CG XIII:
He was relieved that he would never have to drive down the twisted path leading to the plantation home that Kagome temporarily resided. It would be such a relief to bring her back with them and out of this messy situation.
"Do you actually have some non-perverted thoughts racing through that brain of yours?" Inuyasha inquired as he continued to flip through Miroku's collection of c.d.s in the front passenger seat. Sango was sleeping lightly in the back seat.
Inuyasha didn't even want to think about what reasons she should be so tired.
Miroku shot his passenger a brief, annoyed glare with hostile violet eyes. "It's nice to know how highly you think of me." He commented dryly as he returned his eyes to the windy drive.
Inuyasha shrugged and threw the music selection back on the floor at his feet as he stared out the window with a sense of foreboding creeping up his spine. "Do you think we'll run into any problems?"
"Probably, but I don't see why that Onigumo prick should care that we relieve him of Kagome. He probably only sees her as some sort of nuisance anyway. He did ship off Souta to some boarding school." Miroku commented. The large plantation mansion came into view. In spite of the bad vibes he felt here he couldn't help but admit the scene was picturesque and quick stunning.
"I thought it was some military school," Inuyasha frowned. He tried to remember a young boy from that night at the hospital but was drawing a blank. Plenty happened that night so he couldn't be expected to remember every little detail.
From the backseat, Sango stirred and leaned over the consol between the two front seats. She peered out the front window at the dark windows of the beautiful old home. "It's a little dark there don't you think?"
"I don't have a good feeling about this," Miroku remarked as he felt a pair of icy fingers clenching around his heart. He had a very bad feeling about this situation.
Inuyasha leaned forward in his seat as he squinted his eyes at the windows of the house. "Were there always bars on the windows?"
Miroku had a very bad feeling indeed. "No, there weren't."
Naraku kneeled in front of Kagome and placed his hands on her shoulders, to force her to meet his soulful cinnamon colored eyes with her pale bluish-grey ones. If anything, there was genuine pain and regret and not an ounce of malice in his expression.
"My beautiful Kagome," he began in a pained whisper, choked with emotion. "I never wanted to hurt you. If my fate was to live forever in my misery then I would do so willingly. To have had you for a short time was worth this eternal hell."
Kagome finally found her ability to speak. "What are you talking about?" She demanded as she tried to shrug off his powerful hands from her shoulders. She refused to be taken in to pity the look in his eyes of absolute sorrow.
A bone weary sigh escaped his lips as he continued to look deeply into her eyes. "I want you with all that I am. I had hoped that you could love me once again. I never wanted to take you, but where I care not for my own life, father would not think twice of killing you."
He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to hers. It was a gentle brush of flesh upon flesh and he pulled back with his bottom lip bloodied from where she had bitten him. He took the pain in stride, for he felt he deserved it.
"I don't know what the hell you are talking about," Kagome's voice was venomous as she glared towards the man before her with such an intensity that could melt stone.
Kouga grinned as he watched the scene silently from across the room. He loathed the man before him. His friend that had betrayed him deserved a fate worse than death.
Naraku sucked on his bottom lip, stemming the blood flow before he answered in a calm, cool, collected tone. "We were cursed by the granddaughter of the Voodoo queen." He sat back away from her on his haunches and reflected on the bitter memories.
"It was always the three of us, you, me, and Kouga. We would spend hours together." He smiled at her as he recalled the precious, fond memories that seemed so long ago. "I wanted you at first, but then I saw how happy you and Kouga were. I could find no fault in him and came to befriend him."
Kagome raised a brow skeptically at that comment.
Naraku laughed softly and moved to sit beside her against the wall. The cool stones were bringing down the temperature of his burning hot back. He pulled off the sweatshirt he wore, for the heat of the cellar or possibly the situation was beginning to bother him.
The rippling muscles of his torso did not go unnoticed by Kagome, so she chewed on the inside of her cheek to not think about such things. She wouldn't deny that she was attracted to him, but she didn't trust him. And for some reason the idea of giving in to the man beside her made her feel as if she would be betraying Sesshoumaru, which was a ridiculous notion.
"You and Kouga always talked about sailing off into the sunset. The excitement that you shared was contagious. Before I knew it, my life of being a political pawn for my father had evolved. I was now a friend with two adventurous spirits." He closed his eyes as he remembered the good times.
"I was going to help the two of you elope. I was helping Kouga finance a ship and a crew to sail around the world. We were going to leave New Orleans and explore the unknown." Naraku's eyes opened.
Kouga laughed aloud at the words spilling from the other man's mouth. "Right, as if you didn't have ulterior motives. You'd probably see to it that I drowned at sea," Kouga scoffed bitterly.
Naraku continued, unaware of Kouga's attentive ear, "But, maybe a week before everything was to be set in motion Kouga was murdered."
"Did you do it?" Kagome asked. She was annoyed that she was believing this tale. It was most likely skewed from the veracity. Naraku would lie to her now to gain her sympathy so that she would go to him willingly. She would not submit to duplicity.
An indignant snort was Naraku's answer. "Of course not, Kouga was my best friend. I cared for both of you. However, I don't doubt that it was my fault. I've grown suspicious over the years. I think it was my father."
"I see," Kagome replied, unsure of how to react to the tragedy of a past life that she only remembered in vague dreams as of late.
"We were both devastated with his loss. I believe it was a gradual inevitability that we would seek comfort and one another and it would evolve into love." A bitter sweet smile danced lazily across his lips. "We managed to rediscover happiness in a time of despair. It was a beautiful miracle if ever there was one."
The ghost of a smile vanished as he continued the story. "I had just asked you to be my wife. We were going to move west into the mountainous region of Montana and live with the Indians. It was a way to honor Kouga and get away from the sadness that haunted our home." He fell silent.
Kouga was stunned at the confession. He felt the familiar twinges of guilt plaguing his heart. How could he have doubted such loyalty? The unfairness of it all came crashing once more and it was all he could do to keep the tears at bay that were stinging the back of his eyes.
Kagome was moved beyond words. She could feel the emotions that he was surely feeling. It was as if she was reliving the turmoil. She had vivid flashes of what he was sharing and discovered that she believed him. She reached out to him and laid her hand gently upon his shoulder.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Kouga, but it didn't bother him now that he felt he knew the truth. He could feel the pain that the two must have shared at the loss of him. Sitting before him were the two individuals that cared about him more than all others during his life.
Naraku turned to her and took her hand in his as he placed it over his rapidly beating heart. He looked her directly in the eye to finish the tale. "The Voodoo queen, her granddaughter was a slave on this plantation. Apparently she had fallen in love with me from afar. I think I only met her once in the fields. She had fallen ill and so when another slave found me I had picked her up in my arms and carried her into the slave quarters where she could be cared for."
"Who would have thought a moment of kindness would result in an eternal curse?" Naraku mused as he threaded his fingers with Kagome's as her palm was cool against the burning heat of his chest. His heart continued to pound in his rib cage as he tried to contain the fury within.
"Please continue," Kagome pleaded softly. She had to know. She needed to know.
"Kagura watched us. She watched all three of us at the creek near Kouga's tree. I think she told my father of my plans to help the two of you elope and run away. I think my father killed Kouga to push the two of us together in romance discovered through mutual grief." Naraku replied, his brows furrowed as the memories came back and the suspicions were voiced.
"It must have worked too well for Kagura. When she discovered that you and I had intended to wed she confronted me. If I wouldn't wed her then she would see to it that you died. Of course I didn't believe her."
"So she killed me?" Kagome asked, trying to pull her hand out of Naraku's grasp. The feel of his pounding heart was too great for her. She could feel her own blood boiling in outrage.
Naraku only held her hand tighter to him. "The wrath of a woman scorned was what happened. She killed you, yes. I held you in my arms as she drained the life out of you. As you lay dying she cursed me as well. She didn't believe what we had was love."
"What did she believe?" Kagome prodded as Naraku became lose in his thoughts again.
He released her hand and sighed shakily. "She thought it was because she was a slave that I didn't love her. She thought that you were using me as a substitute for Kouga and that I only wanted the political power of your father being governor."
"But she was wrong," Kagome concluded as she took Naraku's fallen hand and held it in her own in a supportive embrace with locked fingers.
"She was wrong," Naraku agreed. "She cursed me to live forever without you. I would never age and if I truly loved you then I would never love another again." He smiled sadly and looked into her eyes with darkened ruby eyes. "With how I've been acting, you can probably figure out how I felt."
"But I don't understand. If she didn't want you to have the chance to love me again, how is this possible? What is going on now?" Kagome demanded making a gesture towards the two of them with their held hands.
A smug smile flirted across Naraku's lips. "That is where I outsmarted the witch. And the witch doctor Kaede came in. My father had been consulting the wise woman about something and they happened to come by. I'm not sure if I should be grateful or not for that twist of fate."
"Onigumo over heard her curse and saw me holding your dead body. The witch doctor Kaede had pulled you out of my arms and was dismayed to discover you dead. Which she was distracted, father had killed Kagura with a knife through her heart. I'll never forget the mad gleam in his eye."
"He killed her? But, isn't he cursed too?"
"Dying curse got him. He would share my eternal hell and neither of us would find peace unless I was to find love again. Kagura had thought that she would be reincarnated and could be the one I would love." He frowned. "At least, that is what Kaede had explained. But then she had placed her hands over both of our foreheads. She did a chant and promised that you and I would have a chance to break my curse."
"And your curse can only be broken if you and I make love?" Kagome asked, her fingers released his and she moved her hand to the safety of her lap.
Naraku shrugged. "That's what father believes. That's why when he saw you he knew he had to find a way to bring you to me. I'm afraid he doesn't love your mother, and for that I am sorry."
Kagome didn't reply.
Naraku lifted his hand to cup her chin and turn her to face him directly. "I'm so tired Kagome. I'm so very tired of all of this." He leaned in to kiss her and she didn't have the heart to refuse.
She couldn't kiss him back, but she couldn't hate him anymore. She knew he spoke truth. At one time she did love him. And she could love him again, except haunting golden eyes kept coming to mind and she pulled back, gasping for breath. She shook her head.
"I can't do this," Kagome turned away from him and wrapped her arms tightly across her chest.
Naraku sighed. "He gave us some time. I'll give you as much as I can." He brushed his long, tapered fingers through her loosened black waves of hair that curled down her back. "My love for you has never died, but," he swallowed hard, "I can't keep living like this. Father will kill us both. I'm not sure how since I'm supposed to be immortal. It's not like I haven't tried to kill myself."
Kagome turned panic stricken eyes towards him. "What?"
The concern in her voice caused him to smile in spite of himself. "The grief was intense at first. Not only had I lost my best friend, but then months later the love of my life died in my arms. I was entitled to some self-pity."
"So you're stuck in this state of limbo?"
"Until you love me."
Kouga felt an animalistic rage towards the hated man that sired Kagewaki Naraku. He wanted to wrap his hands around his throat and throttle him. That man was responsible for all their pain. Onigumo would suffer. Kouga would not allow him to hurt those he cared about any longer. There had to be another way for Kagewaki to discover peace, for Kagome did not belong to either of them.
For she was the mate of a demon lord who gave up his very heritage ensure his future with a young miko so long ago.
Complete frustration is what haunted Sesshoumaru as he felt his soul being forced back towards his catatonic body in the hospital. Kagome needed him now more than ever. He wouldn't, couldn't abandon her now! He must find a way to protect her. He was her guardian!
Upon reaching the white walls of his hospital room he was dismayed at the sight of his body laying helpless on the stark white sheets. It wasn't necessarily the sight of his body that disturbed him so much.
It was the sight of his ex-girlfriend leaning over his defenseless body and pulling out the catheter that was placed into comatose individuals. His eyes grew wide as he saw her begin to fondle his person.
Never had he allowed her to touch him in all their years together! What gave her the right to rape him more or less now? Anger caused his blood to boil as he tried to push her off of him.
Her lips were on his tip now and she was about to take him into her mouth. With a great deal of concentration, Sesshoumaru forced himself into his body.
"Looks like you're mine now," Kagura replied with a smug expression before she was to take him into her mouth. She glanced at his blank face triumphantly before she would have her way with him. She had invested too many years on him to be denied this simple pleasure.
Golden eyes met her stunned dark ones. Arms that hadn't been lifted freely in weeks, only moved by the physical therapist that worked his muscles to prevent their atrophy reached for her.
"Get the hell off of me you bitch," Sesshoumaru growled in a voice that was hoarse from disuse. He flung the woman off of him, onto the floor roughly. He pulled sheets to cover his waist as he glared down at her with hatred.
He reached for the call button beside his bed and rung for the nurse. Before Kagura could process that he was awake and looming over her with utter hatred the door to his room swung open. A nurse stood in the doorway.
"What the hell is this thing doing in here?" Sesshoumaru demanded. He looked regal and authoritative and the nurse winced under his scrutiny.
"She said she was your fiancé, isn't she?" The nurse asked uncertainly as she made sure he couldn't read her name tag. She didn't want to be fired for being a little careless.
"No Caroline, she is not my fiancé," Sesshoumaru barked out at her in a voice that caused the nurse and Kagura to both cringe. "Call in the police and have her arrested for attempted sexual abuse on a comatose individual."
The nurse tried to save her dignity and lifted a phone from the wall near the door, and called the front desk for security. She looked back over at Sesshoumaru, it was a miracle that he had awakened, and with so much energy it was amazing! She looked back at the woman shivering on the floor in fear.
"You can't do this to me," Kagura told Sesshoumaru as she gained her courage and stood on her feet to stare down at him. "You are mine. You are going to marry me, damn it."
"As if I would consider marrying a woman that would take advantage of a defenseless man," he snapped. He yanked his sheet off the bed and wrapped it around his waist; he didn't trust just wearing a gown.
He reached into his closet and pulled his pair of pants on under the sheet and then stood silently to watch as the security guards drug Kagura out of his room.
Dr. Suikotsu burst through the door, face flushed from his run from the front lobby. He had a feeling something would happen that night. He was astonished when the nurse frantically called and had his beeper beeping with the 911 representing Sesshoumaru.
He stared in astonishment at the white haired young man who glared back at him as he shrugged into sweatshirt and flung wires and tubes off of himself. "Drive me to New Orleans, now." Sesshoumaru demanded without pre-amble.
Suikotsu blinked. "New Orleans?"
He moved towards his patient and felt his forehead and his pulse in his carotid artery in the neck. Sesshoumaru allowed him, but when he continued to prod Sesshoumaru grabbed his wrist in a bone wrenching grip.
"Take me to Kagome now, or I will hold you personally responsible for that woman in here that tried to assault my defenseless body."
Suikotsu didn't know what he was talking about with that comment but he was curious about the comment about Kagome. He had just returned from spending a day with the young lady, how odd that Sesshoumaru should make such a request.
"Alright, we can leave in the morning," Suikotsu consented.
"No, we leave now." Sesshoumaru began to stalk out of the room. He would ignore the dizziness he felt at walking. He had to protect Kagome. He had no time to waste being weak. He noticed a medical student opening a bottle of water just acquired from the vending machine.
Sesshoumaru took the bottle of water and continued down towards the elevator with Suikotsu at his heels and casting the medical student an apologetic glance.
"Faster," Sesshoumaru demanded. The elevator doors shut behind him and he pushed the button for the roof.
"My car is on the ground level," Suikotsu pointed out.
"We're flying." Sesshoumaru replied simply, annoyed to be disturbed from his racing thoughts.
"I don't exactly have a personal plane up there."
"You will fly the helicopter that my father supplied the hospital four months ago."
"That's for emergencies."
Sesshoumaru fisted his hands on either side of Dr. Suikotsu's white coat and dragged him to stand nose-to-nose. "This is an emergency."