OK I havent received a single reveiw! Im pretty dissapointed.

I was hoping this story would have done better then my last one... but Im going to finish this one before I write another story.Besides I have a wondeful editor named Jaimie! YAY FOR JAIMIE WHO IS HELPING ME EVER SO MUCH! Oh and a djinny is like a genie but in my story its like a half demon with demon powers... well on with the story:

Chapter 3- Keades Startling Question

Anger carried Kagome all the home. She didnt have the remotest idea how she was going to manange this assignment. Sweat licked at every inch of her skinas she trudged the final blocks from the bus stop to her apartment. May in Japan was the head of the beast, hot and humid with air almost too thick to breathe. The heat sapped the anger from her, leaving only questions and problems: Hounshi, stage fright, and flair. As she collected her mail, she waved to Sango Honto, her neighbor around the corner, who was pushing a shaded stroller. Now, there was a women for whom flair was innate--her long dark hair was glossy, and the pink of her shirt set off to perfection the turquoise in her necklace. Sweat wasnt part of her vocabulary.

"Hi Sango" Kagome called. "How is the plant business?"

Sango stopped. "Hello. The plant business does well, and thank you for watching Kenichi last week when I was called away. He was quite fussy, from what Miroku told me." "He was fine. Arsenic hour isnt the best time for any baby."

Sango drew back horrified. "Arsenic? Is that not a poison?"

Kagome kept forgetting modern Japanese wasnt Sango's native language, although she never had found out exactly where Sango was from. " I just meant he's colicky this time of day. Cranky"

"Ah yes, cranky. That he is." There was obvious love in her tone as she looked down at the stroller.

"Walking helps." Kagome peeked into the stroller to see the drowsy chubby, cheeked boy. His hair was as fair as his fathers but his skin held his mothers natural tan. "He's such a cutie."

Just then Kenichi opened his eyes and began to cry. Sango crooned to him in a foreign language, but the child refused to quiet. "I am sorry" she said, appearing flustered for the first time since Kagome had met her. "It is walking or his fathers voice that soothes him at this time of day. And Miroku should be home soon."

"Please dont let me stop you." Sango nodded, and a moment later she, the stroller and the calming baby rounded the corner and dissapeared from veiw.

Kagome unlocked her door. She liked her tiny apartment, one of six stragegically placed amidst palms, hisbiscus, and azaleas. It was close to the Magazine Street bus lines, and they let her keep her two cats. Boyu (or something like that) and Kirara. Inside was much cooler then out, she threw down the copies of Vouge, Elle and Kawaii she picked up, then stooped to pet the cats twining about her legs.

"Do you fellas think I can be sophisticated and vouge with a touch of flair?"

The cats purred an encourageing answer. Or maybe they just purred a "we want dinner"

Catching a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror as she rose, she tired to see what Kamashimi was talking about. Eyes an indeterminate color, black hair. She shooked her hair out of its knot. Healthy sheen, okay length although it needed a trim. Her daily exercise regimen kept er toned and an erect postur had been drilled into her since she was five. The rest though...Neat brown suit and emerald blouse. At least it didnt have a bow at the neck. Servicable some people called such an outfit. She preferred the term classic, and there was nothing wrong with brown. Brown was the color of chocolate, after all. She liked chocolate; she liked clasic; she liked grace and elegance. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, looking with a fresh veiw, and her lips pressed together.Who was she fooling? PAntyhose, buttons,polyester,and shoulder pads.Classic and chocolate? Admit it, she'd turned into brown and serviceable. Kamashimi might be a bastared, but he was an accurate one.

This was not who she'd once envisioned herself to be. Suddenly, anger reared again. Anger at herself and what she allowed to happen over the years.

With a jerk she tore off the jacket and unfastened her blouse, sending a button popping to the floor. Her skirt followed her blouse to the floor. Kick off the sensible shoes. Strip off the panty hose. Down to bra and panties.

Her arms poised and her muscles flexed. The ingrained memory of countless phrases of music and movement drove her. Glid left, chasse right. Toe pointed. Arm held to a perfect ninety degrees. Keep the form. Comfort came with mechanics. No! Dont look in the mirror! She squeezed her eyes shut, erasing the reflection of souless technique. Back bends. Pirouettes, five wild spins. A sketch of dance. Form and virtuosity dont matter. Just feel. Feel.

Familiar panic beat inside her like the quick flutter of feet in a petit battement. Her muscles cramped in refusal, sending a shot of pain down her leg. A sob rose in her throat. Sweating and panting. she dropped to the floor and braced her fists against the hard tile.

She couldnt do it. Couldnt soar. When had she lost all pleaure in dance? When her breath and heartbeat slowed, when her tears dried, she pushed to her feet, and once again studied herself in the mirror, seeing the flushed cheeks and tousled hair. Better. She finger combed back the loose strands but left them down.

She'd turned her back on those dreams, first out of cruel necessity and then by choice. She didnt want to be drawn back into Hounshi's world of performance. That world hurt too much.

her shoulders drooped. She'd put on a bravado to Kamashimi, but the truth was finding her stepfathers and getting him to agree to a no-holds barred interveiw was a big problem as the debilitating stange fright she battled. Finding a little style paled in comparison. After a quick shower and changing into shorts, Kagome sorted through her collected mail--bills, advertisments and flyers, a lettr from her rental company. She slitopen the letter and read it then let it flutter down. What else could go wrong? They were rasing her rates when her lease expired next month.

The apartment was expensive before; this made it astronomical.

If she lost this job... Add find a cheaper apartment to the to-do list. And soon. Relocating her mother wasnt an option. Familar surroundings where the only reference point her mother had, the only thing that kept her from losing touch entirly with the real world.

The doorbell rang. When she opeed it she found her friend Sakura waiting. MY day for women with flair, Kagome thought with a grin. Whereas Sango was graceful and elegant, Sakura was a shag haired brunette, with a knack for combining odd bits of clothing into a avant garde style that somehow worked when she wore it. Today meant 40's pencil skirt, a lacy top, and a loose silky jacket.

Sakura exchanged hugs then shooks her head a Kagome's offer for a drink. "My boss want to see me abot a story I'm working on. I just wanted to see how you were"

"I'm fine."

"What happened at the press conference? You looked as gray as spanish moss."

Best get the explantations over fast. Sakura looked airy,but on the trial for infor she was as unstoppable as an avalanche. "Iv'e got a phobia about public speaking."

"You? I never knew that! You never said anything before."

"Off the podium I'm fine-and I'll bet you have some fears you dont blab about."

For a moment Sakura's jaw tightened, making Kagome wonder what secrets her friend hid from her.But as quick as it came, the expression vanished, replaced by an easy grin. "Then I'd better change my plan to rope you in as auctioneer for the One Night Out fund-raiser," Sakura said.

Not even for the battered- womens shelter where they both volunteered would Kagome do that. "Put me down to handle ticket sales." She hesitated, then asked, "Sakura you investigate stories. How would you find someone who didnt want to be found."

"Follow the money. Charge cards, purchases of favorite items."

"I dont have access to his bank statements."

"There are ways. The best bet is to talk to people her knew. Somebody always knows something; the key is getting them to tell you. Who are you trying to find."?

"Hounshi... Kamashimi wants to speak to him."

Sakura's face stiffened. "Be careful Kagome. Anyone involved in that magic stuff is dangerous. Don't trust them."

The flat warning sent a frisson jetting along her spine. "I'll be careful."

After Sakura left, Kagome fixed a chicken salad sandwich. As she munched, she listed Hounshi's contacts and was in the process of prioritizing when the doorbell rang again. She was sorely tempted to ignore it, not wanting to fend off a solicitor or face anothers friend, but it rang again, and a womens voice called, "Kagome. I need to speak with you."

Kagome could helo but smile. Keade Linglee, Sango's aunt by marriage, lived in a shot-gun house down the streetand was well known as the block's resient eccntric. Keade looked and soundedlike an antebellum Southern lady, but she had two unique hobbies: magic and debunking fake psychics. When Kagome opened the door, Keade breezed in, a flurry of chiffon and floral perfume, her skin protected from the ravages of the sun by a wide- brimmed hat and white gloves.

"Hello dear." After bestowing a kiss on Kagome's cheek, Keade bent to pet the cats. "Ah, my precious ones. you smell Shippo, dont you? You must visit him but only if you can promise not to torment Khu. In fact." Keade continuing, rasing and adjusting the spray of eucalyptus Kagome kept by the door. Tomorrow, to be honest for I am in quite a pickle."

It took Kagome a moment to relize Keade was talking to her and not the cats. "Whats the problem? Would you like to come in for some tea? Or a cold drink."

"No, thank you, I cannot stay. Did I tel you I would be gone for a extended period this summer?"

Kagome nodded. "America wasnt it.?"

"Yes, I am studying with a air bending and have agreed to look into a little matter of a women who claims to channel for departed spirits." Keade's sniff expressed her opinion of the likelihood that the women was legitimate. I hired a Tulane summer student to stay at the house. An empty house is an invitation to theives."

The rose of Kaedes hat bobbed in vigorous punctuation. "Well my student got mononucleosis. Mono! She's dropping out of school to go home and get well."

"Im sorry to hear that. Will you have to delay your trip?

'I feared so until I conducted a scrying looking for answers. To my surprise, your face appeared in the mirror. Could you house-sit for me, my dear?"

Kagome blinked, startled by the silence that followed Keades question. She was still back a sentence trying to figure out what a scying was. "House-sit?"

"Yes. I will of course, cover the mortgage and utilites. I just ask that you be there and pay for any long distance calls you make. You may bring Bouyu and Kirara with you. I will be gone until autumn." She looked expectantly at Kagome.

Kagome recognized a golden opportunity when she heard one. "Id be glad to. They just raised my rent and I was thinking of moving. This gives me some breathing room to find someplace else."

"Then its settled. Come over tonight after dinner. Ill show you around and give you the key. Im leaving early moring so you can move in anytime tomorrow. Is that ok with you?"

"sounds good." She had the time to move. After all, she had the next 3 weeks without Kamashimi expecting her at his office. Prudish streak. His accusation whispered through her mind. "Keade" she asked abruptly, "do you think I'm old fashioned?"

Keade patted her on the hand. "Yes and its a lovely trait my dear. Gives you a pure ethereal quality too many young ladies lack these days."

Great a seventy plus women who wore gloves thought she was old fashioned.

"Oh there was just a couple more things" Keade paused in the doorway, settling her hat firmly on her head. "Many of my books and talismans contain powerful magic. When you choose to experiment, do be careful."

"Not much worry about that."

Keade gave her a gentle smile. "Scrying doesnt lie, its just misinterpreted. Also Im expecting a visitor. He'll stay in the guest suite when he arrives."

Probably some elderly widower. "Dont you want him to house sit for you"

"Inuyasha? Oh no, he;s not suitable. You should do quite well together."

She exited, leaving KAgome to wonder exactly what Keade thought she saw in the scrying.

Kagome woke up confused and startled by a cat pouncing of her toes.

The end of chapter 3! Finally!
And once again! THANK YOU JAIMIE! YOU REALLY HELPED ME OUT HERE! I CAN SUCK AT STORY TELLING, NONE THE LESS STORY WRITING.

TILL Next time!

-Mel

Chapter 4- Meeting Inuyasha