Author's Notes: I'm pleased to see that so many people seem to be enjoying this. I will note that one of Sesshoumaru's lines in this chapter was inspired by a similar line by Yuki Eiri from the series Gravitation (props to you if you know which line ^^ ) I hope you all enjoy this latest installment.

As before, all the text before the chapter title itself is from Kagura's POV.

As always- please read & review

-------------------------------------------------

There are several things a woman doesn't like to deal with right after having all her minuscule hopes in a man dashed before her eyes. In my case, my father topped that list, yet he was the one I found myself headed home towards.

I really had nowhere else to go, and Yura would be at the beauty school until late that night, so home was the only option. Needless to say, I would have been better sleeping out in the park with that squirrel.

Now I'm sure you're all thinking that I'm exaggerating the matter with my father. Well, if you're thinking that, then you're an idiot. My father is not your average parent. Oh no. He is the incarnate of evil, and I swear he's been that way since he was born. I mean, the fact he's never spoken of a mother or grandparents is suspicious enough as it is. Sure some might call that overprotective- you know, hiding things from your children for their betterment. Well damnit, I'm not a child and he needs to stop ordering me around like one.

But with the legalities he's gotten stuck on me, I'm his to control until I can figure out someway out of it. And who would have guessed that "way out" would involve me almost getting myself killed on a rainy night?

------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Call Me When You Need Me

------------------------------------------------------

Kagura trudged down the sidewalk, glaring at anyone who dared give her a second look. Her already irritable mood was smoldering with anger and the last thing she wanted to deal with was another human being. Not so lucky for her, she was headed home to face the one human she hated the most- her father.

Pulling her key from her purse, she opened the door and quietly stepped in.

"I see we've been out enjoying ourselves, Kagura…" The ominous voice intoned from the living room.

She flinched, knowing that this was coming.

A short white-haired young girl walked over to her, and in an eerie monotone voice spoke, "Kagura. Father wants to speak with you."

"Okay Kanna," She replied quietly.

With a deep breath she went into the living room, the dark décor and lack of proper lighting was something she'd grown accustomed to, but the dark figure on the couch was one she still dreaded seeing.

"Kagura. What have I told you about going out without my permission?"

Biting her tongue from saying too much, she replied, "It came up unexpectedly."

"I don't care if it did or not. You were given strict orders to come directly home after work. Where were you?" Naraku questioned standing, his intimidating glare enough to cause Kagura to step back.

"I had to meet with one of my callers." She said, hoping that if she made it seem work-related he'd let her off.

Instead, his dark gaze deepened, "A man then. I see your little scheme…and you will not get away with it." Grabbing her up forcefully by her shoulder, he leveled a deadly look, "You will always be under my control Kagura. I hold your life in my hands, and no matter what you do, whether you beg on the streets, sell your body or do anything else to get help, I will know and I will punish you for it."

Wincing as his hand constricted on her shoulder, she spat in his face, "I'd never sell my body. The only reason I have that goddamn job is because you're making me! Why the hell can't I talk to another person? I'm fucking tired of you using me like this, Naraku!"

Pushing him away from her, she stormed out of the room, past her younger sister who'd been silently watching from the doorway and out the front door.

"Fuck off, Naraku, you can't control me! I will be free." She yelled back, slamming the door behind her and running down the street as best she could in her high heels.

Finally feeling that she was a safe distance away, she paused, allowing her breath to catch up with her.

Pulling back her arm and forgetting the injury already there from earlier, she punched the tree trunk, cringing as the pain shot through her arm and up to her now bruised shoulder, "Damn him! Just fucking damn him!" She cursed, throwing a few more punches until her arm demanded no more abuse.

Biting back any tears or cries of pain, she looked to the handkerchief that had had fallen to the ground while she was taking out her frustration on the tree.

Lifting it slowly, and using it to bandage her now slightly bloodied fist, she sighed, "Why can't anything ever go right in my life? Just for once, it'd be nice..."

Cradling her right arm with her left, she began to wander down the street.

--------------------------------------------------

Kagura wasn't sure how long she'd been walking, but she decided she didn't care, "There's no way in hell I'm going back to that house tonight."

As she stormed down the street, she didn't notice the family of three headed towards her. The young girl scurried forward and paused in front of Kagura.

Her eyes narrowed, "What do you want, kid?"

The child's brown hair was pulled into a ponytail on one side and it bounced as the girl spoke, "Here. You look like you need some cheering up."

Kagura looked from the offered tattered flower to the girl and back, finally taking the gift, "Uh…thanks."

"Things will get better, Miss. That's what Mom always says."

"Now Rin, let's not disturb her any further," The black haired woman Kagura figured was the mother said sweetly, taking the child's hand.

The father had continued walking, muttering simply, "Let's go."

Blinking, the brooding young woman paused dead in her tracks. The father had long white hair pulled up in a ponytail…the same hair color as Sesshoumaru, but… that woman wasn't the one from the café and the clothes on the man were different.

Rubbing her eyes as if she'd seen a mirage, Kagura squinted as the family turned the corner a block away.

"Sure enough…he looks like Sesshoumaru, but that's not him. This one's a bit taller and his eyes are a bit different. I wonder if that's a brother."

Before her thoughts could consider the issue anymore, a loud clap of thunder announced with no uncertainty the deluge of rain that began to come down out of seemingly nowhere.

Kagura frowned, "That's just my damn luck. Figures of all days, it would be today that it would pour down rain. Ah fuck this…"

----------------------------------------------

Having finally finished his meeting with his editor, Sesshoumaru laid his manuscript in the passenger seat of his black car.

"Annoying woman. It is not her business to be inquiring about the people I choose to speak with," He thought to himself.

Walking around to his side of the car, he sat down and rubbed at his temples, "Especially when I doubt I will see her again."

Pausing, he frowned as he looked off in the direction Kagura had fled in earlier that day.

"I wonder if she'll actually be able to stand up to her father," He bowed his head in thought, "Though that matter- is not of my concern."

Glancing over to the papers sitting beside him, his frown deepened as he reflected on what Kaguya had told him earlier amidst her rambles.

"There is no emotion in this, Sesshoumaru! None! The action's great, the adventure- original, but there is no emotion and that doesn't sell. Your writing has to have a heart…" She had paused then, "But editor or not, anyone could tell you that you can't give your story heart if you're unwilling to admit you have one yourself."

Turning up the speed of his windshield wipers to ward off the rain, Sesshoumaru smirked to himself, "A heart she says. Such a pathetic romantic. Not every story is man meets woman. Man falls for woman. Man and woman live happily ever after."

Thinking back on Kaguya's insistence about a relationship between him and Kagura, he shook his head, "Especially a woman you just by chance meet. Life is no fairytale."

-------------------------------

The rain continued, steadily getting heavier and leaving Kagura soaking wet and far from any place to stand to get dry. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm despite the fact that her clothes were sticking to her and soaked all the way through.

"Damn Naraku. I wouldn't be out in the fucking rain like this if he wasn't such a bastard. I don't even know where to sleep tonight…and it figures I left my cell phone when I stormed out…"

Running a hand through her dripping hair, she approached a crossing and began across, not taking the time to even look for oncoming traffic.

"I wish I knew where Yura lived. She's been nice to me so far at work, and she seems to be okay, despite her weird quirks… Aside from her though, I really have no one else to call on."

Pausing in the middle of the street, she looked up at the rain, "What time is it anyways… Yura might still be at the beauty school…"

Before her thoughts could continue, the bright glare of a car's headlights bathed her body in its yellow glow. She turned, like an animal caught before their impending doom, unable to move and only staring at the thing that would soon impact with her body. Closing her eyes as if it was all a bad dream that she'd wake up from, she flinched as she heard the squealing of the tires.

The car swerved, water spraying all over her as it veered to the side. Skidding to a halt, the vehicle stopped completely.

Slowly peeking an eye open, and dreading seeing some ominous white light or worse, Kagura blinked herself out of her state of shock just long enough to notice a figure walking towards her in the dim night.

"If you want to commit suicide. Find another car," The voice stately bluntly.

She rubbed her arms, water still dripping down her now drenched body, and squinted against the headlights the driver had left on. "Tall, calm yet firm voice, long light colored hair…you've got to be shitting me…"

As he stood before her, all semblances of words left her thoughts- leaving the two just standing there in the pouring rain.

He laughed inwardly, "Kaguya would be laughing at me right about now…"

"Come on," He spoke, turning back towards his car.

"What?" She heard a voice she figured was her own whisper.

His eyes narrowed, "It is bad for one's health to be out in weather such as this," He muttered.

Still not registering all that was happening; the only thing that she was able to say in reply was his name.

"Sesshoumaru."

He stopped and looked to her.

"Why?"

"Why what?" The white-haired man inquired; his eyebrow quirked.

"Why are you helping me? You have a girlfriend. Won't she be upset if she knows that I…"

"Editor," Sesshoumaru's flat voice said quickly.

"What?"

"That woman was my editor."

Pausing to take in the meaning of that, Kagura began to shakily walk towards the car. Finally realizing just how soaked her clothing was and how cold it was outside.

Satisfied that she was finally listening to his request, Sesshoumaru walked over towards her and placed his long trench coat around her.

She blinked, and he answered as calm and devoid of emotion as he usually did, "I don't want the interior of my car wet."

"Well excuse me for getting water splashed all over me," She retorted, her defense systems kicking back into play.

He paused and opened the passenger door; lifting a small bundle of papers out of the seat.

Without a word more, he waited for her to seat herself then closed the door behind her, returning to the driver's side. He stopped, opened the backseat door and placed the paperwork on the seat there before opening his door and getting in.

The car started and he righted its position on the slick roads.

They drove in silence, Kagura not asking where to and Sesshoumaru not asking why she was out in the rain in the first place.

Finally, she spoke up, "I can call a friend to pick me up if you have a phone."

Not saying a thing, he handed over his cell phone.

Kagura reached into her small pocket and felt around for the slip of paper Yura had given her with her numbers on it. It was then that she frowned. The ink was smeared from the rain water and was now to the point that you couldn't even make anything out, except the first number.

"Shit."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

"The rain totally fucked up the paper I had her numbers written on."

"I see," He replied sticking a hand out to retrieve his cell phone.

The car fell silent once again, Kagura trying to wrack her brain for the other six digits to the number of her unique friend.

Turning onto a fancy driveway, the gates drew back at the push of a button as Sesshoumaru pulled into the drive and then into the garage.

Looking about, Kagura wasn't quite sure what to do since she was in his territory.

"I have some extra clothing and a shower inside." He said simply, waiting for her to get out of the car and follow him.

"And you want me to trust that you aren't going to rape me?" Kagura said glaring.

"That is up to you. Whether you trust me or not."

Knowing at this point she really didn't have any other choice, she begrudgingly got up and followed him inside.

"How in the hell did I get myself into this predicament…" Her mind questioned as she walked up the steps and into the stately home. "Then again…maybe…maybe he'll be- different than the rest."

------------------------------------------

Preview for Chapter 4:

Of all the places Kagura thought she might end up that rainy night, the house of her intriguing caller was a possibility that never crossed her mind. But can he prove he's not just another pervert when they're all alone in that big house together- for the night?