An update! Yay!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha…
Chapter 29: Secrets
-Start—
It was Christmas Eve. And I was on a mission.
I carefully steered my tiny Honda down the snow-cleared road, maneuvering it over to the side and then shifting into park. Lights were on within the house, and two cars sat in the driveway. Apparently she and her family were entertaining guests tonight.
I didn't care.
Alright… I breathed. Here we go.
I straightened my hat, grabbed the small package that sat next to me in the passenger seat, and forced myself to get out of the car. There was absolutely no guarantee that this was going to go well, but it had to be done.
I determinedly picked my way up the driveway, wary of slick spots, and then climbed onto the porch, stomping my boots to rid them of the snow.
Please don't slam the door in my face…
My arm extended toward the doorbell and I felt the cold prick of it through my mitten as my finger connected.
Ding,
Dong…
The sound seemed to drift across the air and I stood stock still, listening intently for the thud of approaching footsteps, and wondering if it was too late to turn around.
Tmp,
tmp,
tmp,
tmp …
I squeezed the parcel in my hand as the sound of the footsteps grew closer and then stopped all together just on the other side of the door. The lock began to turn, and a few seconds later the door swung back with a soft whoosh. I forced a tremulous smile on my face. She looked surprised. "Hey, Sango…" My voice sounded choked. "I, um… I bought you a present. I thought I'd come by and… you know, give it to you."
I held the present up as a feeble offering, hoping she would accept it. My eyes darted to the ground, her face, and then, once more, to the ground. I couldn't read her expression, which obviously wasn't a good sign. I forced my eyes to stay downcast, hoping she would break the awkward silence and say something.
Which she didn't.
Come on, Sango…
Seconds passed, enough to make me wonder if she was still standing there even though I hadn't heard the door shut and could still feel the wonderful waves of heat escaping the house and brushing across my face.
I finally brought my gaze up, this time slowly.
Her eyes met mine and everything seemed to drop away; for just a second time stood still. We stared at each other, our eyes mirroring the same emotions. Something unidentifiable, only recognized by the best of friends, passed between us and the next thing I knew Sango had her arms around me, hugging as hard as she could.
"Oh, Kagome," she breathed against my ear, "I'm so sorry."
I slumped against her in relief and hugged back. "Me, too," I mumbled. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."
"Probably not anywhere near as much as I've missed you," she laughed shakily. Sango finally pulled back and we grinned at each other. It was probably the first time I'd genuinely smiled in days. "Come on," she urged, pulling my wrist. "Get your butt in here, its freezing outside."
As much as I wanted to follow her into the warm confines of the house, I resisted. "I don't want to intrude if you've already got people over."
She waved her hand in a don't-worry-about-it kind of way and continued to pull me. "You're not intruding, Kagome. My parents aren't even home. They piled into a car with a few people from work and then took off to attend some Christmas party."
"Then whose car is that parked in the driveway?"
"Oh that's—"
There was a sudden crash from down the hallway and Sango's expression became murderous.
"Miroku's," she finished through clenched teeth.
"What did you just break?" she added, yelling louder. She pulled me inside the rest of the way and then firmly shut and locked the door behind me. I followed her as she began stomping down the short hallway, taking my hat and gloves off in the process.
A dark head poked around the corner before we reached the end, and I smothered a laugh at the expression of perfect innocence on his face. "I didn't break anything, Sango. I've been sitting on the couch the whole time." He craned his neck, obviously trying to see me around the ominous loom of Sango's body.
"Yeah right, you liar. You were trying to eavesdrop weren't you?"
"What?" Miroku raised a hand to his chest in disbelief, his eyes darting back to her. "Why ever would you think that?"
Sango growled. "Because I know you too well…. unfortunately."
I couldn't help but smile at this exchange. It was all banter. The two of them obviously did this often. With Inuyasha sulking off to Kikyo and me being preoccupied with Koga, it was no wonder Sango and Miroku had started hanging out.
"Kagome?"
"Hey, Miroku."
His features dissolved into a smile. "What are you doing here?"
I snorted. "I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Actually, Miroku came here to tell me something," Sango intoned. "But you showed up right as he was getting to the most important part."
I laid my gloves and hat, along with my jacket, on a nearby side-table, under which Miroku had obviously shoved a busted picture frame. "Oh, really?" I said raising an eyebrow and turning back to face them. "Do I need to give you guys some privacy or something?" Miroku was probably going to ask her to be his girlfriend and I didn't want my presence to make the moment awkward.
They exchanged a look and I turned away, making a big deal out of putting my present under the Christmas tree. "Actually, I think you should hear this, Kagome."
There was a pause.
"It's about Inuyasha."
My body tensed at the mention of his name and I turned back around to face them again. "Inuyasha?"
"Yeah," Miroku said. "Sit down and I'll tell you what I know."
Sango and I promptly flopped onto the couch while Miroku took a spot in front of the fireplace. He shifted to face us so that his back was to the flames. My eyes were drawn to the flickering brightness of his earrings.
"'Kay, now spill," Sango pressed as she curled her legs beneath her. I stared at Miroku unblinkingly, my heart beginning to pound. He sucked in a breath and sent an apologetic look in my direction before speaking.
"There's really no easy way to say this, but…Inuyasha is moving," he sighed. "To America."
I could hear Sango's sudden intake of breath and feel the weight of her gaze as she turned to face me, no doubt waiting for my reaction.
My heartbeat kicked for a second, a result of my sudden relief, and then slowed back to a normal pace. Thank goodness. My shoulders slumped. I thought I was about to find out that Inuyasha had yet another secret…
"When…," Sango asked in soft surprise. "When is he moving?"
"Day after Christmas," I answered.
"You knew?"
My head lifted, my eyes meeting Miroku's. "Found out a few days ago."
I could feel the touch of Sango's hand as she laid it on my shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Crap, Kagome…," she whispered sympathetically. "Did he tell you why?"
Miroku and Sango stared at me patiently, waiting for my reply. I sat completely still for a moment, battling with the sudden, overwhelming urge to tell them everything. From start to finish.
I have to keep them safe though… Would they be in more danger if I told them about the war or if I kept them in the dark?
Inuyasha had chosen to keep me in the dark, and though I understood his reasoning, I resented him for that. I wanted to tell my friends. My human friends. Unlike Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku, they didn't have anything to protect them from an unexpected demon attack.
If a youkai war was brewing, I wanted Sango and Miroku to be prepared for the worst. Just in case.
I took a deep breath, my decision made. "It's a long story."
I told them everything I knew, from the death of my father, to my recognition of Naraku. I even told them about my newfound spiritual powers. By then end of my explanation Miroku had sunk down onto the hearthstones and Sango had begun pacing around the room.
"It all makes sense now," she murmured under her breath. I turned to stare at her tiredly, the telling of my story seeming to have drained me.
"What are you talking about?" I questioned.
I let her pace in silence for another minute or two before asking again. She sat back down on the couch and braced her hands on my shoulders, her expression one of seriousness.
"You want to know why I was avoiding you?"
"Uh, sure…But wasn't it because Kikyo said something?"
Sango's eyes narrowed. "Exactly. She told me that you were involved with drugs. And that if I stayed friends with you, it wouldn't be long before I was too."
My blood boiled. "What the heck, Sango! You believed her?" I exploded.
Sango shook her head, breaking eye contact, her hands sliding off my shoulders. "It made sense, Kagome. You'd just joined a band, your appetite had noticeably begun to change, and then, to top things off, you were suddenly 'sick' for a week."
Miroku shifted, settling his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together. "And then you freaked out… Right, Sango?" he said lowly.
"Right," she affirmed. "Just like Kikyo wanted. I panicked. You approached me at school and I didn't know what to do, so I pushed you away."
I stared at her, trying to figure out what any of this had to do with Naraku.
"I was so stupid," Sango hissed. "We could have avoided all this if I'd just straight up asked you about it."
I hung my head. Sango was one of my best friends, so it hurt to know that she had believed I was involved with drugs, but the realization that she wouldn't approach me about it hurt even worse. "I don't… understand, Sango," I finally murmured. "What does this have to do with the Youkai War?"
She straightened at the sound of my voice. "See," she said, "that's just the thing, Kagome. This War is being stirred up by some guy named Naraku, right? The same one who murdered your father and also happens to be your band manager."
I nodded, still unsure about the direction this was headed.
I could see Miroku's body stiffen from my peripheral vision, and when he spoke his voice was laced with disbelief. "You think Kikyo was trying to protect you, Sango?"
Her head snapped in his direction. "Think about it." Her eyes found mine again. "Kikyo is doing the exact same thing to me that Inuyasha is doing to you, Kagome. She's trying to keep me safe. It doesn't matter how Inuyasha tries to protect you, Kagome, you're already a part of everything, and Kikyo knows that. So she began to isolate you, so that nobody else would be drawn into it as well."
"But Kikyo doesn't know that Naraku is my band manager…How would she know I'm involved with him?" I argued.
"She must've known about the murder of your dad," Miroku supplied. "If your father was involved with Naraku, then that bastard most likely has information on your whole family. What if he decided that your father's murder wasn't enough to satisfy him? Wouldn't it be easy to kidnap you and then, as an added bonus, a few of your closest friends and relatives?"
It made sense. And it scared the hell out of me. What about Mama, Souta, and Grandpa? What if Naraku chose to target one of them? But Naraku hadn't shown any ill intentions toward any of us yet, so what did that mean?
God, this is all so confusing!
We sat in silence, listening to the soft popping sounds of the fire, each of us lost in thought. The happy crackling of the flames soothed me.
After a while, Sango stood up and stretched. "Anyone want something to drink? All this thinking is making me thirsty."
"I wish that made sense," Miroku complained.
"Look," she snapped. "You want a drink or not?"
Miroku and I both nodded and she padded out of the room toward the kitchen, leaving us alone.
"Kagome."
I broke out of my thoughts and glanced over. "Yeah?"
"I still have one question…"
"Yeah, well, I have about a thousand," I joked. But my sorry stab at humor did nothing to change Miroku's expression, and I felt my stomach clench with anxiety. "Okay," I sighed. "What is it?"
"I want to know," he said, "where Koga fits into all this."
I froze. Koga?
"I'm just trying to cover all angles here…," he continued. "I mean, Kikyo pushed Sango away from you, but did nothing about Koga. Isn't that kind of weird?"
I shrugged. The thought had crossed my mind, but I could only come up with one explanation. "I'm sure Kikyo figured Koga could take care of himself. He is youkai after all."
Miroku frowned. "Have you told him anything?"
I shook my head. "You and Sango are the only ones. I didn't want the two of you to be in the dark." I crossed my arms. "And besides, I'm sick of lying and dodging around people all the time. You have no idea how relieving this session has been for me. I feel like I've been holding my breath for days and I've finally been allowed to release it." I exhaled on the last word, loving how it felt not to have secrets weighing on my chest.
Sango's voice floated in from the kitchen. "Can you show us your spiritual powers, Kagome?" I jumped up from my seat and ran to help her as she walked into the living room. She had two glasses, one in each hand, along with a third wedged between her forearm and stomach.
"I could try," I said easing a cup from her hand. "But I'd rather do it outside."
Sango shot a dirty look in Miroku's direction. "Yeah, wouldn't want anything else to get broken."
Miroku rubbed the back of his head in a nervous gesture and quickly led us outside. It wasn't until he confessed that he'd broken a picture frame and then revealed where he'd hidden it that Sango allowed him to have his drink.
That night I went home, and for the first time in a while, I actually felt calm. Sango was back on my side, and Miroku was an added bonus. Things were starting to be put into motion. Koga had promised to find me a teacher and Sango and Miroku had also promised to help me in any way they could.
That left me with one last thing to do tonight.
Every year Mama cooked a Christmas Eve Dinner and it was tradition that the whole family (all four of us) gathered around the table to eat together. We were all nearly finished with our meal when I finally decided to broach the subject that I'd been aiming toward all night.
"Mama…,"
"Yes, sweetie…"
"I have an announcement to make."
Everyone at the table stilled, waiting, their eyes staring at me expectantly.
"You know how I've been hanging out with Koga lately?" I asked tentatively.
"Yes," Mama said slowly. "What abou-…" She suddenly paused, her eyes narrowing. "You're not pregnant are you?"
"Wha—What?" I sputtered. "No!" I could feel my face turning red and I waved my hands frantically, my eyes darting over to Souta and Grandpa and then back to Mama again. "No, I'm not—Geez, I'm not pregnant alright?"
My mother took a sip from her hot tea and stared at me over the brim of her cup. "Alright. Then what about it?" she asked again, referring to my earlier question.
I forced my breathing to slow and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Well," I started, "the reason Koga and I have been hanging out so much is because…because I'm actually in his band. I'm the singer."
It was silent for a few moments and then Grandpa snorted and Souta laughed. "You?" Souta giggled helplessly, clutching his stomach. "You sing, Kagome? Man, they must have been desperate!"
"Shut up Souta!"
Mama began to smile and I cocked my head suspiciously. "What? Why are you smiling like that?"
Mama stood up, mug still in her hand. "Hold on, I'll be right back." She disappeared through the doorway and into the living room for a second, and I swatted at Souta as soon as she was out of sight. Seconds later she shuffled back into the room and set something down on the table in front of me.
My mouth dropped open.
"What is it?" Souta craned his neck, trying to see from his hiding spot which was behind Grandpa.
It was a picture. Koga, Ginta, Hakkaku, and I stared at the camera in surprise. Mama had had it framed. "How long have you known?" I asked quietly. Mama sat back down and stared at me with knowing eyes.
"Since that picture came out in that magazine."
I lowered my head in embarrassment. She must've read the article too.
"I wanted to see how long it would take you to tell me the truth," she said softly.
The whole table was silent for a moment. And then Grandpa spoke. "You know…," he said gruffly, "you really remind me of my sister. Always full of secrets and running around with demons."
We all stared at him. It wasn't often that Grandpa Souta talked about Great Aunt Kagome.
Great Aunt Kagome, Grandpa's elder sibling, died the day before I was born. She was my namesake and many claimed I was the spitting image of her. "Grandpa," I stated dubiously, "how could Great Aunt Kagome have run around with demons if their existence wasn't even known to the public until 2 years after her death?"
He creased his brow, trying to remember something. Grandpa Souta often had memory slips; in fact he was probably mixing the times up and thinking that I was his sister. The old man scratched the back of his head and looked away.
"It's past my bedtime," he grumbled. "I'm going to head upstairs and go to sleep."
"It's past everybody's bedtime," my mother said sternly. "If you two don't get to bed, Santa won't come."
I rolled my eyes but stood up anyway. "So…you aren't going to ground me for lying to you and singing in an underground bar?"
My mother pushed me toward the staircase. "I was young too, once," she whispered conspiratorially. "We all do crazy things at some point, but as long as you're safe and out of trouble, I'll turn my eyes the other way."
I grinned. Who knew my mom could be so cool? I skirted around the table and stole a quick hug from her before stumbling up the stairs and then into bed.
Today had been good. I'd made up with Sango and I'd been able to keep my emotions in check around my family. Let's hope I could say the same about tomorrow.
Because tomorrow was Christmas Day… and also the day Inuyasha was supposed to bring me a present.
I'd just finished brushing on some mascara the next morning when Mama's voice floated up the stairs.
"Kagome!"
I ran a trembling hand over my hair, flattening a few strays.
"Someone is here to see you!"
I stood up. "Coming!"
He was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, along with his mother and father. His parents smiled up at me as I descended.
"We just wanted to come and say good-bye," said Izayoi, "before we leave tomorrow."
I forced a smile on my face, ignoring Inuyasha's presence for few seconds as I enveloped his mother into a hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much," I breathed. "You're like my second mom."
She patted my back, a gentle touch that I could barely feel. "And you're the daughter I never had," she whispered softly. Izayoi pulled away, placing both of her hands on my hot cheeks and forcing me to look her in the eyes. "Don't fret," she whispered. "We'll meet again."
I nodded dumbly, believing her with all my heart. "Of course we will."
She smiled gently and then turned to her husband who was staring down at me with stern golden eyes. I remembered the fierce light that had been burning in them just a few nights before as he'd rallied his allies.
"Kagome," he said gruffly. "You're a good girl. Stay out of trouble."
I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Yes, sir."
He lowered his head in a nod of acceptance, not breaking eye contact, and then allowed his wife to pull him into the living room where the rest of my family had assembled. An irritated snort from behind reminded me of Inuyasha, and I turned to face him, crossing my arms at the same time.
"Do you have my present?" I asked.
He tilted his head and scoffed. "Course I do. I made a promise, didn't I?"
"Alright then, follow me."
"What? Why?"
I started back up the staircase. "Just come on, Inuyasha."
He grumbled a bit more but still followed me nonetheless.
I waited for him at the top of the stairs and then yanked him into my room, shutting and locking the door behind us before he could even protest.
"Now," I started, "let's talk. Cause you have a lot of explaining to do."
"I knew you'd pull something like this."
"Like what?"
"This…" he said, gesturing around the room. "I had a feeling you'd corner me somehow."
I sat down on my bed and crossed my arms with a huff. "Yeah, well, it's nice to see that you still know me at least a little bit."
But he didn't. I wasn't the same girl that I had been at the beginning of the school year…or even the beginning of the week. He didn't know me at all.
"So why are you really moving to America?" I asked bluntly. It was a test, to see if he would finally break down and tell me the truth.
"It's complicated."
This wasn't going to be easy. But when was anything ever easy with Inuyasha?
"Complicated how?"
"It's none of your business."
"Why not?" I persisted.
"Because…"
"Because why?"
"Dammit Kagome, can you please stop making this harder than it already is?"
I stood up and took a step toward him. "Well maybe if you told me what was going on, it wouldn't have to be so hard!"
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I told you, it's complicated!"
We stared at each other in a showdown, both of us refusing to look away first. By now I had practically backed him against the door. Yet as our eyes continued to clash in a silent battle, I realized I wasn't gaining any sort of advantage. So I switched tactics. My shoulders slumped and I dropped my gaze.
"Are you doing this because you hate me?"
That triggered him. For a moment he was silent, his body tense, as though he couldn't decide what to do. And then he growled and lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders and spinning us around so that our positions were suddenly switched.
"Because I hate you?" he repeated incredulously. His hands slid down my arms until they rested on my wrists. I sucked in a breath as his face suddenly drew near and then dropped into the crook of my neck.
"Kagome," he murmured. "I could never hate you…"
I let out a shuddering breath, his ears twitching. "Then why," I swallowed, (his reaction was not what I expected and his breath was hot on my neck), "why won't you let me help you? Just tell me what's going on, Inuyasha."
Trust in me…please.
He inhaled deeply, seeming to breathe my scent, and then lifted his head to meet my eyes. "Just know," he said in all seriousness, "that everything I've done up 'til now has been to keep you safe. I can't tell you anything more or it will put you in even greater danger."
I arched an eyebrow. "So let me get this straight. You're moving to America, which is all the way across an ocean…to protect me, Kagome Higurashi, who lives all the way in Japan." I shook my head. "Somehow that doesn't make sense to me…"
"Of course it doesn't…you don't know any of the details." He pulled away from me and crossed his arms, his eyes fierce. "The only reason I'm telling you any of this is so that you won't inadvertently put yourself back into danger after I'm gone."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that if anyone comes asking after the Taisho family, act like you have no idea who their talking about. Make it clear that you and your family have no affiliations with us at all."
"What about the rest of my family? Am I supposed to tell them about this?"
He reached in his pocket and drew out a small, brightly wrapped present. "My parents are taking care of them right now…," he said distractedly. "They'll know what to do." Inuyasha took a step back and stared down at the tiny box in his hand before holding out to me. "Here," he growled.
I reached out and tentatively lifted the box from his hand. "Do you want me to open it now?"
He shrugged and glanced away, clearly uncomfortable.
I couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness and I slipped my finger under a tab of tape, ripping the paper off. The box lid slid sideways and I gasped at the object within.
It was a necklace.
I reached in and drew it out, the chain glinting brightly. "Wow…," I breathed. "It's so cute!" I fingered the tiny lock that dangled at the end of the chain, the only charm on the necklace. My eyes found Inuyasha's and I blushed because he was blushing. "Could you help me put it on?"
"No…," he held his claws up.
"Oh, yeah… Sorry. I forgot." I reached behind, swinging my hair to the side, and worked the clasp with deft hands. "Thank you, Inuyasha. It's lovely."
"Lovely?" he scoffed.
"What? Does that word embarrass you or something?"
"Keh…"
I played with the necklace, feeling the outline of the keyhole, something I knew was going to become a habit. "So what time are you leaving tomorrow?"
He sat down on the bed and sighed. "Our plane leaves at 3 P.M…"
I nodded and plopped down next to him. "Are you ever... coming back?" I asked quietly.
He turned his head and stared at me, the movement causing his silver hair to fall over his shoulder. "I don't know."
I accepted his answer in silence, knowing that it didn't really matter. Of course he'd be back. I'd make sure of it.
"Hey, Kagome."
"Yeah?"
"Can you come tomorrow?"
I glanced at him in surprise. "To the airport? You want me to come?"
Inuyasha nodded. "I want to see you one more time before I leave." His eyes darted to the window. "Because it might be the last."
I had to hide my smirk.
It won't be… believe me.
"Then I'll be there by 2:30."
Inuyasha suddenly stood and walked toward the door, leaving me behind.
"Good," he said. "I'll be waiting."
The door slid shut and I breathed out a sigh, sitting in silence.
I waited until I heard Inuyasha's footsteps reach the bottom of the stairs and then I unclasped my necklace and stretched it out across my bedcover. I scrutinized it carefully, looking for any writing or markings on the lock or chain.
Because as soon as I'd touched it, I'd felt a wave of power pulse through me.
There was a spell on this necklace.
What kind? I had no clue.
But I was willing to bet anything that a miko had put it there.
-End-
Whew…Long chapter… 4,740 words.
Review please! :)
Thanks!
-RedThread
