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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rumiko Takahashi characters named here, nor do I own the rights to Charlie's Angels or Yu Yu Hakasho. If this Hawaiian resort was real, I would own the bar. Business would be brisk at a place like this.
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He's Vicious Dragon? How could I have let him fool me like this?
Kagura's thoughts whirled through her in a storm of confusion and hurt. The assassin had been in front of her all along; she just hadn't wanted to see it. She hadn't wanted to see anything horrible in a man who loved his daughter so much, in a man who could be so sympathetic and tender underneath an air of formality.
Kagura slowly turned around to face Sesshomaru. She didn't recognize the man who stood before her. The soft-spoken, cultured and gentle man from this afternoon was completely absent, leaving behind a cold, angry person who looked at her through bitter eyes filled with hatred. The look in his eyes made her blood chill.
He's going to kill me.
Sesshomaru's hand holding the gun was perfectly steady. If she so much as breathed too loudly he would shoot her; she was sure of that. Kagura closed her eyes, unwilling to face this frozen stranger any longer. Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, she would wake up from this nightmare.
"Miss Kagura!" Rin's voice came from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?" She banged her tiny fist against the door.
Kagura's eyes flew open, and she nervously awaited Sesshomaru's reaction. Would he kill her in front of his daughter? Did he even care about the child, or was Rin just a pawn to cover his movements? Sesshomaru quickly flipped the lock on the door he had closed behind him and silently motioned for her to answer Rin. "Not right now, sweetie," Kagura said, her voice cracking with the effort. "I'm in the bathtub."
"Miss Kagura, are you washing your hair? I can help you rinse all the soap out. You'll have to shut your eyes tight or you'll get soap in them and it stings. Do you want me to help?" Rin's muffled voice came through the door.
Rin, precious little Rin, what was she going to do? She had to protect her. "No Littlebit, I'm almost done," Kagura somehow managed to tell the little girl. "Go get in bed and someone…" she started to break down, "someone will be along to read you a story in a minute." It won't be me who reads her the story. Help me.
"Don't call her that."
Sesshomaru's hoarse whisper surprised Kagura. He was looking at her as though he would tear her apart. What kind of a psychopath was she dealing with?
"Don't call her 'Littlebit'," Sesshomaru repeated, his whisper growing angrier. "Don't call her by her nickname! You sadistic bitch, how dare you come into my daughter's life and cause such pain and destruction?" He advanced toward her and with one quick motion flipped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists, pinning her arms behind her back.
Tears formed in Kagura's eyes and ran down her cheeks as Sesshomaru shoved her down on her knees to the cold floor. He stood over her and pressed the gun to her head. She felt the metal touching her temple and began to shake uncontrollably. Sesshomaru was going to kill her right here in the bathroom, with his daughter waiting in the next bedroom thinking someone would come in and read her a story. Would she hear the gunshot and begin to scream?
In desperation, she found her voice. "Don't, Sesshomaru," Kagura said, her voice so strained that she knew he could hardly hear her. "If you truly love that child in the next room, then don't do this. Don't shed blood in her presence."
He squeezed her throat painfully and slammed her head against the wall. "What do you care?" he growled. "Don't try to convince me she means something to you!" He pressed the gun more tightly to her head.
He loves Rin as much as I do. The realization gave her hope, and for the first time, Kagura met his icy stare. "I love that little girl like she was mine, and you damn well know it," she told him steadily. "I would never harm her. Will you?"
The gun pulled away from her temple slightly, and Kagura decided to press her advantage. "If you think I'm too dangerous to keep alive, there's nothing I can do about it," she pointed out. "But don't do this to Rin. Take me away from here where she can't witness this."
Sesshomaru's cold eyes seemed to thaw slightly. He yanked Kagura to her feet and unlocked the door. "Keep your mouth shut," he ordered her. Checking to see that Rin was out of sight, he pulled Kagura through the other rooms and into the master suite.
*******
"Inu-Yasha? Inu-Yasha, where are you?" asked Kagome. She had let herself in when Inu-Yasha had failed to answer her knock. She spied a note on the coffee table and picked it up.
Inu-Yasha went to downtown office, but will be back soon. Please excuse the mess – Ranma.
Kagome surveyed the room. Mess? It looked like a Category 5 hurricane had swept through. Clothing was scattered everywhere and the furniture had been shoved into awkward angles. The pictures on the walls were hanging crookedly and the end tables were knocked over. She frowned at an indentation in the wall. It looked like someone's fist or head had been slammed into it.
The front door opened and shut behind her. "Hey Kagome, it looks like you beat me back. Did Ranma -" Inu-Yasha broke off as he noticed the chaos. "What happened here?" he asked Kagome in disbelief. "It looks like a sumo match was held in my living room!"
Kagome handed him Ranma's note. "I'm sure he has a wonderful explanation waiting for us," she said sarcastically. "Why was Ranma here in the first place?"
"He conned me into letting him stay so he could hide from his not-so-nearest-and-dearest." Inu-Yasha picked up a broken lamp and pulled a face. "If this kind of trouble follows him around, it's no wonder so many people are after him. Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked Kagome.
"Where's P-chan, Inu-Yasha?" Kagome was looking at him accusingly. "Did you take him with you and leave him downtown?"
"The pig? No, I left him here with Ranma, why? Oh…" he stopped speaking and started looking around. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere, Kagome. He's probably hiding under something."
Kagome was tossing clothing around and searching under furniture. "P-chan! P-chan, where are you?" she cried. "Inu-Yasha, I can't believe you left him with Ranma, of all people! He's been reported for animal cruelty!"
"Well how was I supposed to know that?" Inu-Yasha demanded irritably. "Ranma doesn't seem the type to abuse animals. He's got enough problems of his own to take care of, trust me! Anyone who'd take on three women…" he muttered.
"What is it?" he asked Kagome as she gave a sudden yelp and put her hands to her face.
"Nothing. I just bumped my nose and it's bleeding," she mumbled through her hands. Inu-Yasha passed her his handkerchief and she pressed it to her nose.
"Inu-Yasha, you don't suppose Ranma was fighting with P-chan, do you?" Kagome asked as the horrifying thought came to her. The thought of P-chan bravely defending himself against a crazed cross-dresser made her start crying and her nose bled faster. "P-chan's probably lying somewhere hurt, or-or-even dead!" she wailed. "Inu-Yasha, do something!" She flung herself into his arms.
"Wh-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered. "Resurrect the walking pork chop?" Kagome wailed even louder. Fists began pounding on his door. He edged over to answer, still holding Kagome, who was sobbing and bleeding into his shirt. The pounding grew louder and he yanked open the door to see his brother's boyfriend.
"What do you want?" he snarled at Koga.
"I heard Kagome crying! What's going on?" Koga pulled Kagome away from Inu-Yasha. "What did you do to her, you bastard?" he howled as he saw Kagome's nose.
"I didn't do anything!" Inu-Yasha yelled, grabbing Kagome and pulling her back to him.
"Don't lie to me! I can see you've been beating her! Just look at this place, did you throw her around the room?" Koga yanked Kagome back to his side.
"You lame-brained idiot! I didn't touch her! She did that to herself with her own stupid clumsiness!"
They were interrupted by the sound of pounding feet and a squealing pig running past the room. "P-chan!" Kagome screamed, dashing outside. "Hey! I thought I told you guys to leave – him – alone!" she yelled at the four men chasing the black pig. "I'll have you disqualified from the pageant, Kurama! I mean it!" She ran into the dark night after the group.
A young woman wearing a karate gi dashed up to Inu-Yasha and Koga. "Did you see a small black pig run this way?" she asked breathlessly. They nodded, pointing. "P-chan!" the girl yelled. "P-chan, I'm coming!" She ran after the others.
Kuno rushed into view, brandishing a wooden sword. "Akane!" he shouted. "Like the angels themselves, your winged feet cannot outrun my love forever! Return to me!" He chased the girl into the darkness.
Inu-Yasha and Koga watched in growing amazement as Kuno was followed by a girl wearing a leotard and throwing black rose petals. Behind her ran another girl carrying an okonomiyaki spatula and a cat wearing several bracelets and hair jewelry.
"Is that…a panda?" Koga asked Inu-Yasha, pointing at another figure looming in the distance.
"Yep."
"I was afraid you were going to say that. I need a drink. Join me?"
"I'll buy," answered Inu-Yasha. They headed for the bar in silence.
*******
A/N: Ah, and it just gets crazier *stirs the plot* Will Sesshy and Kagura ever get things right? Will Akane and Kagome come to blows over P-chan? And what are Sango and Miroku doing while all this is happening? (don't ask)
Sandalwood: Haggis is made from the parts of a sheep that *normal* people throw away (crazy Scots, she mumbles, hiding her tartan). It tastes about like you would imagine. I haven't tasted or smelled fermented fish (are they anything like kippers or sardines?), but it's probably comparable as far as the gross-out factor goes. Since pocky contains *chocolate*, I'd be adventurous enough to try it :P
Thanks again to all of you for reading! Lavender
