Chapter 20

Sesshomaru yawned, rubbing his face as he tried to stay awake while driving home. He had been working nonstop to try and solidify Kagome's case. Kouga was pulling out all of the stops, following the rules for the eyes of the law to see. However, under the table, he was working just as hard as Sesshomaru was.

He was trying to play the system, which was forcing Sesshomaru to do the same. If anyone found out that he purposefully put the wrong address on the divorce papers, he could get into some serious trouble. It was worth it.

He could see the way Miroku looked at Kagome, and it was only a matter of time before his little brother started to think of marriage. Going by the way Kagome acted towards Miroku, she would be Sesshomaru's sister in law in the future. That meant Kagome had to be free of Kouga so she could give herself fully to Miroku.

The two better thank him by time this was all said and done.

Touga was working just as hard, combing over any angle that they could use legally. Both had just left the office and were now driving to their homes. Sesshomaru had his own place, so Touga was in the car behind him. They were both exhausted, but they wouldn't give up. Kagome's life was at stake.

New reports had come up that a private investigator had come up missing. He had last worked for Kouga, trying to find Kagome, and when that didn't happen, Kouga lost his patience. There was nothing that could be done, because no one would stand up against Kouga.

That was a problem. One option they had to free Kagome from her divorce is to actually accuse Kouga of domestic abuse. If she were to win, she would be granted a divorce immediately. Winning would be the hard part, and why Sesshomaru hadn't yet broached this subject with Kagome.

She had no proof. The only doctors visit she had was when she discovered she was pregnant, and then a month later when she got birth control. Sesshomaru had requested those doctor records, and was waiting on them to be faxed over, but he didn't suspect there would be anything that could help Kagome win a domestic violence case.

That meant he would need witnesses. People who were brave enough to step up and tell if they saw anything suspicious. That brought him full circle to his problem. Kouga was brutal. He hurt, manipulated, threatened, and some suspected, even killed to get what he wanted. You would either have to be stupid, ignorant, or very brave to testify against Kouga. Where was Sesshomaru going to find any witnesses?

With a sigh, Sesshomaru turned on his windshield wipers as the rain outside got heavier. It was becoming harder for him to see. His mind was still on Kagome and thinking of what he could do to help her win. There had to be something, anything that would free her.

Thinking of what she lived through caused his stomach to churn. Kouga held no affections for anyone outside of himself. Kagome wouldn't have been spared his brutalities. He couldn't imagine the hell she lived through, and he refused to send her back.

If he lost, he would help her escape, but in the process, he would lose his brother. Miroku wouldn't let Kagome leave alone. He would give up everything to go with Kagome. He would put his life in danger to protect the woman he was clearly falling in love with. Sesshomaru didn't want that to happen, so he had to find a way.

A movement out the corner of his eye had him swerving suddenly. He barely made out the sight of a woman before the corner of his bumper clipped her, sending her back. The wet roads made his car swerve out, and no matter how hard she tried, he couldn't get it under control. Tires screeching, he went off of the road, and into the embankment, not stopping until his car smashed into a tree.

…

Kagome laughed, head back as Miroku twirled her around. They were dancing to the music of the club as they waited to open. He was smiling, eyes shining tenderly as he watched her. Miroku couldn't deny the way his heart was growing more than just a little fond of her.

He was falling in love with her.

He had never thought it possible, wasn't even sure he wanted it, and yet here she was, wrapped in his arms. He would never be able to let her go. Hand spread across her lower back, he lowered himself to her, kissing her lips softly.

"Gag me." InuYasha made a gagging sound, causing Miroku to glare at him.

"I think it's sweet. I'm a bit jealous." Sango held up her hand as soon as InuYasha opened his mouth to speak. "Nope. You just said it was nasty remember. I guess I'll have to find someone else."

Miroku chuckled at InuYasha's curse. He did it to himself. Phone vibrating frantically, Miroku pulled it out of his pocket, and placed it to his ear. What he heard made his smile drop, and his stomach to clench. When he promised he would come and pick up Izayoi, he looked to the others. "Sesshomaru was in a car wreck. He is in the hospital."

"Let's go." Kagome grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the club with InuYasha and Sango. They stopped long enough to tell any customers who were waiting that the club would be closed that night, and then jumped into Kagome's tesla.

The ride to pick up Izayoi was quiet, all of them worried for Sesshomaru. When Izayoi got in the car, she was frantic, tears falling down her cheeks in rivers. InuYasha grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

"Any update?" Miroku turned around in the front seat, looking back to his mother. Kagome was driving, and pulled onto the road, heading to the hospital.

"No. Touga just said they had him in the back and was checking on him. Touga was behind him when it happened. A woman ran into the road, and Sesshomaru swerved to keep from hitting her. He didn't succeed." Izayoi wiped her cheeks, they were red and raw from how many times she had done that.

"Is the woman okay?" Sango was gripping InuYasha's hand, just as worried as the others. This family was hers. Sesshomaru was like a brother to her and had been for years.

Izayoi shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Touga said she was alive, but other than pulling her off the side of the road, he was more worried about Sesshomaru. His car is totaled. He hit a tree dead on." The entire car fell silent again until they arrived at the hospital. Kagome pulled up to the front, letting everyone but Miroku out. Once the door was shut, she found somewhere to park, and then she and Miroku were making their way to the waiting room.

They spotted their family immediately and went to them with hurried steps. They didn't have a chance to sit down before a nurse came out, calling them. Her eyes widened as the family rushed her, all of them asking a million questions a minute.

She held up her hands, calming everyone and waited until they were silent. "Mr. Taisho has bruising from the seatbelt across his chest and stomach. He has cuts and more bruising on his face from the shattered glass and airbags. I can assure you; he is perfectly fine other than being grumpy. Very grumpy." The woman looked exhausted, and the entire family smiled, knowing that was from dealing with Sesshomaru. "They will keep him overnight for observation, but he is free to go home tomorrow."

They didn't miss the relief in her voice.

She led them to a room, a private suit that was large enough for all of them to sit in. Before they could enter the woman turned on her heel and practically ran away. They pushed open the door, Izayoi shoving everyone out of the way so she could go and hug her son.

"How are you feeling, Sesshomaru?" Touga sat in a chair beside Sesshomaru, smirking at his son's grumpy face.

"My car is totaled." It was all he said, but they understood why the nurse ran away suddenly.

After a few more minutes of listening to Sesshomaru complain, Kagome snuck out to use the restroom. She let Miroku know where she was going, and then started making her way down the hall. When she was finished, she overheard two nurses talking about the woman that had been hit by Sesshomaru.

Sneaking past the women, she made her way to the room number she had heard and knocked. She had overheard that the woman didn't have any family, and Kagome wanted to make sure she was okay. She didn't receive a verbal reply but heard clanks from inside the room.

Poking her head in, she smiled at the woman. "Hello. My name is Kagome. I hope you don't mind, but my friend is the one who hit you with his car. I wanted to see if you were okay." She stepped in, making sure not to go into the room too far. She didn't want to upset the woman if at all possible.

The woman shook her head, brown hair bouncing with natural curls. She placed a hand over her mouth, and Kagome smiled, understanding immediately. She had taken sign language while in high school, and for the first time ever, it would be coming in handy.

"You can't speak." Kagome lifted her hands, trying to remember what the proper motions were. "It's been awhile since I've done this, so I apologize if I butcher it." She asked the woman what her name was with her hands, and the woman smiled brightly, replying back.

"Naomi. That is a pretty name." Again, the woman began to move her hands frantically, and Kagome watched carefully to keep up. Naomi was blaming herself for the accident. She hadn't realized there was a road. "First, the guy who hit you, his name is Sesshomaru. He doesn't blame you for running into the road, so you don't have to blame yourself. He's more upset about his car than anything. I'm assuming you aren't paying for this room, which means Sesshomaru is. If he was mad at you, he wouldn't do that."

Naomi seemed surprised for a moment looking around. She was in a room just as grand as Sesshomaru's. She raised her hands, telling Kagome that he didn't have to do that, but Kagome waved her off with a smile.

"Yes, he does. He hit you with his car, let the man squirm." Kagome chuckled, watching as Naomi replied. She was asking to see Sesshomaru. "Well, I can ask a nurse, see if they will let me wheel you there, but I am not sure they will agree."

When Naomi nodded, Kagome went and spoke to the nurse. They agreed to allow Naomi twenty minutes and helped her into a wheelchair. She had a fractured femur from the car clipping her and a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing else.

When Kagome got back to Sesshomaru's room, she announced herself, and backed in with Naomi. She nearly fell trying to get Naomi into the room, and Miroku helped her the rest of the way with a chuckle. "I thought you were just going to the restroom?"

Ignoring him, Kagome turned her new friend around so she could face Sesshomaru. "Everyone, this is Naomi. She is the woman Sesshomaru hit with his car." Before anyone could reply, Naomi bowed as best as she could towards Sesshomaru. She sat back up, hands moving frantically.

Kagome signed something back, shocking everyone that she understood. Rolling her eyes with a smile at something Naomi said, Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru. "She apologizes for running into the road and making you crash. She blames herself."

Sesshomaru's eyes were wide as he stared at Naomi. He didn't notice the awkward silence, at least not until he saw Miroku and InuYasha looking at him with raised eyebrows. He shook his head and cleared his throat. "It's just a car. I am glad you are alright."

"Seriously. All the bitching and moaning, and now that a pretty woman is in here, he's suddenly okay." InuYasha crossed his arms with a scoff, ignoring Sesshomaru's glare.

"Ignore InuYasha. He's gruff, but harmless. He reminds me of a Pitbull. They look tough, but they are actually big softies." Kagome sat on the floor beside Naomi, ignoring the chairs so she didn't move far from the woman. Naomi was in a room surrounded by people she didn't know, and Kagome wasn't going to leave her alone.

Naomi replied to something she said, and Kagome nodded. Looking back to the others, Kagome spoke as Naomi pulled out a giant bag of candy. "She wants to know if anyone wants any mini M&Ms. They are her weakness."

"I'll take some." Sesshomaru leaned forward, holding out his hand.

"Who the fuck is that, because it's not my brother?" InuYasha grunted as Izayoi walked past, hitting his stomach. Sesshomaru didn't do candy or sweets, but something about this woman did.

"One more word, InuYasha." She glared at him, and he scoffed, rolling his eyes. It seemed Sesshomaru was just as enamored with a woman as Miroku was. He was glad he wasn't like that. That is until Sango walked past, and then he was following her to get some candy. Maybe she would let him feed them to her.

...

I am super sorry for being late. I don't have any excuse. Every time I sat down I forgot to pull out my laptop and post. Once again, I'm sorry. So, I hope you enjoy. and forgive me. Also, I would like to add that i am posting a new Sesshomaru and Kagome story. This is my way of trying to get back into posting and writing regularly. I really hope it works. It's called Severed Bonds, and the story has already been posted. If you feel up to it, check it out. I hope you all enjoy.