Jaid: Sorry about the long update people! I had the chapter almost finished, but then my disk was infected or something and it wouldn't let me open my document. So I had to start over from scratch. X__X Anywayz, here it is!
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(Hojo's POV)
I opened shop as usual the next morning, but not in a very good mood. I guess it had something to do with only getting a couple hours of sleep. I'm afraid I was less than civil when Cory and Ren arrived; however, neither commented on it, for which I was grateful.
"Looks like you've been doing pretty well." Cory commented, taking in the picture gallery.
"We've tried." I answer.
"Where is Kagome, by the way?" Ren asked. "I've been looking forward to seeing her all this time."
"She had to stay home with the baby." I say quickly. Ren accepts this answer. After some minor discussion on what we could do to make the gallery better, we both go to the front and look over some of the antique jewelry.
"You ought to get some interested people, especially in these rings." Cory said. "They're lovely."
The door opened and Gabe strode in. He grinned at me and I grinned back before I remembered I was supposed to be angry with him and then reverted my freatures to a scowl. Ren and Cory were enthusiastic to see him, however. It was half an hour before the girls left and I was able to corner him.
"Where the hell have you been?" I demanded. "Do you know how worried we were?"
"I'm sorry, but I had to go somewhere." Gabe said. "Look, Hojo, I need to talk to you."
"What about?"
"It's…it's sort of about a case I'm working on."
"What, it has something to do with antiques?"
"No. Drugs. But…" Gabe sighed. "Look, there is a lot I can't tell you. What I can tell you is…be careful."
"What do you mean?" I ask slowly, an uneasy feeling coming on.
"I've heard your name mentioned a couple of times. It worries me. I just don't want anything to happen to you or Kagome." Gabe sighs and leans against the counter. He looks exhausted. "I tried to get some answeres, but I couldn't find anything. Nobody seems to know about these weird creatures and I can't figure out what's wrong with me."
"You?"
Gabe looks at me. "Didn't you see that pipe I had yesterday? It was glowing blue, Hojo. Blue! What am I supposed to make of that?"
I look down. "I don't know." I look up again. "But I do know one thing; whatever is happening, we're going to make it, got that?"
Gabe smiles wryly. "Got it."
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(San's POV)
A nightmare. Not one I can recall, just a jumble of images and feelings that terrify you. My eyes snap open and I slowly come to be aware that I'm not in my room, I don't know where I am and that I'm hungry. Sitting up cautiously, the tightness of bandages confuses me and then yesterday comes crashing down on my head. Fear rides up in my throat; not for me, but for Gabe. The last time I remember seeing him was when he collapsed into Hojo's arms. Add to that his recent adventure, which nearly did kill him. I wasn't sure that he had survived this time.
Getting out of bed, I walked quickly to the door. Kagome stood there, looking surprise. Then she smiled and held out some clothes.
"I'm making some breakfast." She said cheerfully. "Altough I suppose it really should be considered lunch. Come down when you're ready."
I go back into the room, confused. Lunch? How long have I been out? Shaking my head, I glance at the clothes. The shorts are mine, as is the underwear. The shirt is different though; a warm looking hooded shirt that is a brick red color. Slipping the night gown off, I put them on and carefully make my way down the stairs. I feel a little woozy and my mid-section is sore.
At the bottom of the stairs is a small living room that connects with the dining room. In a play pen, a little baby is lying on it's back. I lean over in curiosity; I've never really seen babies before. The little girl in the pen looks at me with cloudy blue eyes and reaches up to grab my long dark hair. I tentively smile.
"Hello there." I say in a whisper. The baby looks at me, wide-eyed, then gives me a huge, toothless grin that makes my heart ache. She is so young and defenseless, so innocent. I wonder what it would be like to have such a life dependent on you constantly. It would be frightening and difficult, but as I look at her smile and listen to her coo, I have a feeling that it would be worth it.
"San?"
I look up to see Kagome. She puts a plate of food on the table and comes over, picking up the baby.
"Her name is Miaka." She said soflty. "You can hold her later if you want."
"I'd like that." I admit quietly, then we both sit down; Kagome to nurse and me to eat. Silence reigns for a little while, then I speak.
"Where's Gabe?"
"I don't know." Kagome looks at me with troubled eyes. "He left yesterday without us knowing."
My fist clenches. 'Baka!' I thought.
"You care for him, don't you?" Kagome's soft voice breaks through to me.
"I guess. He's my partner." I say. "We…we know each other pretty well. This case has been a hard one."
"You've had to depend on him." Kagome says, switching her baby to her other breast. "Just like he's had to depend on you, right?"
I nod. "It's like that. You have to know your partner." I stop, not sure if she would understand if I went on further.
"You have to know each other so well, you can read the other's movements, almost their thoughts." Kagome says, her eyes far away. "You know that they'll watch your back and you make sure to watch their's too. You discuss things; bouncing ideas off of each other. And it's more than just work. You can laugh with them, sometimes even cry because he knows and understands. Even when he's being a jerk or doesn't say or do the right thing for the moment, you forgive him, because you know he really does care, even if he can't show it. When he's sick or hurt or missing, you feel like half, because without him, you're not a whole. You'd die to save him and you know he would do the same." She looks at me. "That's what you mean, isn't it?"
I just stare, because I don't know what to say. Kagome looks away again.
"Yeah." I whisper. "That's pretty much it." I look down at my plate, no longer hungry. All I can do is think about Gabe. What if he's out there, sick and dying? Stupid baka, would go out by himself. Doesn't he know he's human? When I see him again, I swear-
"Look who I found."
Hojo's voice breaks into my thoughts. I didn't even hear him enter. Behind him, is a familiar dark-haired young man.
"Hi Kagome." His blue eyes rest on me and he looks relieved. "San." He says softly, almost in relief. "You're okay."
"Are you?" I demand standing.
"Just fine."
"You'd better be." I snap angrily. "What's the big idea, Sanchez? Going off like that! What if something happened to you and I wasn't there to get you out of trouble?"
Gabe just watches me with a soft smile. I want to slap it off his face, but I want to hug him too just because I'm so glad he's okay. Dammit. Why does he always make my emotions work this way?
Gabe sinks into a chair and I realize he's not as fine as he said he was. He seems exhausted. Hojo comes out of the kitchen and hands him a cup of tea.
"Arigato." Gabe says quietly, pulling off the dark blue bandanna that holds his hair back and letting it fall loosely into his eyes.
"Any news?" I ask. He knows what I'm talking about.
"No." he answeres hoarsely. I look down. It doesn't look good. At this point I'm wondering if we'll find Mrs. Sanchez's body in a ditch somewhere. Looking up, I meet Gabe's eyes and know he's thinking the same thing.
"We should go." He says after a moment. "San needs to report in. Chief isn't too happy with us."
"Fine." I spit out. "Next time, he can go check on the damn warehouse by himself."
Gabe smiles; no, he actually laughs. "I don't think he'll take too kindly to that suggestion."
I stand. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Hojo."
"Kagome." She says, holding out a slender, white hand. I take it and we smile at each other. I don't know how I know, but I have this feeling we're going to be friends.
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(Gabe's POV)
"I hate this job some days." San says, resting her face on her desk.
It's the next day and we're both at work. Some more reports have come in; increased drug activity in the South End of the docks. And it sounded serious.
"Any idea what this stuff is?" I ask, paging through some papers, while leaning against our filing cabinet.
"No. They don't even have a name for it yet." San says, her voice muffled by the desk. "It's pretty powerful shit, though."
"Yeah, seems like it." I bite my lip. I'll have to ask Hacchi and Mushin if they know anything. And that kid, what was his name? I shake my head. Kid indeed; he looked at least my own age.
"We don't have to go in today, do we?" San asks, sounding miserable.
"No. It's too late. We'll head out tomorrow. And we'll probably have to spend the night, so be prepared."
"I hate this job some days." San mutters again. I smile, but without humor.
"I know what you mean."
"Sanchez-san?"
We both look up. The new young polic secretary, Koharu Sanakuzi stands there blushing. I grin. I am fully aware of the crush she has on me and it's rather flattering. San is boring holes into the poor girl's skull.
"Yes, Koharu?"
She blushes even redder at my familiarity. "Itsumi-san wishes to speak to you. She's in the lab." The woman turns and goes. My grin has faded and a coldness pierces my heart. Miki Itsumi is the forensics doctor. San is looking at me seriously.
"You want me to come?" she asks softly. I nod my head, and swallow.
"Okay."
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(Kagome's POV)
Today is rather quiet. I guess I'm thankful for that but I can't help but feel something hovering on the edge of my mind; almost as if I am waiting for a storm to break out. I can't help but wonder if…if we'll be attacked. No, that's not right. I know we will, Hojo and I and San and Gabe. No, I just can't help but wonder about my daughter, Miaka; my mother, Souta. Hojo's parents; San and Gabe's families. The advantage of fighting Naraku in the Feudal Era was that there, none of us, except Sango, had any family. Here, we have ties and relationships. People that can be used against us. My throat tightens as I look at my sleeping baby and wonder if, possibly, she could die.
I shove the thought away. I can't start thinking like that. No, I've got to take each day as it comes and face it. It's no use worrying about the future; I don't know what will happen and to worry over it will only stress me completely out. I have to be strong. Not just for my own sake and for Miaka's, but Hojo's as well. He's going to feel responsible for whatever happens to us and I know I need to be calm for him.
Even without this problem, his own thoughts have threatened to consume him. I guess he thinks far too much about things he really can't control. I smile. It's always been that way with Inu-Yasha. I just hope Hojo doesn't tie himself into knots.
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(San's POV)
Gabe and I walk down to forensics. He looks nervous and I can tell what he's expecting. We pause before the doors. Gabe swallows and pushed them open.
Itsumi looks up as we enter. Her pale green eyes take us in, then she jerks her head. "Come on." She says quietly. We follow her through another door to the police morgue. Often we keep bodies here for easier access during a case, then send them down to the public morgue or to a funeral home that the family has arranged for when they are no longer needed.
Gabe has my hand and is squeezing it tightly. I make no comment about it. I'm just praying we don't find what I think.
"I think you know this person?" Itsumi lifts a sheet and Gabe nearly sags against me.
"Yeah." He says hoarsely.
It's Shaka.
"Yeah." Gabe says in a stronger voice, letting go of my hand. A slight streak of disappointment streaks through me, then I narrow my eyes, angry at the feeling.
"He's one of our informants." My partner tells Itsumi. "Cause of death?"
"Still working on that. Some sort of toxin."
"Poinson?" I ask.
Istumi shakes her head. "More like a drug overdose. But I'm not familiar with the type. Come back in a few days and I'll see what I can tell you."
We both nod and head out. I stop by the batheroom to empty my breakfast into a toilet. No matter how many times I see a dead body, it always gets to me. Walking back out, grimacing, Gabe looks at me with concern.
"I hate that part of the job." I mutter, wiping my lips with my hand.
"It's not the most elegant part." He says softly. "But I find it to be one of the most inspiring."
I glance at him, not sure whether I should be disgusted or confused. Gabe's blue eyes bore into my own.
"Nobody," he says with a quiet deadileness. "Nobody has the right to take another's life; whether that person is a high-level diplomat or a broken, apparently worthless old man like Shaka. Taking a life deliberately and cold-bloodedly is the worst of crimes. And I don't have pity for people who murder."
I swallow, not sure what to say. I've never seen him so adamant. Gabe notices my look and his features relax. "Of course, one of the best things about this job is that girls are always impressed by a man in uniform."
I smack his arm hard. "You don't have a uniform; you're a plainclothes cop, stupid."
Gabe grins and winks at me. "They don't know that!" he calls, walking quickly towards our office. I close my eyes and shook my head. Bakayaro.
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Sakura – lol, I'm not saying anything. You'll have to wait.
Keichan – I posted! See! See!
