Backstabbed: A Rurouni Kenshin - Inu Yasha cross-over fic

Thanks to K+K Fanatic for being my only non-friend reviewer. I know Zanza, Chaos and Katsu-chan mean well, but it's nice to get reviews from people I don't know already ^_^

I'll try to get more Kaoru and Kenshin into this. While I like them just fine, I'm more of a side-character fan, liking the characters you know little about. They're often easier to write into a fic since you don't have to worry so much about keeping them in character. I think I'll be alternating chapters between Kerri's interaction with both the RK group and the IY group, so the next one will probably have a lot of Sesshomaru in it. The only one that will really have the two groups mixing is the final chap, where they go to the Random concert.

Thanks again!

-DE

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"Tokio, are you going to the concert in August?"

Kerri and Tokio lived near one another and took the same bus home. While the two girls didn't talk often, they chatted offhandedly on the bus occasionally. Kerri wasn't quite sure what Tokio saw in Hajime Saito, but they had been together since the beginning of eighth grade and there was a rumor they were going to get married.

"Hajime says he's going to take me, so yes." The quiet girl smiled. Tokio was plain to look upon, with strait, chestnut brown hair and inky eyes. Independent, caring and thoughtful, Tokio was the only person who got away with calling the boy by his first name. To the rest of the world, he was merely "Saito." The man with the wolf-like eyes had a soft spot for Tokio and she loved him in return. "Are you going?"

"I would, but it's kind of a couple-y thing, isn't it?" Kerri wrinkled up her nose, "I have no one to go with."

"Katsuhiro likes you."

"Well he hasn't asked me." The bus screeched as it slowed to a stop and she stood up, grabbing her bag. "See ya, Tokio."

"Good-bye." The other girl called after her. Poor Kerri…Tokio worried about her. No one could ever get close to her because she had turned off her heart to the world. She knew that shy Katsuhiro was really hung up on Kerri Mortisen and had no clue how to approach her. She also knew that Kerri really liked Katsuhiro but would never admit it. Tokio knew nearly everything that went on around her. She was observant and could process what she saw. One of the things about her that appealed to Saito was this ability. However, she wasn't sure how she could help the two realize what they felt for one another.

Kerri unlocked the door to her house and was greeted only by the dog. Her parents worked all day and wouldn't be home until closer to five. She was an only child, her extended family lived an hour away and that only served to increase her loneliness.

"Hiya, Kurt." She patted the mutt on the head and he offered her his chewy toy. This was slightly unusual; the dog -whom she had named after her favorite X-man- was constantly ignoring her.

Two of their cats, Maxwell and Wu were curled up together on the couch. Maxwell was a black and white spotted kitten with a taste for mischief, while Wu was a sleek, crotchety Siamese. Two more cats were hidden somewhere in the house, dopey Tenkage, a longhaired calico with extra toes, and Xellos, an all black male who disappeared whenever some one was looking for him.

Wu looked at her lazily, offering a loud "mrow" as a welcome. He had always been her baby, from the time she was five and he just a kitten. He was just about as bitter and hostile as she was and the two got along famously.

Tucking the Siamese under her arm, Kerri ventured into the kitchen. She rummaged in the cupboard to find a snack, then plopped down in her dad's big recliner. Munching on a bag of chex mix, she flipped the TV on and began aimlessly surfing through the channels.

It was then that the phone rang.

Normally, Kerri would just let the machine pick up. Calls were rarely -if ever- for her. But for some reason unbeknownst to any one, she heaved the cat off her lap and trotted back out to the kitchen to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi. Kerri?" It was Tokio on the other end.

"Yeah?" The depressed girl's voice had a wary tone to it. It made Tokio wonder just how many prank calls she had received over the years.

"I was, uh, wondering if…Well, that is, a bunch of us are going out tonight to, you know, celebrate the end of school and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come."

"Us? Who's 'us?' Where are you going? And why ask me?"

Tokio sighed. Kerri had rights to be suspicious of her motives, but then, she hadn't done anything but be nice to the dark haired girl since they met in eighth grade. Sometimes Kerri Mortisen could be a very frustrating person. "Oh, just the usual bunch of us. Hajime, Kenshin, Kaoru, Sano…You know, all of them." Stupid! Of course she doesn't know…No one does things with her! "We're going to the diner and then hang out at the mall. I want you to come because I thought you'd have fun." Lame! What kind of girl would have fun with people who aren't even her friends?

"Is Crystal going to be there?" The other girl's voice was still heavily guarded.

"Probably. I don't think she's working tonight."

"Oh." There was some grumbling from Kerri's end of the line, muffled by what Tokio assumed was her hand over the mouth piece, "What about Sojiro?"

"He'll be there." Tokio knew that Kerri and Sojiro had some sort of strange friendship, if you could call it that. The constantly smiling boy and the mopey girl had been close companions since they met in first grade. Sojiro, product of his father's affair with a hooker, had been kicked out of his house quite often in middle school and Kerri always hid him safely in her attic. He wasn't a troublemaker, his family just saw him as some one to blame all their problems on.

"All right." Came the grudging response, "I'll go."

"I'm glad. Hajime and I will pick you up around seven, okay?"

"Whatever."

"Good-bye."

"Bye."

Well, Kerri thought as she hung up the phone, this could either be the best or worst night of my life. Where Sanosuke was, there was sure to be Katsu also. This could be a good thing. But if Crystal was there…Ugh. She looked at her watch. It was three-thirty. In three and a half hours, she would be with people she'd known all her life and still knew virtually nothing about. What have I gotten myself into?

The phone instantly rang again. Slightly annoyed, Kerri grabbed it. "Hello?!"

"Now Miss Kerri, what kind of greeting is that for your only friend?"

"Sojiro?"

"The one and only."

"I'm sorry…It's been an odd day."

"I've heard from Tokio that you're coming out with us tonight. I hope you're prepared for the worst. This could be brutal."

"I know. Crystal," Her voice burned with contempt, "Is going."

"Don't forget about Sano." Came Sojiro's cheerful reply, "I know how well the two of you get along. Anyway, I called to give you some advice. Dress casual-nice. When we go out, no one dresses up, but no one looks like a bum either. I know you've got some good stuff, so make yourself presentable."

"Okay…I don't see why what I wear matters, but I suppose I could swing that. Casual-nice." Kerri was beginning to feel almost excited. She didn't mind half the people she would be spending the evening with, so long as Sanosuke and Crystal minded their own business and left her alone.

Her outfit for the evening consisted of a pair of faded, grayish jeans, a slightly skanky black tank top and small silver hoops in the four holes in each of her ears. A black velour choker from which hung a fairy with wings made from gray crystals hung around her neck. Silver bracelet, silver nail polish and a couple of plain silver rings completed the ensemble. On her feet were a pair of black flip-flops.

Ignoring the make-up her mother had bought her, she ran a brush through her shoulder-length hair. Not one for trying to make herself pretty, Kerri did have her own unique sense of style that often included silver jewelry and the color black.

She wandered nervously through the house as she waited for Saito and Tokio. Her mom had been overjoyed when she said she was going out for the night and couldn't understand her daughter's anxiousness.

"Sweetheart, why don't you calm down? They're your friends, aren't they? What's to be nervous about?"

"You don't understand, Mom." She grumbled under her breath, "You never do." Friends my ass. They're just people that feel sorry for me, goody-goodies with nothing better to do than take pity on the poor, wacked-out girl that no one likes.

Precisely at seven, a car pulled into the driveway. Kerri slid out the door without so much as a good-bye to her mother. She knew if her mom had a chance, the couple would be invited in and questioned by her father. No, not questioned. Given the third degree. An old Monty Python sketch drifted through her mind. I didn't suspect a sort of Spanish Inquisition…Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Saito drove a dark blue, 1994 model Pontiac Grand Am. It was old and dingy, with an ashtray full of cigarette butts. Kerri wrinkled her nose at the smell as she climbed inside. She hated the smell of tobacco and thought any one who smoked was a loser with even less self-esteem than she had. Saito was no exception to this theory.

The radio was tuned to a classic rock station, much to the girl's surprise. Neither Tokio nor Saito seemed the type to listen to decent music. She had pictured Tokio as one who would enjoy easy listening and Saito, well she never had been sure.

Tokio twisted around in her seat as they pulled out of the driveway. "I'm glad you decided to come, Kerri. I know we'll have a good time."

She nodded faintly. The brunet was wearing a yellow peasant blouse and khaki skirt. Her hair was pulled lightly off her face and she looked very cute, as always. Saito had his usual outfit, jeans and a white tee-shirt. He varied his tee-shirts from day to day, but they were always white and usual bore a FHS logo and sports team. Today's was a cross county tee.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two girls. Saito said nothing other than telling Kerri to put on her seatbelt, something she would have done anyway. This, Kerri told herself, does not bode well…

The Over the Moon Diner, a popular hangout for the Feldspar youth, was already crowded upon their arrival. Kaoru had enough sense to reserve the back room for their rather large party and many of their friends were already there.

Sojiro greeted Kerri cordially as she slid into a seat next to him. "You look stunning, Ker. Like the choker. It's a nice touch." He leaned closer to her, his usual grin plastered across his face, his eyes sparkling, "Crystal is going to be sooooo jealous!"

Indeed, the blond would be green with envy. She wasn't there yet; she probably was trying to figure which of her slutty clothes would make her look most attractive. Crystal was a tad bit overweight and seemed to not be aware of this fact. Her clothes were a size too small and she had no qualms about showing cleavage or other random parts of her body.

Kerri herself was thin and lean with a rather nice figure. What she was wearing showed off just enough of her chest and her body to make her appealing without bearing it all. She was unaware of how attractive she was, due to her low self-esteem, but this didn't stop the guys from noticing. They all just thought she was a little strange.

Kenshin and Kaoru were cuddled up in a booth together. Hajime and Tokio were at the table, discussing what they wanted to eat. Sanosuke was brooding over the absence of Megumi. She was working in the city of her college for the summer and none of them had seen her since Spring Break. Katsuhiro sat leaning back in his chair, looking slightly detached.

"Hiii!!!" Freshman Misao bounded into the room, trailed by her sometimes-boyfriend, Aoshi Shinamori. Misao was bubbly and optimistic, while Aoshi, a senior, was quiet and pensive. A less likely couple there never was, but the two were quite attached to one another; they'd known each other since they were little.

The group greeted them warmly, ignoring Kerri. She slumped down in her seat. What the hell am I doing here?

Misao slid into a booth, pulling Aoshi behind her. She was beaming happily at the thought of summer vacation, her long braid falling over her shoulder. She was wearing a mini skirt and a purple halter top, gold hoops in her ears. Aoshi had a more sophisticated style, slacks and a button down shirt; his dark hair falling into his icy eyes kind of gave him a sinister, mysterious look.

Crystal breezed in shortly after, causing Misao's face to darken. She didn't like the older girl; Crystal was always simpering over Aoshi, trying to interfere with their relationship. The blond senior meant trouble with a capital T. Noticing the look on his companion's face, Aoshi leaned over and whispered something to her, which caused her to giggle.

"Well, what are you doing here, Kerri?" Crystal plopped down beside her, "Shouldn't you be at home, reading your encyclopedias or something?"

"Bite me." She said contemptuously, studying the menu. She could see Sojiro snickering from behind his menu and wondered what sort of expression the other girl had on her face. It was rare that she ever had any sort of nasty comeback for Crystal's snide comments.

Looking around after ordering, Kerri realized that save for herself, Sojiro and Katsu, every one present had a significant other of some sort. Kenshin was attentive to every one of Kaoru's needs; Saito and Tokio were pleasantly discussing something; Misao prattled on and on about soccer to Aoshi; Crystal was keeping Sanosuke amused, trying to prevent him from pining over Megumi. Sojiro was single, not looking and fine with that and Katsu…well, Kerri could never tell what the quiet artist was thinking.

"Hey," Sojiro leaned across the table at this point, "Look at Crystal. I don't think you'll ever have to worry. She doesn't seem to like guys with long hair at all."

Kerri frowned at his implication, but it was true. Crystal had been ignoring Kenshin and Katsu in favor of Sanosuke, Aoshi and Saito. She knew Sojiro was untouchable, as attractive and beautiful as he was, otherwise she probably would have been all over him too. So Crystal was prejudice against guys with long hair, eh? Kenshin wore his in a flaming ponytail, light bangs falling across his forehead and into his violet eyes. Katsu's was shoulder-length, dark and shiny, held off his face by a bandana. This was an interesting observation on Sojiro's part.

The food came and every one was quick to tuck in. Katsu picked at his French fries, allowing Sanosuke to eat most of them, an act which his best friend found rather unusual. Something was bothering the teen and Sano couldn't figure out what. He watched his friend pretend to be happy as they scarfed down the meal. Katsu was really upset about something.

Sano found out what later on. He dragged his friend into the bathroom and slammed him up against the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're sitting there like a moron. Tell me what's bothering you."

"I don't think Kerri's having a good time. Why did Tokio invite her? She doesn't belong here." Katsu looked evenly at Sano, his dark eyes glaring into Sano's brandy brown ones. Sanosuke Sagara was known to fly off the handle at times. He wondered if his friend and Crystal didn't have something to do with Kerri's being there, but wasn't going to ask.

"So ask her then." Sometimes solemn Katsuhiro exasperated aggressive Sanosuke. He was a man of action, his friend -his complete opposite- was a man of contemplation. Katsu thought through everything carefully before acting on it. It drove Sano wild.

"I can't ask her that! She doesn't even like me!" The artist's eyes widened and he shrank back against the wall. The thought of talking to Kerri terrified him; he was afraid of what kind of pointless rambling he might spout out if he opened his mouth in front of her.

"Katsu…" Sano stepped back, smiling slightly. Then his face clouded over and he slammed his fist into the wall. "You're such a jerk, Katsu! She's crazy about you!"

"No, she's not. She never even looks at me. She hates me as much as she hates every one else. And what about Sojiro? Or Sesshomaru? She's pretty damn chummy with the two of them. I can't compete with either of them for her, you idiot. Sesshomaru is the class heartthrob and all the girls always go on and on about how cute Sojiro is. I'm just me, nothing special."

"And you call me an idiot…" Shaking his head, Sanosuke exited the bathroom. What a fool his friend was. Kerri hung out with Sesshomaru only to complain about how much she hated the world and Sojiro because he was as funked up as she was.

Katsu stared at himself in the mirror. "What's wrong with me?" He pondered aloud.

"You're a wuss."

The artist half turned, coming face to face with Saito, who pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. It was a known fact that Tokio hated the idea that her man smoked; she told him it was a dirty habit, so he couldn't go outside to do it or she would know. The bathroom was the next best thing.

"I'm not a wuss, Saito. You were the same way with Tokio."

"We were in the eight grade. You're eighteen. There's a big difference. If you can't tell the girl you like her, give her up right now."

"What did you say to Tokio?"

"I told her she was going to the pep rally with me and she said okay. It was that simple. I was thirteen and knew what I wanted. You've got to figure out if you really want her or not." He snuffed the cigarette in the sink and left the room, muttering to himself, "Damn smoke…Tokio'll know…She's going to be pissed."

Sighing, Katsu dragged himself out of the bathroom and back to his friends. It was going to be a long night…