A/N: Not much to say except I love you guys for all the reviews you've been bestowing on me ~__^ and that as usual, it's all your positive comments that keep me on the move…even if the moving is getting a bit slower than usual…luckily though, I should have some time to write this week…now all the matters is being able to steal the computer out from under my brother's nose…
Well, hope you enjoy the chapter! And don't expect all chapters to be this long…this one kind of went for a bit longer than I thought it would…* grins sheepishly *
~^~^~^~
Chapter 12: Road Trip
~^~^~^~
"Look! There's a sign! Turn left! LEFT!"
"Alright, alright! I'm turning left. Why didn't you say something when we passed the last gas station?"
"Because that jerk back there was too busy complaining about the trip, and I didn't want to interrupt his rant," Sango replied, gritting her teeth against the sudden call of nature that usually followed after a heavy coffee drinking session.
"Just having you be here is an interruption," Inuyasha snarled from the back seat. But he made no move to pry his eyes away from the moving scenery outside, for there was one little problem with his current position.
As a hanyou--and a dog hanyou no less--he was used to sitting up at the front, preferably with a window or two open, and watching the road ahead. After all, dogs liked that feeling of running when they were in the car, or so someone stupid had said.
Well right now, sitting in the back seat with the heat way beyond any normal human temperature and the awful, sickly smell of leather teasing his nostrils, he wasn't feeling too great.
In fact, his stomach was flipping and flopping like a flapjack thrown around on a stove. And the apple he had pilfered from Kagome's apartment wasn't sitting too well either.
But there was no way in hell he would even begin to think about asking that assassin to switch seats. So he kept quiet, secretly hoping that the car would stop before his lunch came up to say hello.
After what seemed like an eternity for two very desperate people, Miroku finally pulled his SUV into a small gas station. Like lightning, Sango was flying out the door and past a bewildered bunch of garage attendants who seemed to be torn between continuing their job or staring at her ass.
"I just need to catch a breath of fresh air," Inuyasha said quickly, and leapt out of the car as fast as he could.
Gasping in the cold air, the hanyou closed his eyes as he tried to make sure his stomach settled back into its normal space. Of all the damn cars that man owned, why did he have to take this one?
"Hey, you okay?"
"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to sneak up on me?" Inuyasha yelled, too involved in calming his system down to notice that Miroku had followed him outside.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're pretty damn mean when you're grumpy?"
"All the time."
Miroku studied the hanyou's ashen face, and it suddenly dawned on him that Inuyasha hadn't been so quiet in the car because he was sulking.
The greenish tinge around his cheeks clued the young business man into what the true problem was.
"Wow, you don't look so hot there, Inuyasha. Maybe you need some time up in the front seat," Miroku suggested, then as an afterthought, added, "I didn't know hanyous got car sick."
"I'm not carsick. I'm just not feeling too well."
Miroku would have rolled his eyes, but seeing his friend looking so under the weather stopped him from arguing. Instead, he opted for a safer route.
"So do you want me to tell you the plan now, or later?"
Inuyasha shrugged, trying to absorb as much of the cold breeze as he possibly could. The outdoors seemed to be working though. That, and the ground wasn't moving at over 100 kilometres per hour beneath him.
"I've already got a pretty good idea."
"Oh?" Miroku arched a brow. "And where did this brilliant idea come from?"
"From the direction we're heading. It doesn't take a genius to know we're on our way up north." Inuyasha opened his eyes as his system slowly regained its normal state of movement. "What a better place to hide than in your half-finished resort."
"It was the only thing I could think of, short of jumping a boat and sailing to Australia," Miroku said, wishing that the hanyou would get his senses straight so they could back inside the nice cozy car. The winter winds were particularly bitter today and even his heavy ski jacket couldn't protect his sensitive skin.
"Besides, as far as anyone knows, the resort still isn't habitable so it will take your brother some time to figure out where we are."
Inuyasha stared in confusion at his friend. "Last time I heard, your work crew had only just started putting up the walls. Where are we going to stay? The caves underneath the place?"
"Does anybody ever have any faith in me?" Miroku asked to no one in particular. "Look, I'm not that stupid. I had one of the cottages built before the workers even set the foundation. It's equipped with everything we need, and the hot springs area has just been finished, according to my latest report. Think of this as a holiday at your own private getaway."
"Surrounded by workmen in hardhats, cranes, and radios tuned into really bad country music."
Miroku finally rolled his eyes at the cynicism, and decided that the scenery of snow-covered trees and cloudy skies would prove to much more interesting than trying to cheer up the nauseous hanyou. If only the feeling would come back into his fingers, then everything would be just peachy.
Inuyasha--too busy keeping his balance to admire the scenery--had to admit that getting away from Tokyo was a smart idea, despite the sarcasm that tainted his words and his lack of faith in ever being able to find somewhere that was completely safe. Up north, they were hidden away from constant prying eyes, and there wouldn't be the burning worry of having Sesshomaru on their backs just yet.
Hell, getting away from Tokyo would be good for everyone, including the still sleeping veterinarian that was currently sprawled across a good part of the back seat.
Kaede hadn't seemed to surprised when Inuyasha had called the vet in sick for the next little while. In fact, she had told him to keep Kagome away from the city at all costs. As she began rambling on about what she'd do and who she'd call to cover Kagome's workload, Inuyasha realized that the old woman truly cared for the young veterinarian.
It must be nice to have friends who fuss over you like that, Inuyasha began to think before he squashed the self-pity. It was probably the passing nausea that made him feel so remorseful. What else could it be?
"What's taking that woman so long?" Inuyasha demanded, the irritation of feeling sick and having to wait for someone he didn't like adding up into one big ball of his usual hostility.
Miroku could only shrug, switching his concentration away from the fascinating scene of trees. "Bathrooms and women kind of go hand in hand. I'm still looking for one that doesn't spend a good half hour in there. Speaking of which," He continued, hoping that he was bringing up the certain question at a good time. If Inuyasha had gotten back his strength by now, then this certain young man was quite literally screwed. Well, there was nothing like living dangerously. " What's up with your sudden interest in a certain black-haired, female friend of mine?"
It took Inuyasha a moment to get the gist of what his pervert of a friend was trying to say. When it dawned on him, all nausea was forgotten as he took it upon himself to thoroughly prove Miroku had no idea what he was talking about.
"What the hell does that mean, you PEVERT?!?!?!?! She's human, and if you haven't forgotten, she happens to be a veterinarian that YOU hired to help ME. It's not like there's anything there to like about her anyhow! She's annoying, stubborn, opinionated, bitter, sarcastic, dim-witted--"
"--With a gigantic headache which isn't going away because of your DUMB YELLING!"
Miroku could only lean against the car, a smirk clearly painted across his beaming face as Inuyasha jumped at least three feet in the air, before whirling around to glare at Kagome's protruding head. Ah the sweet smell of success…
Mentally, the half-demon was chiding himself rather angrily. This was the second time already that he had been snuck up on. He better not make that habit, or he'd become a disgrace to all hanyous everywhere, let alone to any sensible dog that wasn't deaf.
"I forgot to mention that she has the BIGGEST damn EARS in the whole freaking world!" He yelled , hoping the anger would cover his absolute surprise at seeing her face peering through the vacant space where once a window had been.
"They don't have to be that big to hear you screaming from two feet away!" Kagome yelled back, trying in vain to brush her dishevelled hair away from her face as the winter wind had other ideas.
It didn't help matters that her head was pounding like crazy, or the fact she was quite thoroughly and completely disoriented. As it was, she couldn't quite understand what she was doing in car in the first place. Shouldn't she be somewhere else…?
"I WASN'T YELLING!"
"AND I'M NOT BITTER OR STUBBORN OR OPINIONAT--"
"Will you both shove it?!" Miroku finally intervened, the humour having left the situation as he noticed that the argument was catching the attention of some of the other people occupying the gas station. "If either of you screamed any louder, you really would wake the dead! And if you don't mind, we're trying to keep a low profile here, and having you two go at each other's throats at the top of your lungs won't help the situation."
Kagome's mouth twisted into a pout as she realized that her friend was right. Still, it didn't stop her from glaring daggers at the equally sulking hanyou outside. How dare he say those things about her, especially after all she'd done to make sure he kept his hide safe and sound?
Bastard, she thought passionately, still trying to blink away the mind-numbing fog that encompassed her dizzy mind, no good, dumb bastard.
Miroku paused, waiting for another flurry of insults. When they didn't come, he smiled, and let his ears be soothed by the gentle sound of the wind and cars on the highway. Who knew Kagome could hit such high pitches?
Shaking his head, he noticed with relief a familiar figure weaving around the stunned garage attendants--who no doubt caught at least half of the argument from their position--and in her arms she carried salvation.
"Hey, what was all that yelling about?" Sango asked as she approached the car, an eyebrow raised and suspicion residing in her dark eyes.
Inuyasha simply looked away, but Kagome eyed her carefully, and the bags she had clasped under one arm. Wait a minute, what was a gas station doing here? The veterinarian thought, trying to blink away the dizziness that was threatening to overtake her mind.
"Just two of our companions venting a little steam. Please tell me you have food, please," Miroku pleaded as he approached her. His stomach was growling even as she jangled the bags in front of her.
Men could be such simple creatures sometimes, Sango thought, taking in the dark-haired man's pitiful expression as it rested on the bulging bags. If possible, he looked a little more worn out than when she had left the car.
No doubt the two sulking people that were currently remaining eerily quiet had something to do with it.
Well, she might as well cheer him up somehow. There was still a lot of driving ahead, and there was no way she was volunteering for driving duty in this winter weather with that much of an expensive car in her charge.
"What if I told you that I have food, plus drinks, and that there should be enough to last us the rest of the car trip?"
"I would say you're the most wonderful, amazing angel and that I think I've died and gone to heaven."
Sango rolled her eyes at his cheesy line--no doubt salvaged from some pick-up line book for men--and handed over the bags.
"Then I hope you enjoy the afterlife, because this is your last meal."
On an impulse created out of sheer joy at the prospect of actually having a something other than complimentary mints in his empty stomach--and at the oddly bright face of the beautiful woman before him--Miroku landed a quick kiss on her cheek.
"You are an angel," He murmured just loud enough for her ears only, then turned to the other two. "Alright, my little henchmen. Everyone back in the car, its time we were on our way."
Inuyasha had seen the interaction between the two, and he began to feel the nausea setting back in, this time stemming from an entirely different source. Damn hentai, always found a way of working over even the most stubborn of women. Was there anyone who wouldn't be swayed by his charms? Or, more importantly, was there anyone woman considered off-limits to his wandering hands?
As if on cue, Kagome's voice could suddenly be heard echoing halfway across the gas station. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, she happened to be right next to him.
"Wait just a minute…WHERE THE HELL ARE WE??? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME MIROKU?! WHERE'S MY APARTMENT?"
Obviously, Kagome had just gotten her bearings…either that or the light bulb in her head had finally been replaced with a much brighter one.
"You just realized this?" Inuyasha snorted, watching her nearly twitching facial expression redden even more.
"I guess I was too distracted by the JERK BLOCKING MY VIEW!"
"That's it! I'm not sitting in the back with her any longer!"
Miroku and Sango sighed together as they exchanged a look. The last thing the assassin wanted to do was give in to the obstinate 'half-breed', and Miroku was just as desperate for her to do that very thing.
But this was a dire situation, and frankly, they were hardly far enough from Tokyo to consider the distance safe. And if giving in just this once would move the trip along faster--as well as shut them up--then perhaps it was another sacrifice she would have to make.
"Fine, I'll go in the back."
Miroku mouthed the word 'angel' as Sango glanced at him one more time before entering the back seat. She hoped he got the message that now the man owed her a lot more than just a pay cheque if she had to deal with these kinds of situations.
She also hoped that he hadn't caught the blush on her face, nor the stray hand that reached up to touch her tingling cheek. Ever since his hand had mysteriously ended up on her backside, Sango had been extremely cautious about any movement he made.
Well, assassin or no, she sure hadn't seen that certain move coming. And heck, if it didn't make her blush even more.
The strange new feelings arising in the assassin's thoughts and body were soon squashed as Kagome struggled with her seatbelt, limbs flailing in all directions.
"Let me out of here NOW!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Miroku replied calmly, gripping the steering wheel in fists of iron as he tried to keep from slapping a gag over her mouth, "If you keep quiet for a little while longer, I promise with all my dearly devoted heart to tell you everything. Only if you give me a chance to get us onto the highway safely though."
He heard a grunt, felt a solid thump against the back of his chair, then nothing but pure and blessed silence. Thanking the Gods, he rolled up Kagome's window from his own little set of controls, and put it onto lock mode to stop the world from hearing anything else. It really was in vain though, since anyone within ten miles of the car would have heard the argument anyhow and would no doubt remember it for a little while to come.
Oh well, better be safe than sorry. And that included flipping the magic switch at his hand, the "Child Safety Lock", to the 'On' position.
That would stop anyone from getting bright ideas about escaping.
And it would keep the entire group together for at least a little while. Hopefully, the next four hours in extremely close quarters would pay off, and that they would all be able to reconcile their differences and get along.
Ha.
Like that was possible.
Heck, this was a problem even the great Miroku couldn't solve.
Sneaking a look in the rear view mirror, he noticed Kagome had stopped struggling with her seatbelt and was slouched against the seat, eyes narrowed as she stared out of the window. Sango, on the other hand, was busy digging through the bags and Miroku once again felt the joyful swell of his heart at seeing her being so understanding.
At least he had a partner in crime. Someone with enough brains and brawn to keep at least one of these delinquents in check.
Out of nowhere, Kirara gave a soft mew from her hiding spot in the trunk, as if alerting everyone to her long forgotten presence.
Of course, only Sango really took notice and she passed the cat something that looked suspiciously like a toy mouse. But he noticed Kagome's eyes trail behind quickly, and then the barest hint of a smile appear on her lips as the demon cat commenced batting the toy around.
Smiling to himself at the slow success of his plan, Miroku glanced over at the hanyou, who's golden eyes were intent on the road ahead. Poor guy. First he lost his parents, then got hunted down by his suddenly psychotic brother.
Now he was falling fast--and hard--for a human.
Staring out at the road ahead, Miroku's smile grew.
Just wait until he finds it all out for himself. That's when the sparks will really fly.
~^~^~^~
"So you kidnapped me."
"For the last time Kagome, we didn't want to do it. We were desperate to get away, and you weren't exactly being the most cooperative person."
"That's no reason to kidnap me."
"Look," Sango butted in, a gummy bear midway to her mouth. "Nothing was meant to go the way it did. But it happened, so let's just accept it and move on."
"But you drugged me," Kagome stated once again. She would have looked every inched the pissed off woman she was if Kirara wasn't conveniently nestled under her arm and currently getting a good scratch. To Sango's eyes, she looked like someone who was carrying a load on her shoulders and didn't know what to do about it.
"They were just harmless sleeping drugs," Miroku explained helplessly. He wanted to flash his melting smile in hopes of winning her over, but the sudden blizzard that had overtaken the road was making sure he wasn't able to concentrate on anything else. So he had to rely on his tone of voice instead. "It's not like we clubbed you over the head or anything."
Way to go, Miroku, Sango thought with a frustrated sigh as Kagome's mouth thinned into a straight line. For a man who seemed to know every pick-up line off by heart, he certainly wasn't too literate in the everyday conversation area.
"Oh no, it's not like that. All you did was toss me into a strange car and cart me off to some strange highway. But none of that matters, because what you did was harmless, right?"
Sango winced inwardly at the sarcasm and anger that poisoned the words. Maybe Miroku should take a few conversational lessons from her. She seemed to have a good grasp of getting the point across.
At least Inuyasha had been keeping his mouth shut during the entire discussion. Heaven knew what kind of comment he could make to screw everything up. Instead, he seemed quite content to stare out of the windshield, and Sango--although she couldn't see his face--had a sneaky suspicion the hanyou had dozed off sometime back.
She took a quick glance at her watch, and blinked wearily. There was still three more hours to go, and they hadn't managed to ease Kagome past the fact she had been drugged.
So much for a quick nap…
"Kagome, please just hear me out. I know that I shouldn't have done what I did, and I know I should've filled you in on what was going on before it got this screwed up, but please understand that I thought it was best if you weren't too involved." Miroku risked a quick look back at the veterinarian, and realized his words weren't hitting home.
In fact, Kagome's eyes--usually so bright and perky--seemed as cold as the weather outside, and just as dangerous.
"Did you ever stop to think that I'm a big enough girl to take care of myself? Or maybe that by not telling me anything, I could have been in worse trouble than I already am?" Kagome demanded, trying hard not to scream her bloody lungs out. She knew Miroku was always protective of her, but why did he have to be so stupid about it now?
The tired woman sighed, running her fingers over the silky fur of the cat on her lap. Her head hurt too much to keep up the charade of being coherent, and the last thing she needed to do was lose this particular argument. "You know what, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Just give me a decent, unedited, adult version of the story behind this mess, and I'll be able to rest."
Miroku and Sango let out a collective breath, but only Sango seemed to notice that Kagome's tone of voice had changed to become one of a woman beaten down by time and fate.
There was a tug at her heart, and Sango had no time to stop it. Geez, she'd barely spent a day in the company of these people, and all ready she was feeling for them.
It was the new line of work, Sango supposed. Usually her job didn't require her to hang around people, or get to know them for that matter. Frankly, she'd had more interaction with humans in the last few hours than she had had in…well, quite a long time.
And she was still trying to decide if it was a good thing or not.
"Alright then, once upon a time, in a faraway land--"
"I said adult version, Miroku," Kagome warned, wondering just how many Disney movies the man secretly watched. He certainly had an aptitude for sounding like he just walked out of some children's book. Well, at least when he wasn't being a hentai…
"Don't worry, this is the adult version, though there isn't any nudity or anything. Now where was I? Oh yeah, in a faraway land there was a business conference on hotel management, and I was attending it in place of my soon-to-be ex-boss. So here I was, hanging around the coffee bar, bored out of my mind, when suddenly I find myself blocking the way of a certain silver-haired, dog-eared dude."
"Inuyasha was at a conference? On work?" Kagome asked incredulously, unknown to her that she had just voiced Sango's thoughts exactly.
Miroku nodded, eyes carefully watching the car in front. Apparently, the driver seemed to have issues with driving on icy roads. Or, for that matter, with his steering.
"Yep, a boring business conference, and I can tell you neither of us were happy about being there. I started moaning about the upcoming speaker; he--being the talkative guy he is--started to agree with me in his usual monosyllabic tone, and before you know it we were going out for drinks at the local tavern nearby."
"Meaning you skipped the dull lecture for drinking and women."
It was the first smile she had seen on Kagome's face, and Sango couldn't help but feel a little joy at the fact it was directed at her. She'd never been too successful as one of those typical, cookie-cutter "girlfriends" who participated in frequent gossip and makeovers, and her childhood friends had consisted mainly of the other youkai assassins in training.
It also happened to consist of entirely young men, a fact that had thrown Sango's feminine side into oblivion.
Perhaps this little trip could help change that. Kagome seemed different from other women she had met, even though the assassin wondered if her impression was clouded thanks to the strange circumstances under which they had met.
Oh well, Miroku had made it clear he was very good friends with Kagome, and Sango wondered if maybe she might be able to come to terms with all these new feelings if she figured that certain pervert out first. And Kagome's opinions would be the perfect place to start digging for information.
The pervert in question was busy torn between laughing, or simply acknowledging the truth of Sango's statement. But he knew Kagome, and she knew him even better. He also suspected that Sango had gotten a good grasp of his nature thanks to his far too friendly hands, so she wouldn't fall for some lame excuse either.
He settled, instead, for the usual offhand comment of, "Maybe."
"But that's not the point. What I'm trying to get at is how Inuyasha and I got to be involved in this mess."
"So Sesshomaru's after you too?" Sango asked suddenly, "He never mentioned anything about you except that you were disposable."
"Who's Sesshomaru?" Kagome piped up, now utterly confused. She had gotten little to no information on anything prior to this story telling session, except that the woman, Sango, was a bodyguard that Miroku had hired, and that Inuyasha was part of a very wealthy family.
Obviously, the steady pounding at her temples wasn't doing any good to her concentration. Apparently even extra strength Tylenol couldn't fight the effects of being drugged.
"Just let me finish the story, and all your questions will be answered," Miroku retorted. "So anyway, Inuyasha and I were having a good time when he suddenly blurted out that his father had died. He then managed to tell me--which was quite a feat considering the number of shots he had taken--that his father had most likely left the family business entirely to his brother, so he was out of work."
Kagome couldn't help but wonder what a drunken Inuyasha must be like, and had to cover her smile that slowly appeared on her face. If he was anything like Miroku--who's pickup lines, if possible, got worse the more alcohol he downed--then it certainly would be something to see.
"That was when I, being nearly as intoxicated, suggested he drop in a resume with my boss. At the time, the hotel was just getting on its feet, and the more experienced people were busy with their own work and their extremely high salaries. My boss was pretty desperate to hire someone that actually knew what he or she was doing."
"Inuyasha works for you?" Kagome asked with surprise, arching a brow. The hanyou hardly seemed like the type to be subservient to anyone, let alone someone like Miroku.
"Not exactly. He did some odd jobs around the Silver Fan while his father's will was being reviewed, but nothing too serious. Of course, things are always around the corner waiting to surprise someone, and it wasn't too long before my boss was off pursuing the dream of selling faulty windsurfing boards to tourists. So here I was, all alone and suddenly in charge of one of the more promising hotels to grace the downtown core of Tokyo. And Inuyasha, with all his hotel background, looked like a good person to help out with the workload."
"So you're business partners then."
Miroku nodded in an answer to Sango's question. "In a sense. It would have been official if it hadn't been for a slight hitch in our plans."
"Sesshomaru."
At Sango's statement, Miroku suddenly noticed the a gentle flick of a certain pair of dog ears belonging to the head that was taking up the passenger seat. So Inuyasha was awake. The little scoundrel thought he could get away with eavesdropping too.
Well this would prove to be interesting, if Miroku had any say in it.
"I ask again, who is this Sesshomaru?"
The sound of Kagome's voice jolted him out of his malicious plotting, and the young business man managed to regain control of his thoughts and of the car in one swift moment.
"Inuyasha's brother. And obviously a psychopath judging by his most recent actions."
Okay, now Kagome really was confused, especially as to what Inuyasha had done in order to spur such actions from his brother of all people. "Inuyasha's being hunted, along with the rest of us, all because his brother has some personal sibling vendetta against him?"
Miroku shrugged. "See, that's where you're guess is as good as mine. None of us, not even dog boy himself knows what's going on and why Sesshomaru is on our tail."
He hid a smile as the wandering ears of 'dog boy' himself suddenly perked upright. The movements were subtle enough that the girls wouldn't notice it from their position, but Miroku was close enough to grasp that the hanyou himself hadn't been to pleased by that last comment.
Well that's what you get for sneaking around where your nose need not be.
It felt like the Tylenol that she'd taken was kicking in finally. Either that, or Miroku's drugs were just starting wear off. Whatever it was, Kagome felt like some of the fog in her brain start to clear away as pieces of the messed up puzzle were being put into place.
"So you're telling me that because of some homicidal sibling we're all in mortal danger. A fact which prompted you not only to get me involved accidentally, but also to drug me--"
"--among others," Sango added quickly.
"--then toss me into your car, practically bound to the seat--"
"It's just a stubborn seatbelt, Kagome my dear, not chains and locks."
Kagome's eyes narrowed onto the back of Miroku's head, wishing a hole would start burning its way through the oxygen that no doubt occupied most of his skull.
"--dragging me away from all my responsibilities and patients, some who are really sick and need me to be there at all times, keeping me locked in this damned car as we drive to some godforsaken place that probably isn't even on the map?!"
"Have you taken a breath yet?" Miroku finally asked, as Kagome's voice trailed off.
"I don't need a breath, I need to go home."
The infamous stubbornness that Dr. Higurashi had become renowned for was clearly evident, and for an instant, Miroku almost wished she'd managed to stay asleep for the car ride. He swore that the beginnings of a headache were on the horizon.
Just once in his life he wished that everything would go the way he wanted it to.
Then again, life was a lot more fun without plans, without any set agendas, and without the predictability that came tagging along.
Still, his definition of fun dealt more with nights of partying, strip poker, and a full keg. Not driving a carload of people who all seemed to detest at least one other person in the car.
Rolling his eyes to the high heavens, Miroku prayed that he'd make it to the resort in one piece. At least then he could set them free in the mountains, where there was enough space to let them breathe without having to worry about leaving their back vulnerable to the usual assassins.
"I don't know what else I can say, Kagome, except that as your friend, I was just doing what I thought was right. Believe me when I say that I felt bad enough getting you into even parts of this whole situation, and now that you're pretty much in as deep as the rest of us, I feel even worse. Just understand that I never meant for you to get hurt. I would never do that to a friend, especially someone like you."
Kagome's mouth froze in place around the argument she thought was coming. She had known Miroku had a certain way with words when he tried, but never before had he really used them on her. What made it even more shocking was the sincerity she had heard trailing each word.
All of a sudden, she felt a little bad about being so cranky. Though, granted, she definitely had her reasons, maybe she could have been a little less on the bitter side. After all, they had been friends for so long, and no matter how underhanded his little kidnapping attempt had been, it was for the right reasons--however skewed those reasons may be.
Feeling a little less defensive, Kagome finally let herself relax against the leather seat. There was a time to be mad, and there was a time when being mad wouldn't do any good.
Now, it was a time to be accepting so that everyone could move on, and maybe even catch up on some sleep.
When she spoke, her voice had softened and the anger that was once present seemed to have dissipated temporarily. Suddenly the car seemed to be less of a war zone than it had been moments ago.
Even Inuyasha's ears had stopped swivelling as if they sensed the danger was passing and all was safe to return to unprotected slumber.
"Look, Miroku. I'm not letting you off the hook for what you did, but I think I'll be able to understand why you did it eventually. But you can't expect me to leave behind my practice and completely forget about it. I'll need to at least get some papers from Kaede, and I have to submit a report to the Humane Society about a recent patient of mine."
"No need to worry about that. There's a decent fax machine, as well as internet service where we're going. And neither of them can be traced," Miroku added, the relief that the fighting was over clearly evident in his voice. "Ergo, Sesshomaru will have a hard time tracking us even if he decides to keep an eye on your employees."
"He wouldn't hurt Kaede, would he?" Kagome asked suddenly, realization of the danger her assisstant and friend might be in hitting her hard. If the old woman was ever hurt because of Kagome's involvement, she wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself. Even the thought of Kaede being surveyed rocked Kagome to the core.
When Miroku didn't seem to take on the question, Sango decided she should finally step up. She had more experience in dealing with Sesshomaru's cold-hearted approach to things than the other two humans, so at least she would be able to give a decent enough answer.
"He might, he might not. But if she really has no knowledge of the situation, then she should be safe enough. He only seems to find those who have been in direct contact with his brother disposable."
Kagome glanced at the other woman, wondering how she seemed to know Sesshomaru's nature so well. Or how she had gotten in his way at all, especially if she was only a bodyguard. Maybe she was someone Miroku had hired to protect Inuyasha before…
Oh well, there would be enough time for questions like that later on. Right now she needed to digest everything that had been thrown at her so far, and talking would only be a distraction.
There was a soft tap on her shoulder, and Kagome glanced over warily, hoping that nothing else was going to be tossed to her.
Instead, she found a sweet smelling plastic bag held out to her, and Sango looking at her with a reserved, but almost friendly grin.
"Gummi bear?"
Despite the heaviness in her eyelids and head, despite the worry and anguish and pain and anger that was broiling in her body, Kagome found herself tentatively smiling back. If nothing else, at least she might find a new friend in the mysterious woman next to her.
And sometimes knowing that you really weren't alone in the situation was the greatest remedy one could ask for.
Well, of course, second to the good old fashioned cure of sugar.
Reaching into the bag, Kagome withdrew a particularly mottled looking bear, and proceeded to start on the road to recovery.
~^~^~^~
Chapter 13 will be coming up soon…I hope…