A lot of short scenes in this one.

Edited: 7/10/2011

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.


Dashed Hopes

Chapter Nine: Nightmare


Despite herself, and despite the confident, smug smirk on Inuyasha's face, Kagome couldn't help herself. When she first saw her latest version of 'home,' her jaw dropped open, and she whispered in an awed voice, "Wow." There were no words that could possibly encompass the amazement she felt when she saw the house, one that was even more impressive than Sango's had been. Kagome had to resist jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl. It really did look like a sprawling, feudal castle. It was more than beautiful; it was gorgeous, something that appeared in photographs in those huge coffee table books or that celebrities owned. Rich burgundy, navy, and gold rugs dotted the rooms, pedestals of ancient vases and priceless works of art were scattered everywhere, and the decor looked like it came straight out of a magazine. Every room managed to look both comfortable and expensive at the same time, and Kagome had no doubt that the Youkai brothers (or their late father) had hired the best interior decorator that could be found.

By far, her most favorite room was the largest, one that had a giant surround system and a television screen that covered an entire wall. Yes, Inuyasha actually had a personal home movie theater. It was nothing short of ridiculous. Still, Kagome felt incredibly jealous. But then, she remembered that starting that day, she would be living in that house along with them.

"Like it?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically, his answer already lying in her dropped jaw.

Kagome rolled her eyes then glared at the young man playfully, a blissful smile shaping her lips. "No, of course not," she responded dryly. "The color scheme is all wrong!"

Leaning against the wall of the main hallway, Inuyasha crossed his arms against his chest. He chuckled, low and deep in his throat, looking very pleased with himself. "You can blame Sesshoumaru for all decorations."

With a startled laugh, Kagome gaped back at her boss. "What?" she asked, her blue eyes shimmering with amusement. Sesshoumaru may have had better hair and softer skin than any woman she had ever met, but it seemed downright silly to imagine that he'd designed the decor.

Inuyasha burst into laughter at her impression of an open-mouthed bass, and he reached out to chuck her chin to invite her to close her mouth. "Did you actually believe me? Sesshoumaru has his hands full enough."

With a glare at his hand, Kagome quickly snapped her mouth shut before it attracted flies. Quirking an eyebrow, she asked, "With the company?"

Wincing, Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek to keep from responding immediately. He'd have to tell her sooner or later, he realized; actually, he probably should have already mentioned this enormously important thing before Kagome had even stepped foot in the house. Before Inuyasha could explain himself, the answer came literally ramming into him, clinging to his leg with a shriek.

"Uncle Inuyasha!" shouted the young girl; she had messy brown hair and was wearing a vibrant orange sweater.

To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha's face brightened at the sight of the pest. Ruffling her hair lovingly, he greeted her, "Hey, Rin."

Melting at her gaped-tooth smile, Kagome smiled at the sight of the sweet little girl. Rin only looked about a year or so younger than Souta. "Hi, there," she greeted, bending down to look the girl in the eyes. The two shared a smile.

"Hi," Rin chirped, her grin growing.

During their exchange, Inuyasha realized that he was still smiling down sweetly at Rin. His look of peace fading quickly, he struggled to figure out how the little girl had gotten such a hold on him so quickly. Shaking off his smile and rubbing the back of his head embarrassingly, he regretted looking so soft in front of Kagome. Honestly, he didn't like the idea of anyone seeing him act so soft.

Rin released her hold on her uncle and grasped Kagome's hand, peering up at the young woman with a look of pure innocence. "Will you play with Rin now?" The incorrect speech pattern seemed unbearably adorable to Kagome.

"Will you play with me now," corrected a cool voice. Sesshoumaru stepped into the entry hall, looking almost recognizable in a pair of casual clothes instead of his expensive, well-pressed business suit.

"No, Mr. Sesshoumaru! Rin wants to play with her now, you can play with her later," the young girl scolded the tall, elegant man in front of her. The exchange was surreal. Kagome laughed openly at her comment, and even Inuyasha cracked a smile. Sesshoumaru himself actually had to resist the urge to grin at Rin's conclusion, but the facial expression seemed far too unnatural. Rin started to skip down the long halls pulling the still giggling Kagome in her tow, away from the men. "Flowers!" she sang out as she navigated her way through the maze-like corridors of the house. Sesshoumaru watched them go with a small shake of his head.

"That went well," commented Inuyasha at his half-brother's side, watching their retreating backs.

"I agree," Sesshoumaru replied before leaving the room for his study. He had work to get done.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha headed straight to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes, Kagome looked up from the small courtyard full of flowers where Rin had her own garden. She sniffed the air delicately, noticing spices on the air. "Mmm," she hummed happily. "That smells good." Kagome grabbed a hold of Rin's hand and started tugging the girl in the direction of the smell. When she finally located the kitchen, she found Inuyasha standing at the counter noisily slurping ramen.

"Make your own," he gurgled, swiping at the broth that ran down his chin in a small rivulet.

Kagome pouted. She had been hoping for an easy meal, but it was obvious that it would be up to her to feed herself. Not only was Inuyasha eating ramen, but he had also only made a single serving for himself. Depositing Rin on one of the bar stools set up at the counter, Kagome started to riffle through the oak cabinets. The first door she opened revealed shelf after shelf of ramen, every imaginable flavor ever made. The smell of Inuyasha's meal still lingered in the air, making her mouth water. With a sigh, she grabbed a beef flavored one and turned back to Rin, who was kicking her feet in the air and smiling distractedly at the adults.

"What kind do you want?" Kagome asked her.

"Uhm... Shrimp!" the little girl sang out, leaning her elbows onto the counter and cradling her head.

The stove heated up quickly since Inuyasha had just used it, so Kagome quickly prepped some bowls. While the noodles boiled, Kagome took a seat next to Inuyasha and rested her chin on her crossed arms, leaning on the counter. As the minutes passed, she started to drift off to sleep, and Inuyasha grudgingly got up to finish their meals. Shaking her elbow to wake her up, he set the steaming bowls in front of his new housemate and his niece.

"Dinner," he announced, grabbing them each a set of chopsticks from a drawer. Rin immediately began slurping down her food.

"Thank you," Kagome told him sleepily, eating quickly. "I should head back to Sango's and pick up Souta and Shippou."

Rin's eyes brightened, and she pushed away her empty bowl, turning her big eyes on Kagome. "Who are they?" The idea of more kids around the house to play with seemed indescribably exciting; she loved Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't the most fun person in the world.

"My brother and son," Kagome explained patiently.

Looking up with curious eyes, Rin asked innocently, "And where's their daddy? Can't have a family without a daddy to take care of you!"

The two adults winced, and Inuyasha watched Kagome worriedly. Thoughtful, Kagome sorted through all the words available to her and attempted to string some together in a way that Rin would understand but wouldn't be too inappropriate for her age. "The daddy... is busy," Kagome said finally, ultimately failing. Adopting a fake smile and not wanting to worry the little girl only an hour after meeting her, Kagome hopped off her stool and held out her hand. "Do you want to come along?"

"Sure!" Rin answered, oblivious to the emotions swirling in her eyes. Inuyasha wasn't, however, and he could easily pick out the hurt and confusion that his niece's question had caused.

"Where's Mr. Youkai's office?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, cupping her hand around Rin's.

"You're gonna be here for awhile," Inuyasha reminded her. "You might as well call him Sesshoumaru."

Kagome looked a bit uncomfortable at the thought. "I'll see."

"Rin can show you where to find him." Inuyasha nodded to the young girl hanging off of Kagome.

"Yep, yep! Rin can!" the little girl said, grinning proudly.

Kagome nodded and silently followed Rin. It took several minutes to reach the study from the kitchen, and it really dawned on Kagome how large the house was. Reaching up to lightly knock on the door, Rin just burst through. Kagome winced. "Uhm, S-Sesshoumaru?" she asked, stumbling over the name. Sesshoumaru looked up at her hesitant voice and nodded for her to continue. "May Rin come with me to pick up my family, please?"

As Kagome was beginning to see was his habit, the man took his time in answering. Unsurprisingly, Kagome got the feeling that Sesshoumaru was very protective of Rin. Finally, he nodded his consent. "Rin, behave," he commanded gently, but sternly.

"'Course!" the little girl replied.

Thinking about how much she worried about Souta and Shippou's safety, Kagome had the sudden urge to reassure the man. "I'll take good care of her and won't let her out of my sight." The two adults shared an understanding look, and Kagome once again grabbed Rin's hand. No matter how stern and cold Sesshoumaru seemed, Rin probably meant the world to him. It reminded her strongly of her relationship with Shippou. Feeling like she understood the elder Youkai man better, Kagome guided the little girl from the room.


And somewhere not so very far away, Kagome's past continued to haunt her. It was even about to get much worse.

"Does she still have it?" a cold voice asked.

"I'm sure she does," a very straightforward, feminine voice answered. "She's always been very intelligent, and I doubt she would have just thrown it out."

"But do you have proof?" the cold voice growled.

The female on the other side of the phone winced, glad that she was at least not in the same room as her boss. "No."

"Then get it," he told her in warning. "I want to make sure."

"Yes, master," the woman sneered unhappily, very sure that she was beginning to hate all men because of this one.

"Good."

Then a dark laughing filled her ears, and she quickly snapped her cell phone shut.

Kagome, you better have kept it safe. It's your last chance, your lifeline.


That night, in her bed in her new home, Kagome shivered uncontrollably. Twisting and turning, a cold sweat drenched her body. The more the struggled in her sleep, the more she became entangled in the sheets, which in turn led to her feeling more confined and under attack. Visions of men with evil smirks and low, dangerous words swarmed her dream-weary mind. Constantly flashing in the background was a pale, glowing glint of pink. Over and over again, a pink flash pulsating like a warning. Overlaying all of it was his dark laughter, a low chuckle that he always let loose when he felt he had succeeded.

Troubled, Kagome began to whimper. She even called out, a long, strangled cry.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered as he pushed open her shut door. The room she had claimed was next to his, and he had heard the commotion through his wall. He had always been a light sleeper, easily waking up to noises in the nighttime.

"No!" Kagome whispered fervently in her sleep, whipping her head against her pillow, her brow furrowed with anger. "You can't have it!"

Inuyasha's concern and curiosity got the best of him, and he crept into her room, fighting off drowsiness. Quickly, he started to untangle the sheets wrapped around Kagome's limbs, gently removing them from her thrashing form. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled her to him, cradling the still-sleeping woman in his arms and made quiet hushing noises in her ear. At first, her still flailing hands beat against his chest, but the hits became weaker and slower. Finally, she stopped altogether, calming down. She pressed her cheek into his chest, burying her nose into the fabric warm from his skin.

"What can't he have?" Inuyasha whispered very quietly to her, hoping she'd answer in her dream-induced state. "Souta? Shippou? You?"

Kagome just grabbed hold of his shirt and twisted the material in her closed fist. "Please, Inuyasha," she slurred, her eyes still closed tightly. "He can't have it; he can't get it," she whimpered.

With a sigh, Inuyasha gently unwrapped her fingers from his shirt and began to tuck her back into bed. She kept reaching out, clinging to him, but the dreams must have been fading, because she finally let him go. Hoping he could get some sleep now that Kagome was quiet, Inuyasha backed out of the room and ran a hand through his long hair.

Of course he wouldn't sleep, though.

Questions started to bounce around his confused mind. A part of him had always wondered what the final straw had been, the one that had finally forced Kagome to flee from Naraku. Naturally, it wasn't something he'd ever felt he could ask Kagome to answer. Now, he ached to know what it was that Naraku couldn't have, or if it had even been Naraku who Kagome had been mumbling about in her sleep. Was Kagome keeping a dangerous secret from him and his friends, the people who wanted to help her?

He didn't know.

But he swore he would soon find out.

While Inuyasha struggled to fall back asleep, deep in a closed drawer from between folds of wrapped velvet, a small item shimmered with pink light.


The beginning of dawn had started to shine beyond the tall windows of the rest of the house. Kagome was pacing in the kitchen, pulling a robe tighter around her nightgown. She'd startled awake when it was still dark out, feeling like she hadn't slept very well. Unable to fall back asleep, she had tracked down the kitchen and tried to decide how happy the others would be if she cooked everyone breakfast. It had been awhile, but cooking had once been a favorite hobby of hers. After taking stock of the kitchen, Kagome began to pull as many supplies and foodstuffs from the cabinets that she could find. Over the next hour, she cooked up a feast, making anything and everything someone might hanker for for breakfast. She set it all out on the counter, pulling some drinks from the fridge and setting the table.

"Mmm," mumbled three half-asleep children as they wandered into the kitchen, their noses in the air.

The scent of the perfect breakfast even awoke the stubborn Inuyasha and pulled the workaholic Sesshoumaru from his office.

"Let's eat!" announced Kagome as she guided everyone to the table.

Their first meal together was a very successful one.


Back in Kyoto, Naraku fiddled with the framed photograph of Kagome that was sitting on his desk. "Have you been taking care of the special item, Kagome?" His hands shaking with rage, he scowled and chucked the frame against the opposite wall of his office. The glass shattered and rained down on his carpet.

It was that item that had taken her away from him! It was that item that had made her angry with him and him with her! It was that item that had driven her crazy enough to leave the one man that had sworn to keep her forever!

It was that item that he'd soon have back in his possession. Along with Kagome, that is.

"I'll get you back, Kagome. I'll do anything to have you back." Naraku's face darkened, and his reddish eyes glinted in the dimness of his office. "If I can't have you, Kagome, no one can."


"Damn it, Kagome!" Inuyasha grumbled, torn between being incredulous and being angry.

"Yes!" Kagome shouted triumphantly.

"No!" Inuyasha yelped and leaned forward on the couch to stare pathetically at the big screen television. "No," he repeated quieter with a whimper. He turned back to the smug looking Kagome who promptly held out her hand, waggling her fingers.

"Pay up!"

"No way!"

Souta, Shippou, Rin, and even Sesshoumaru watched with interest from the sidelines.

"I tried to warn you," Souta told Inuyasha sympathetically.

Kagome giggled. "I was queen of the video games back in Kyoto. No one ever beat me!"

Inuyasha pouted. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" four people snapped, three from the children and one from Inuyasha's very irritated half-brother. Inuyasha whimpered and knelt before Kagome on the carpet. Looking up with the most pathetic expression he could muster, he silently pleaded with her. Kagome chuckled, but refused to back down. With an over-dramatic sigh and eye-roll, Inuyasha removed Kagome's socks and began to rub her feet, deciding that at least her feet didn't reek.

"I love foot rubs, especially when I earn them." She sighed as she leaned back into the comfy couch.


Sango smirked as she sat at the front desk of the Sakura Hide-Away shelter for abused women, passing the time by thinking about her friends.

"I wonder when Inuyasha will be thick-headed enough to bet against Kagome at video games." The brunette giggled, picturing her best friend's defeated look when he realized that Kagome could easily thrash him; it was one of the things that had come up in the girls' conversation a few days earlier. Inuyasha would just have to find out the hard way, she decided with a smirk that could rival Inuyasha's. Sango had suggested to Kagome that she should bet a foot rub if it every actually came up. Knowing Inuyasha's competitive streak, Sango had a strong feeling it actually would.

The bell hanging over the entrance tinkled as another woman walked through the front door. Sango adopted the friendliest smile she had to greet her.

"Excuse me?" the petite brunette asked Sango cheerfully.

"Yes, can I help you?" Sango asked, examining the woman. The girl seemed upbeat and entirely unlike any other new addition to the SHA she had ever seen. Sango decided that she must be there for some other reason.

The girl grinned. "I'm looking for a Miss Sango Taijai."

"That's me," Sango said cautiously, her smile slipping.

"Oh, good! Hi! I was hoping you could point me in the direction of my fiancé. I remember him saying that you were one of his best friends," the girl explained with a delighted little clap of her hands, happy that she hadn't had to look for Sango too hard.

Now, Sango's smile fell completely to be replaced only with a look of confusion. The only best friends she had that were male were Inuyasha and Miroku. Inuyasha has a fiancée? she thought, amused.

The girl positively beamed. "I need to talk to Miroku Houshi as soon as possible!" she announced to the suddenly pale woman in front of her.

Sango tried to gulp in air as she heard the statement. But soon, everything went black.

Next Chapter: Breach