Chapter Seven

Rainbow Valley Retreat Facility

Osaka, Japan

Sango sat sideways in an overstuffed chair. Her back leaned against one arm with her hair hanging loose over the arm in a cascade of brown, and her legs were dangling over the other arm. In her lap were the two folders that Kaede had been taken out earlier. She was reading the reports and print outs surrounding Onigumo and their items. Her concentration was focused completely on the files in front of her, so much so that she didn't hear the door open or notice that someone had entered. When a hand touched her shoulder, she jumped. "Miroku!" She gasped, turning to see who it was.

He grinned. "Have you learned anything new?" He moved around behind the chair and leaned over the back to see the files over her shoulder.

"That guy...Onigumo...He was a thief, found responsible for thefts dating from 1965 to about June of 1978. When he first started it was petty theft, from private homes and as he got better at it he is suspected to have stolen at least 19 pieces of expensive art and sold it on the black market as well as several jewelry heists. The police had him cornered in an abandoned building in June of 1978, but before they could get to him, he set the place on fire and supposedly died although his body was never found." She held up a print out with Onigumo's stats on it and a picture of the rubble that had been his last hideout which Miroku took and scanned over. "The police put him down as dead and called the cases closed, but a few of his possessions were found a few years later and among them were some notes explaining a way for a human to become a youkai...or at least a hanyou by allowing lesser youkai to devour his body. A few people have speculated that perhaps he was able to do that."

Miroku nodded and handed the papers back to her, picking up another, the photograph of the red eyed intruder that had bothered Kagome so much. "I can understand why that would be a concern for the police, but what would have them believing this Onigumo is the one behind these murders and thefts?"

She dug through the pile of papers and handed him another print out. "Also found among his belongings were photographs of the Shikon Pearl and the legend that talks about the joining of the artifacts."

"Good reason."

Sango closed the files and lay her head back against the thick cushion of the chair arm, looking up at him with a sigh. His hair had fallen from its short pony tail and hung around his face making him look more boyish than usual. I like him this way...with his hair down like that. He looks...innocent. Her cheeks pinkened and she was glad his attention was focused on the papers in his hands. Kagome had been right when she had accused Sango of liking Miroku as more than just a friend and she didn't deny it, but he was hardly what she considered dating material and she feared that allowing him to know that she felt that way would ruin the relationship that they already had. "What were you up to while I was working on this? Not torturing the nurses, I hope?"

His smile, when he flashed it, was charming. "Worried were you Sango-chan?" He teased. "Don't you know you're the woman in my heart?" He laughed when she tugged on his loose hair. "Kagome made sure that I didn't get anywhere near the nurses. She's been showing me around the retreat. It's actually a wonderful concept. The house is much warmer and more welcoming than the cold and sterile environment of most facilities and I think that helps the patients to feel more relaxed and focused on their recovery."

Sango nodded. "I noticed that. I noticed that Kagome really likes it here too." She sighed. "I just hope that nothing happens here...After what happened to her there must be so few places where she feels completely safe. I would hate for her to have to loose this safe haven."

Miroku nodded and, in an attempt to lighten the mood, winked, patting her knee. "You have nothing to worry about, Sango-chan. I will protect you both."

"Some how the thought of your means of protection doesn't make me feel much safer." She grinned and blushed again when she realized her hand had moved to cover his on her knee and quickly drew it away.

Inuyasha sat in the bedroom that had been assigned to him for while they were there. His usual scowling expression had only deepened to show his disgust as he dialed a number on the telephone. "Jaken, this is Inuyasha. Put my brother on the phone, now."

"Sesshomaru-san has no desire to speak with you, Inuyasha." The toad youkai sounded so stuck up it made the hanyou wish he could go through the phone line and knock off the smug look that was marring the youkai's already ugly features.

"I don't get a damn what Sesshomaru wants or doesn't want, but if you want to live to see another sunrise you'll get his ass on the phone. It concerns our father's heirlooms."

There was a pause and then a sigh. "Just a moment."

After several minutes of silence he heard a click and then his brother's monotone voice. "What is it you wish to tell me, Inuyasha?"

"I don't feel like explaining everything to you, Sesshomaru, but I thought you might like to know some bastard is after the katanas. He's stolen several artifacts over the past few years and evidence suggests he'll go after the swords next. He's murdered several people."

"You're concern for my welfare is touching, little brother."

Inuyasha growled, his had tightening on the receiver. "I don't give a damn what happens to you. The bastard could kill you for all I care, but I'll be damned if I'll let his dirty hands on father's swords. The Tetsuseiga is my inheritance."

"And it is perfectly safe locked in the same vault as my Tenseiga," Sesshomaru told him, sounding put out about having to have this conversation. "No one knows were the vault is."

"They do now. Kaede's sister was researching the swords and had some sort of connections to the insurance company that insures the katanas. She had the records with the address and everything. When he killed the wench this morning he took all her information."

There was a growl on the other end. "Where are you?"

"The retreat facility."

"Do not leave there." Sesshomaru's voice was dark and commanding. "I will be there in the morning and we will discuss the continued safety of our father's legacy." Before the young man could argue there was a click and the dial tone rang in his sensitive ears. He slammed the receiver down and punched the pillow to release his aggravation before storming out towards the deck out back. He needed fresh air and some time to think.

Unfortunately he didn't find it. Sitting in a deck chair, looking up at the stars, was the dark haired girl who'd gotten him drug into this mess in the first place. He started to turn back around and go back in, but she called to him before he could make his escape. "You don't have to leave. I just needed some time to clear my head," she said softly. "I won't talk to you, if you don't want."

He gave the back of her head a suspicious glare, but moved to sit in a chair on the other side of the deck. After a few minutes of silence, he couldn't take it any longer and finally looked over at her. "So, you were here for being a vegetable too." It wasn't so much a question as a statement.

She nodded slightly. "It's not a vegetable, Inuyasha. It's called a catatonic coma. There's a difference. I was like that for nearly four years."

"Doshite?"

She didn't speak for a long time and he began to think she wasn't going to answer, but before he could get up and leave, she turned to look at him. "I watched that monster kill my father and then come after me. I couldn't physically escape him so I mentally did." She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "I would have died that night, but Kikyo-chan stopped him and saved me. What about you? Do you mind telling me?"

Hell yes he minded. He hadn't talked about that night to anyone, not even to Kaede. To talk about it would mean he relived it, but something told him he should tell her. She had told him her story and it must have been difficult for her. But still...

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want too," she said, sensing his hesitation. "If you're scared..."

"Bitch, I ain't scared of anything." He shot her a cold glare. "I was in a car accident with my parents. My otou-san died on impact, but my okaa-chan was still alive when I woke up. She died shortly after. It was several hours before we were found. I withdrew to get away from the death. From the smell...from the sight..." He trailed off. "My brother stuck me here to get rid of me. I wanted to just die. She should have just let me, but she wouldn't. She kept on till I finally woke up. She had no right to do that."

"Kaede was trying to help you. She still could, if you'd let her."

"I don't need her help. I don't need anyone."

Kagome sighed. "Of course you don't," she muttered and stood up. "Kaede couldn't let you die. She's not that sort of person. Someday you'll understand why...and I hope that someday you will find someone who can help you realize that there is something worth living for...that there was something worth coming back for. It took four years, but someone finally was able to explain that to me and I made myself and that person a promise that I would live every day to it's fullest."

"And who was that person?"

Her eyes fell to the wood of the deck and she sighed, shrugging slightly. "I don't know, but whoever it was, I owe them my life."

A/N: This was a short chapter, but I thought there needed to be a little character interactment and development. Next chapter - Sesshomaru!

Review Comments

Yashafan1 - Thank you! I had hoped that was a good idea. Of course there's gonna be ass kicking! What would an Inuyasha fanfic be without the ass kicking:)

Eartha - Thank you!

Reiko Nayotake - blush that was a typo that I fixed on the saved version, I just haven't gotten around to uploading it to But thanks for pointing it out. If you see any other mistakes, please let me know so I can get them fixed.

Punkgoddess - Thank you! There will be some definite fluff later. Sooner between Sango and Miroku than between Inuyasha and Kagome. There's been so much depression in the fic that I think it's time to lighten up the mood with some fluff. :)

MintyFresh - What I meant was that I've seen a lot of AU fics that have Inuyasha and Kagome seeing each other across a room (or whatever) and then BAM! Instantly they're in love in the course of just a few sentences. But the anime/manga was not like that at all. There was a definite pull to one another and Kagome was sympathetic towards him and was reserved to the fact that she'd have to work with him, but Inuyasha couldn't stand her. Not at first. He was only using her as a means to an end for a while. It took a bit for the feelings to actually begin to bloom to friendship...I think it really started to show up after the first time she saw him as a human and she cried for him when the spider youkai poisoned him. My fic's gonna be kinda like that. There'll be a pull, but it'll be a bit before they actually realize that it's more than just this situation that's connecting them. As for Sesshomaru...He'll be around soon. I mean, he is the one that's in possession of the katana's at the moment and since Onigumo's gonna be after them too...Inu-kun might not like his brother, but he doesn't want his katana stolen either. :)