Who was he though, to understand the human mind and nature as to why they do what they do.

Though when it happened it wasn't during the interview; it was after when Sango stood next to the monk…too close unfortunately for her.

His right hand traveled down and to the right…

It was so loud Inuyasha let his ears flatten against his head.

That girl hit Miroku so hard that he flung to the desk across the other side of the room; then she went after him again shouting several things but all of which ended in pervert. Eight guys had to jump their desks and grab her before she could get another kick in, which she did; she got a real good hit in with her foot. Miroku to busy rubbing his wounds to realize he was sitting in the lap of a girl, until she questioned if he was all right, and he asked if she would bare his children. That made the others girls get all crazy claiming that they would bare his children.

Inuyasha didn't know what hit him.

Literally, someone tackled him from behind along with a few other people who jumped across from the seats closest to him. Myoga was shouting with all his might for the class to contain themselves…but you know when they got going they just could not stop. It was a complete mess; he's lost many a good shirts that way.

In the end he managed to get out with his undershirt still on…and ask Kagome out on a date. It was like heaven when he called out to her while jumping with his demon strength to grab Miroku and jolt to the door trying to fend back people while asking her to go to dinner with him. Without his demon super hearing he didn't think he would have heard the words that came out of her mouth, the beautiful words that made him love life again.

"I'd love too!"

And now…now this had to happen.

He'd thought life had been going so great, he thought that finally it was all coming into place…but now it was falling apart in one fell swoop.

It was all Miroku's fault…he'd given away the only thing Inuyasha had left, the memories, the pain, and everything that had come from his life before. He'd trusted his friend thinking that confiding in him was a sign of a permanent friendship of something that was supposedly solid. What do you do when this happens; when your world comes crashing down before your eyes, when everything comes back together in full force and wants to drown you in it.

Kikyo would be by soon, lord knows what she wants.

He'd give her anything to make sure she doesn't tell Kagome.

Honestly he could care less if it were ever to leak to the media about who he once was; he just cared if Kagome found out by it…before he could tell her everything from his perspective. That is all that mattered to him; only Kagome mattered and if he lost her because of Miroku…he'd probably end up killing the monk. Then go insane and kill until someone finally killed him, which would most likely be Sesshomaru. And for all he cared Inuyasha was just a pebble in his shoe.

What a mess...

"Sir," the intercom sounded.

He didn't respond immediately, before he lifted up his head and lazily pushed the button to speak. "What."

"There is a guest here for you," she stated while giggling. "It's Kagome Higurashi."

His ears perked up and he let out a breath, standing up he straightened his shirt before pressing the button again. "Send her up."

"Yes, sir."

The click of the communication ended and he stood alone in silence again, his office was stuffy and full of dreary remorse, so he decided against allowing Kagome to see his sullen state. She'd ask questions that he wasn't ready to answer. He stepped from around his desk and made his way from the large office into the brightly lit hall; he squinted from the glare but adjusted quickly. Within a couple minutes the ding of the hall elevator sounded and the large shining metal doors opened, coming out from the belly of the metal contraption, the love of his life.

She looked beautiful as always.

"Inuyasha," her cheeks tinted pink as she spoke his name softly. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

He could tell her voice was unsure, perhaps she thought he was calling off their date…he hadn't decided yet if that was for the best. Though his gut told him not too and his heart agreed, his mind with its logic told him to back down now before he hurts her.

"Um," how did he go about telling her anything when he just couldn't take his eyes off her, she made him smile. "Let's go into the conference room."

"Inuyasha!" the last person he wanted to see at all, the monk glided down the hall like he'd jogged up the flight of stairs to get to the top. Miroku stopped as he saw Kagome and made an apologetic face. "We've got to talk!"

The hanyou's fingers curled into a ball, his fists shaking as he glared so hard at the monk that stood before him, although he didn't reject the man. He looked frantic and out of breath; desperate to talk to him, and even though the bitter hatred that he currently held for the monk flared he simply held his tongue and nodded.

"I'm sorry Kagome," he looked at her with a lopsided smile. "I'll only be a sec, why don't you go to my office, you remember where it is?"

She nodded and looked at the monk with a soft smile, almost encouraging… "Alright." With that she turned on heel and headed for his office.

Inuyasha didn't wait for her to be out of sight, he grabbed Miroku's satin purple shirt and dragged him into the glass conference room. Pushing him inside the hanyou slammed the door shut and folded his arms.

"What," he growled out. "Could possibly be wrong now!"

Kikyo stood at the counter tapping her nails, a smile on her face. "Is he ready yet?"

The receptionist gave a smile and nodded, "Yup go ahead and go up!" she cheerfully stated while jotting something down on the papers that covered her desks.

The eldest twin happily strode over to the gleaming elevator and pushed the off-white button with the black arrow pointing upwards, her freshly manicured nails shining with a new dark maroon color. Her lips hadn't lost the smile she'd had while coming into the building; she hadn't lost it as the many employees annoyingly greeted her happily with cheery smiles. Nothing could get to her…

She consciously patted her purse and the smile she held grew wider.

Inside she had buried treasure; something she'd never dream of having for years to come was now inside her small black handbag with a strap that hung on her shoulder.

Today had definitely been a good day. So with the normal ping of the elevator and the doors automatically opening; she stepped in and filtered out the slow paced annoying music that played. All the while a smile on her face, it had gone just as she expected with her last employer, he caved in when she gave him just a little piece of what was the information that she had about Inuyasha. He even went as far as to laugh and smile about the entire thing when she told him the whole story, of course after she'd received a compensation that couldn't have been better if she'd gone to anyone else.

An amount that would stay secret, to everyone but herself and the man who'd made the deal.

"Mm," she couldn't help but smirk as the machine stopped and the elevator opened, she remembered the way to his office and didn't feel the need to stall any longer.

Swiftly she walked down the corridor to the large door that had a golden plaque on it reading "CEO, Inuyasha" plain simple and completely boring. Kikyo couldn't believe that with all the money he has that he didn't actually put effort into making his own sign flash and let it be known who is the boss. Grabbing the knob she pushed and walked into the dark office, and closed the door behind her.

The minute the door clicked shut the lights came on…

Her purse fell to the floor as she gazed at the person sitting in the chair…

"…You're!"

"Hello Kikyo."

"I'm just saying Inuyasha, I saw her walk in downstairs!" he had come with good intention, to inform Inuyasha that Kikyo was on her way to suck whatever she could out of the hanyou.

The silver haired half-demon said nothing, his brow creased as he went completely thoughtful. "Fine," he'd made his decision, one that would affect everything…but he couldn't risk Kagome finding out from anyone besides himself.

"Inuyasha what are you going to do?" he'd screwed up horribly and he couldn't blame Inuyasha for hating him as much as he does…but he wanted to help, to help try and make things right!

The hanyou stopped halfway out the door and turned his head slightly. "I'm going to give her what she wants."

With that he exited the room and headed out the hall and towards his office; he had to…to tell Kagome to leave and that he'd call her, but…he didn't plan too. Throughout this entire endeavor of trying to win over her heart, he didn't realize he could very well be destroying her life in the process. He hadn't even thought of the effect that he was causing on her life; the problems that presented just being around with him…it wasn't fair for her.

So what better to do than completely sever the frayed ties that he'd created and tell her to start over new; to have a life full of love and laughter with someone who loves her and deserved her. He didn't deserve a life of happiness; he didn't deserve to get that love…the kind of love he had pretended to give the women he'd killed.

About to continue listing reasons why he couldn't be with Kagome, a familiar strong scent mixed in with Kagome's sweet vanilla strawberry assaulted his nose…

He stopped and watched as his older brother stood with a towering height over Kagome, in front of his office door. They were talking about something while Kagome held a plastic white cup, what Inuyasha assumed had some sort of liquid in it. Not disturbing the two he simply watched as they stood there; the twin giving smiles sometimes and giggling, while his stoic elder brother uncharacteristically smiled towards the young woman. Sesshomaru hardly showed emotion; hardly showed anything really except how smart he was, he liked to show that a lot.

"Inuyasha!" yet again the monk seemed to feel the need to interrupt him, not that he was doing anything important but he'd rather strangle Miroku than talk to him.

"What." He flatly let out, though annoyance seeped into it.

The purple clad man was about to say something when he too spotted the people at the other end of the hall. "Oh, I didn't know Sesshomaru was here…"

Perhaps the day wasn't a complete loss…

"Hello," the voice was silk smooth but was constrictive tense and was forced out.

Inuyasha was a tad surprised to see Kikyo walk out of the office door next to him, so he simply nodded, great this was perfect timing. "Kikyo."

"I was just leaving," she stated while trying to walk pass him, although didn't get far when the hanyou grabbed her arm.

"You're just leaving?" that was strange…

"Yes, now if you'll let go of my arm." She motioned for her arm to be released; however the hanyou was not just going to let her go so easily…

"Without so much as a request to money, I know you better than that." And it was true, no one would turn away from the bundle of cash they could get out of what Kikyo had on him, and she was no fool.

She paused and tightened her jaw, before turning her head back to where Sesshomaru and Kagome were standing and chatting. "Let's just say persuasion comes in many forms."

He raised an eyebrow looking back at the two as she had done; then let her arm go. "You're just going to leave then?"

"Yes." She ground out, "You don't have to worry about your secret coming out from me any longer." She stated before straightening her suit jacket and walking to the elevator.

Leaving the two men to stand and wonder as to what happened all of the sudden, only to have Sesshomaru come towards them beholding a look of annoyance at them.

"Inuyasha," he started. "I surmise you'll no longer have a problem with that woman?"

The hanyou shook his head before looking to his brother with a smirk. "I don't think so…what did you do?"

Again out of character Inuyasha saw his brother's mouth turn slightly upwards into a smile; the older demon said nothing just slipped passed the men and headed to the stairs, Sesshomaru was never one for using the elevator.

Why they didn't know, but whatever works.

He smiled a good smile towards Kagome; maybe just maybe things would work out after all.