Author's Notes: Once again, many thanks to those that take the time to review. Here we go with another chapter, trying to resolve the issues we left off with last time. At first it might seem rushed, and I even thought so as well, then I realized- in this situation, to Kagura, it would seem rushed- like lots of things are happening all at once, and so I left the dialogue as it was during that scene to illustrate her feelings. (You'll probably see what I mean when you get to it)

That being said- the usual format with POV prior to the title of the chapter is still in place.

As always- please, read, review and enjoy ^^

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There are certain things a father should never inflict on his children- a champagne bottle being one of them, not that it stopped Naraku any. Given my situation, I'm sure any sane person would have been headed towards the nearest hospital or doctor's office, but I knew better. I knew the second I set foot in any legal health establishment that Naraku would waltz his way in, slap down his damned guardianship paperwork and then take me home to "nurse me back to health with his loving care." What a fucking load of bullshit that is…

Well since there was no way in hell I was going to let all this fucking pain go to waste only to be dragged back home, I somehow found myself wandering towards the café I told Yura to meet me at. Sure she's got a bitch of a landlady and two wild roommates, but I knew she wouldn't let me down given my current crappy condition.

Now of course my day was not going as planned, but the last thing that I would have ever guessed would happen- did. None other than Mr. Unemotional himself showed up at the café and I think it finally sunk in- I couldn't fight my Father alone.

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Chapter 7: Repairing Broken Wires

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Kagura stared in shock as her brain registered that the man standing behind her was indeed the real thing and not just an illusion of her shaken mind.

 "Sesshoumaru…" The ice pack she held slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground as she continued, "What…what are you doing here?"

He stooped down and picked it up, "Is it illegal for me to dine here now?"

"No…it's just that…" She paused when he pressed the cold ice back onto the bruise.

"I doubt that injury was from punching a tree."

Averting her eyes, she muttered in reply, "I just… tripped down some stairs…"

"Unlikely. So he hit you aside from bruising your shoulder?"

Kagura closed her eyes, wishing the whole situation would just go away.

"Kagura." Sesshoumaru continued, taking a chair at the table and sitting down.

"What? Damn you! I don't want to talk about it! You're the bastard who said I should just stand up to him, and look what happens to me when I just go into my own house!"

He frowned, his mind processing the situation at hand.

"Her father must be more powerful and vindictive than I first estimated."

"What the hell are you doing here anyways?!" She fumed, her bottled anger needing an outlet.

"Kaguya will be here soon."

Realizing he was there due to his editor, she quietly replied, "But it's only…"

"I meet her at 4:15 on Fridays."

The table fell silent as Kagura absorbed herself in stirring the cappuccino Nobunaga had just sat in front of her.

"A champagne bottle, I presume?" Sesshoumaru inquired after a moment.

She blinked, almost dropping her drink in shock, "How…how did you…"

He nodded in the direction of the stained and shredded dress at her feet, "The stain."

Hanging her head, she dropped her hand to the table, clenching the ice pack in her fist.

Once again, silence fell between the two but this time it was interrupted by another.

"Kagura! My god, what happened!" Yura spoke up, rushing over to her friend.

"Hey Yura," She muttered weakly in reply.

Glaring at Sesshoumaru, the spunky black-haired beautician made a fist, "If this bastard hurt you I'll scalp him, then…."

"Yura…"

"Then mount his head on a pike…"

"Yura."

"Then use his white hair to test food coloring on!"

"Yura!"

"What?"

"It wasn't him," Kagura said simply.

"So this…is Yura," Sesshoumaru remarked.

The girl stood protectively between him and Kagura, leaning forward with her hands firmly on her hips as she studied him.

"Oh my, Kagura- was this that guy that called the other day?"

"Yes."

"Aw, so he came to help you since you got hurt- that's so sweet!" She playfully bounded over and ruffled his hair.

Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow up at her, and spoke, "I'd like my hair to stay on my head."

"Well aren't we the man of the town?" Kaguya remarked as she walked up, "Two for the price of one, eh?" She paused on seeing Kagura's injures, "Sesshoumaru! I know that sometimes one wants to play rough, but don't you think that's taking it a bit far?"

He leveled her with a glare.

"It wasn't him, right Kagura?" Yura stated.

"No. He didn't do anything wrong," Kagura muttered.

"Was…it your Dad?" The short-black haired girl said, pulling over a chair and sitting beside her friend.

She nodded slightly.

"Sesshoumaru. You should attend to this lady's injuries at once," A firm voice spoke up from behind them.

Looking up, Sesshoumaru regarded him, "Father."

Kagura glanced up, and blinked. It was the same white-haired man she'd seen the other day with the young girl and the other woman.

"How progresses the novel, Kaguya?" He continued, turning to the editor.

"Well, let me see…" She walked over and picked up the paperwork Sesshoumaru had sat in front of him.

"Kagura, you want me to put in your resignation at work? If you're away from your Dad then you won't have to work there anymore," Yura said, trying to console her friend's wounded pride.

"I suppose…he'd just track me there…but I do need a job so I can get someplace to stay…"

"This is a goldmine, Sesshoumaru! You've finally got it!" Kaguya exclaimed as she read over the pages.

The writer in question just quirked an eyebrow, he hadn't done anything different than before. As for Kagura and Yura, they both turned their attention to where Kaguya and Mr. Taiyoukai stood reading over the papers.

After thoughtfully regarding the written page, the elder white-haired man turned and looked between Sesshoumaru and Kagura.

"Son."

"Father?"

"You are to take this young woman into your home. She will be taking the position of your secretary since your last one just quit."

Kagura's eyes went wide, "Excuse me?!"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows just furrowed a bit more.

"Young lady. I am uncertain as to what has caused the situation you are in, but apparently your influence on my son has enabled him to finally get his novel headed in the right direction. You said you needed a job. And from what I pick up, you also need a place to stay. Correct?"

"Well yes but…"

"It is settled. Sesshoumaru, please escort her home now and attention to her injuries."

"Father," He said standing.

The elder man raised an eyebrow.

"Where is she to stay in my home?"

"In your room, of course. We can have another room set up, but that will take some time."

Sesshoumaru frowned again, yet he respected his Father too much to disagree.

"Kagura. Let's go."

"Sesshoumaru…" She shakily stood, the whole situation seeming surreal.

Kagura turned to Yura, unsure what to do in this strange situation.

Snatching up one of Sesshoumaru's waylaid pens and a napkin, the black-haired girl scrawled down some numbers.

"That's my apartment number and the beauty school. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me," She said shoving the napkin into Kagura's hand.

"Yura…"

She braced herself on the table, her side still bleeding to some extent and the gauze not stopping it as much as it should.

"Go on, Kagura. Just give him a chance. His hair's extremely smooth….and you know what that means," She whispered to her friend.

Kagura smiled slightly, remembering Yura's vow to get a man with smooth hair because according to her- that was the best catch you could get.

It was then that Kagura felt a hand on her shoulder.

Behind her stood Sesshoumaru, his expression the same as he had held almost the entire time- calm yet with a very slight edge of something else to his usually stoic nature.

"How much is she bleeding from this? And she's been sitting here talking the entire time? Idiotic woman."

"I said- let's go," He stated slowly gathering her up into his arms, much to her dismay.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

"You expect to walk in your condition?"

"Hmph, I thought I was supposed to take care of things myself!" She retorted.

"And I thought I told you there's a difference between dependency and codependency," He replied, picking up her small bundle of belongings with his free hand.

Kagura fell silent then, her mind unwillingly bringing back up the fact he'd helped her in out of the rain the night before.

Making his way over to his car, he sat her in the passenger seat and went around to his side.

Back over at the table, Kaguya paused, "Hmm, I just noticed- this new part has different hand writing. It's much improved as well. Much more legible."

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The ride to the house was in silence- that is, until Sesshoumaru spoke up.

"I'm assuming you don't want me to take you to a hospital."

"No," Kagura replied, "He'd just find me there."

"I see."

"Why are you listening to your Father?" She asked after a moment.

"There are different types of Fathers. Mine is not like yours."

"So you're a Daddy's boy?" She mocked.

He glared, "I respect my Father. That is all."

And with that, the two fell silent again until they reached the house.

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After pulling into the garage, he went over and helped her from the car. Walking into the house, he braced her on her good side.

"The pajamas you borrowed last night should be on my bed."

"But why would I …."

"I would assume you don't want to stay in blood-stained clothing."

Kagura looked down to her side as he assisted her up the stairs, and sure enough light red stains were showing through the thin fabric.

On reaching his bedroom, he allowed her to retreat to the bathroom and once she forked over the dress, he took it to be washed.

Seeing her face in the mirror didn't make Kagura feel any better.

"I guess I'm lucky it's all from my neck and below…." She muttered wincing as her finger grazed over one of the many cuts.

Slipping the silk pajamas back on, she hugged them slightly to herself.

"It's okay Kagura. Naraku won't bother you if you're here."

"If you're changed, I would like my bathroom back," Sesshoumaru said through the door, having returned upstairs.

"Fine," She said simply, picking up a roll of gauze from the first aid kit.

"And take off your shirt," He added.

"…What?!" She screamed back, not yet opening the door.

"A secretary cannot fulfill her duties if her side has glass embedded in it."

"There is no way I am letting you help!"

"Your friend is at beauty school. Kaguya would rather I do it anyways. There are no other options."

Kagura paused, realizing what choice this left her with.

"He's all I've got now. Damn perverted bastard. Fuck it all."

Opening the bathroom door, she leveled him with a stern glare.

He quirked an eyebrow in return, "I've already seen you without clothing."

"Don't remind me," She spat, wincing as her movement pulled at her wounds. Continuing to glare, she stiffly handed over the gauze, "There."

Looking to the side, she reasoned with herself. It was this or the hospital and chances Naraku would trace her. And this was obviously a better choice.

"Sit," He said simply, indicating the bed.

Kagura made her way over and sat, cringing as the pain shot through her side.

He followed, then paused, "I can't attend to wounds I can't see."

She sighed, knowing he was addressing the shirt issue again.

"Damn him. Damn Naraku for this. And damn everything that caused this whole fucking thing!" Her thoughts ranted as she slowly undid the top button.

"Do you have to watch, pervert?" She snapped.

He frowned, yet averted his eyes anyway.

Her shaky fingers hesitantly unclasped each button until the silk shirt hung loosely by her shoulders.

"Did you forget how to undo a button?" Sesshoumaru muttered.

"Shove it! This is embarrassing!" She yelled back.

"There is nothing embarrassing about seeking assistance when you are unable to attend to it yourself."

The room fell silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"This wall isn't very interesting to look at."

"It's your house," She retorted. Then, taking a deep breath and biting her lip, she let the silk fabric slide off her shoulders, "O…okay." She said meekly, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

He turned as if it was nothing and reached over to pick up the shirt from where it laid.

Kagura opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by him and his actions.

Sesshoumaru held it out to her and simply said, "If it's that troublesome to you, then you could at least use it to cover your chest with."

Taking it from him, she clutched it against herself, her eyes searching him for answers and reasons behind his abnormal actions.

Picking up the gauze, he assessed the hasty bandaging she'd done at the café.

"I hope you can be a better secretary than you are a nurse," he remarked, beginning to unbind the blood-soaked gauze.

"Excuse me for not finding it in my spare time to go to medical school," She awaited a retort, but never got one.

Having removed all the bandages, Sesshoumaru frowned and his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"How did she manage to walk with this?"

"What?!" She snapped on seeing him studying her side.

"It's displeasing to see this is a common occurrence," He muttered, standing to retrieve a wet cloth.

Kagura blinked, "Is he…concerned? No fucking way. It's got to be something else…"

Returning, he sat beside her, "Lay down on your other side."

She nodded and obliged, noticing him moving to sit behind her on the center of the bed.

Going to clean the wounds, the cold washcloth brushed against her bare skin and Kagura flinched.

"Fuck! That's cold!"

"I don't want blood on my bed sheets," He replied and she fell silent.

Her thoughts ran wild as he tended to her wounds. They touched on all the things that had happened to her in the past, and how things were different with him around. And whether she liked it or not, they even briefly hinted that perhaps she was attracted to the "perverted bastard" that seemed to keep picking her up when her life was down. When it was all said and done, it was needless to say Kagura was finding it harder and harder to hate this man, even though- as her other thought commented, he was still a man and therefore, not to be trusted.

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Once all the shards of glass were removed from where they were lodged in the skin, he helped her sit upright, bracing her one side as he began to wrap the gauze around her.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes?"

She took a deep breath, finally speaking up, "I just… well…thank you."

His movements paused for a brief second, then he replied, "I see you finally learned some manners."

Looking up over her shoulder at him, she let a slight smile tug at the corners of her lips.

"I suppose… I did."

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Preview for Chapter 8:

Now that she's "stuck" living with the mysterious caller she'd spoken to just days before, Kagura has found herself beginning to be a little more at ease in life. But with two people not used to or not fond of company now living in the same house, and sleeping in the same room, things won't be quite as smooth as they would first seem.