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Chapter Three

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"Sorry Kagome, but I can't give you a ride home until late," Yura said apologetically. "I have to work concessions at the girls' basketball tournament until the end. It might be around ten or so when I'm done."

Kagome shook her head, smiling. "Don't worry about it. I'll get a ride some other way."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've got other people besides you," she joked.

Yura laughed. "Well, okay. Take care."

Of course she wasn't sure, but there wasn't any way she could tell one of her friends that. God there was a basketball game and everyone in school would go to cheer on the team. She wanted to get out of the middle of a nowhere town and go to the middle of nowhere. She wanted isolation for just ten minutes, just so she could scream, let out all of her frustrations, run until she couldn't run no more and nobody would be staring at her. She wanted to get away from it all…No. That's not what she really wanted. She wanted someone to hold her and say everything was all right. She didn't want to be responsible for just one second, just wanted to be a teenager. No! She could not let those thoughts invade her head. She had to be strong. She had to be an adult. She had to be something she wasn't.

She walked down the street, no destination in mind. The chill of the wind made her hug herself and curse not going back to the school, and even though she wanted to, she wasn't going to get her jacket or her school bag. Kouga was at basketball practice, and wouldn't get out until six or six thirty, but there was no way she wanted to chance an encounter with him…or InuYasha. More than anything, she would like to avoid the new boy as if he was a contagious disease, but for some reason, she felt that would be impossible. It was like her sixth sense was trying to scream something at her, beating along the length of her spine.

She ignored it.

She stopped at a quaint little park with a gazebo located in it on the other side of the street from a few aged houses. One of them had an old International sitting outside. It was obviously used, but in great condition, and a beautiful, red color. She stared at the vehicle, admiring it. She always did have a love for old vehicles. She never really understood why a kid would want a brand new little car when they could have a really cool, old one that made a beautiful sound. She wished for something like that, to even have a ride in it once or twice. She gave a big sigh.

"I never took you for the type to mope around," a deep, wonderfully rough voice said. She looked up and blushed deeply, her jaw hanging open a little in complete shock. He leaned against the post of the gazebo nonchalantly; his face set into what she guessed was an ever-present scowl. "I heard there was a basketball game tonight. What are you doing here? Don't you have people to hang with?"

Her blood began to boil. What was wrong with this guy? Why was he always so…so…so hostile? Why couldn't he just be plain nice?

"What is your problem?" she asked angrily, standing up so that she could add a little more height to her advantage, although she only made it up to his shoulder. Still, when she stood at her fullest, she became an imposing figure. Maybe that was her personality. Yeah, it was definitely that. "Do enjoy being a jerky jerk, or did it happen sometime in your childhood when you fell on your head?" She jabbed a finger into his chest, poking him as hard as she could, making him step back a few times. "You. Are. Rude." With each word came a poke to emphasize her foul mood. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Look, I'm sorry that I said I was going to the dance with you, but Kouga would've forced me to go with him. The guy's a psycho and you happened to come along. I said I'd pay you and I meant it." She bowed her head, hiding the shameful blush on her face. "Really…I am sorry. Please forgive me."

The surprise showed on his face, a blush coming up to his own make things even worse. He looked away and stammered, "Th-there's no need to be acting like that. Sorry I was a…" He frowned. "A jerky jerk? You had to call me that? I know I probably deserved some name calling, but…jerky jerk? I mean, couldn't you think of something just a little bit better?"

"I couldn't think of anything else, okay?" she shouted. "But you were a jerk!"

"And you're just pushy!" he shot back. The anger and sparks were beginning to rise between them. They both balled their hands into fists at their sides. If they hadn't been members of the opposite sex, they might have started to exchange blows. "My God! You don't learn a damn thing, don't you? I was trying to be nice to you. Couldn't you see that?"

"You agreed to be my date for fifty bucks. You don't have any morals!"

"You don't have any morals. Who in their right mind pays someone money to take them to a dance?"

"Lots of people!"

"Name one."

"Yura. She did it last year."

"Who's Yura?"

"A friend."

He gripped the sides of his head with his hand, as if he were trying to contain some sort of mounting pressure. "Why the hell am I having this conversation with you?" He kicked a can and it flew down the street, bouncing noisily until it came to a stop. The sound was deafening to them, but no one came out to investigate. They both breathed a sigh of relief. InuYasha turned back to Kagome to continue his ranting. "This is a fucking waste of time!" He threw his hands up into the air as a sign of defeat. "I gotta go find a job. This town is a fucking wasteland and I gotta drive an hour just to make some decent cash."

He began to stomp off, but something stopped him. Actually, Kagome stopped him by softly yanking on his leather jacket that he wore. "You need a job?" It was barely a whisper, but his super sensitive ears picked up the words. "What kind of job do you need?" She had finally calmed down, and he truly appreciated it. He always got so mad and it was hard for him to stop until the other one did first.

"I don't know. I just need something that pays." He shrugged his shoulders. "I came from the west coast and I had a job down at the docks, so I know what labor is, but all that's here is being a dish pig and that doesn't pay nearly enough. I can't do minimum wage right now."

"Well…" He saw a certain kind of glint forming in her eyes, almost as if she were scheming. Why did he have a feeling that she had an idea that could go oh so utterly wrong? "I have a job for you, at least, I'm pretty sure my Mom would love it." She clapped her hands together excitedly, the glint in her eyes stronger than ever. "All I need is a ride home!"

"Um…okay?" That was all he could say before she turned into a bright, talkative (very talkative), all around happy teenager. "What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered as he walked her to his International that sat outside an old house. He almost wanted to groan when she began to admire the customization and the make of the model. "At least she isn't a cheerleader…"

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An enthusiastic Souta slowly led the colt around the corral. The creature, used to the boy since its birth, did not buck or shy away from the lead rope. Sweet Pea bobbed her head in time with her footsteps while Souta bounced along in front of her. Miroku sat along the top part of the wooden fence, his elbows resting on his knees. The door to his feed pickup was opened so he and Souta could hear the sounds of The Beatles as they halter broke Sweat Pea. Well, it was mostly Souta doing the work while Miroku supervised, but maybe that's because the creature was about the nicest thing he had to work with in a long time.

"Hey, Miroku!" Souta called.

"What?"

"Why don't we put the saddle on her tonight?"

He shook his head, chuckling. Was he that enthusiastic when he was younger? Could he never wait to tame an animal when he first got it? "Sorry kiddo, but you know we can't do that." The look on the poor boy's face was just heartbreaking to him, but he knew that he couldn't give on this situation. You always had to be careful around horses, always be respectful, unless you wanted to get hurt. "We need to take it slow with her. I know she's taking well to the halter." At this point, he leapt off the fence, making Sweet Pea jump nervously He gave a knowing smile. "See?" He slowly walked over to the colt and gently rubbed her body, his sure hands knowing what touches would make her nervous, what would make her calm. "You can never be too sure around horses. They're a little bit like people." His right hand ran along the length of her body as he walked behind her, letting her know that he was in her blind spot and she stood still, not kicking out as if he would have walked behind her without contact. That was one of the first things he learned: always let the animal know where you are. Body contact always gave them some comfort. "She still gets a little skittish around sudden movements. I don't think she'd take too well around something that has a lot of straps. We should do some other things around her that will make her less likely to jump or go wild."

"Okay!" The boy took things so seriously. Horses were a passion for the child. He understood that. When you wanted something so badly it hurt, you'd go to the ends of the world for it. That's how he felt about some things: the ranch he'd inherit one day, Souta, his other beloved cousin Kagome who acted so strong when she was about to break, and one other thing he wasn't too willing to admit yet. "It's getting a little late. Shouldn't we go and do some chores at home? I know sis got some hay bales last night, but she didn't put them away. She hasn't been finishing stuff lately. Is something wrong?"

Miroku ruffled the youth's hair affectionately. "Nothing's wrong. Your sister's just a little tired, so we should be men and help her out, k?"

"Yeah!"

They took the halter off of Sweet Pea and released her from the corral. She ran off at a canter, her dark mane and tail streaming behind her as if they were made of water. She nickered loudly so that the rest of the herd stopped their grazing to look at her. She happily joined them, her head bobbing up and down in a playful manner; and suddenly, they all got up and galloped off to a different part of the pasture. Their muscles rippled under their skin and their run was so graceful that many were only less than half a foot apart. It was a mass of hair and hooves, mixing together in a myriad of browns, whites, roans, and so many other colors. The sight was enchanting, worthy of taking a person's breath away.

That was what they lived for.

"Well, let's get started on that hay before Kagome comes home." He got into the driver's seat and started the feed pickup. Souta hopped into the passenger's side. "I hope she'll forget being angry at me and have some fun tonight." He gave a lewd wink to the younger boy. "Who knows? Maybe she won't even want to come home."

It took Souta a few moments to understand, but when he did, the disgust on his face couldn't be contained. "Gross, Miroku! No one likes my sister. She's…a girl! Besides," he crossed his arms defiantly, "who is there in town that's worth keeping? No one's good enough for her and it's not the Kouga, that's for sure."

Miroku had to stop the vehicle for a moment. He could barely breathe from the laughter that attacked his lungs. Luckily, he was able to stop and start driving again. "Oh Souta," he said with mirth. "I don't think there's anyone worthy of Kagome's affection, especially Kouga. That guy doesn't understand the word "no" and it's going to come back and bite him in the ass someday."

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"Let me get this straight." InuYasha turned off the pavement and onto a gravel road that led to Kagome's quaint home. "You need a ranch hand and your family is willing to eight hundred a month and a place to crash?" He shook his head, as if it were impossible. "What's the catch? Who do I have to kill?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You don't kill anyone. Mom's had the ad out for a while, but all the other ranches have hired out any possible help because they know I'm the only one that runs this place. Besides, we're wasting money to have the little house heated and cooled every year. It'd be nice to have someone out there." She wagged a finger at him. "Now it won't be easy work. I have several miles of fence that need fixing, cows moved, and the usual odds and ends before the snow comes, and that could be any day now." She looked out the window, her gaze serious. "I'm surprised it's been so warm lately, but I can't handle another winter by myself. Mom's never home. Souta's too young to help out. Miroku has to take care of his own place. It's just too much for me, so it's understandable I need help, right?" She looked at him, unshed tears in her eyes; he began to squirm. He could never handle crying. "If I was stronger, I could do it by myself. It's just…well…I'm not. I can't do it all. Souta says I'm gonna kill myself when I turn twenty. I wonder if he's sometimes." She put a smile on her face. "But if you're here, we can get this place going just a bit more. Mom won't care and Souta would just love to have another guy around the house." He stopped outside her house. The yard was lush, green. The house was well kept. There were cows grazing in the distance with a few horses. It was kind of a small ranch, but it was nice. "So, what do you say? You think you're up to it?"

He let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. He scratched his head thoughtfully and the action reminded her of a dog scratching its neck. She suppressed the giggle rising in her throat. "I guess so. I can probably give my landowner two weeks notice and then I won't have to pay anymore rent." He gazed at her, as if he were trying to read his thoughts. All he could see was that she wasn't kidding. "Are the utilities paid for?" She nodded. "What about food and clothes?"

"You'll eat with us and I can wash your clothes." She got out of the International and motioned for him to follow. He got out as well, closing the pick up door behind him. A cat ran out to great him. It was a little heavier than most, with brown and white fur. It held a sort of smirk on its face as it came out and twirled around InuYasha's legs. Kagome gave a small laugh. "Oh, that's Buyo. He's an outdoor cat. He keeps the mice away, and he's really friendly too." Buyo purred and stood up on his hind legs so that InuYasha was forced to pick him up. The cat rubbed against his face, still purring loudly. "I think he likes you. We can go inside and I'll get some supper started." The cat leaped off of him and hit the ground on all fours, walking off at a leisurely pace. "I'll give you a tour of the house."

"You said you had a brother, right?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. His name is Souta."

"Well, where did he run off to?" They entered the house. He was impressed. It was big enough to hold a family of three. Everything was neat and kept in order. He remembered when he had a house like this. Hell, it had been even bigger than this and was kept meticulously clean by a maid. He never really talked with his family. His mother had died when he was young and his father was always busy. His half brother had always taken care of him, but no matter what, it always seemed he was alone. This house, though, wasn't like his in that sense. It was small, yes, but it held the love of a family. "Are you and your brother close?" She nodded her head as she pulled out a cookbook and a large frying pan. He made his way around the room, looking at some of the pictures: a baby Souta with a young Kagome and woman who must be her mother, one with a little Souta and an old man, another one with and older Kagome and Miroku who held her in an affectionate hug, and many more. Someone had taken pictures, wanted to show off their family that was their pride and joy. "So, it's just you, Souta, and your mom?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Dad died when Souta was only a year old. Gramps used to live with us, but he died of a heart attack about six months ago. It was really hard on Mom." She pulled a package of chicken and some vegetable oil, with many other ingredients and set them on the counter. She tied an apron around her waist, and for some reason, this domestic side of Kagome comforted InuYasha. "She likes to go on business trips a lot, so I've got to do the ranch and the house." She poured some things into a bowl and began to whisk them. "That's why I'm hiring you. I asked Mom about a month back if I could and she said if I found someone that I could go on ahead and take care of all the legalities." She gave a soft laugh, almost a sarcastic one. "She doesn't even really exist around here anymore. She's just as much a memory as Gramps is." She stopped whisking the sauce and looked to him sadly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling you this stuff." She began whisking harder, so hard that the whisk was actually bending under her pressure.

"It's fine." The whisk was worrying him. He knew that if it snapped off, there could be a problem or two. He let his breath out when she stopped whisking, but he inhaled sharply when he saw that she decided to go at some poor vegetables with a cleaver. Her chopping was fast and rhythmic. He hoped she wouldn't get off beat. "I know what it's like to have a bad family. I know what it's like to have a hard life." He crossed his arms and stared down at his boots as if they had just appeared there. "That's why you move away sometimes, to get away from the bad stuff. You want to move so far away that no one's ever heard of you." His hand now had taken some interest from him. He examined it as if it were an alien creature of some kind. "I guess that's how I ended up here. No one knows a damn thing about me. I like it that way."

"It sounds nice."

"But you're lucky." He came up behind her and he felt the tension rise in her. Her chopping had stopped for a moment, only to resume its furious pace again. "You have people that love you. You have a place to call home. You have men falling for you left and right." On the last remark the knife slipped and she let out a hiss as she dropped the blade and turned around to get to the bathroom for a band-aid, but he stopped her. His violet eyes bore into her wide, gray ones. He gingerly took her hand and examined her finger. "You're also bleeding." He took out a handkerchief and tore a strip off of it and wrapped it around the wounded digit. His eyes never left hers as he expertly wrapped up the cut. She felt a blush rise to her face. "You should be careful when you cook."

They stared at each other that way for what seemed eternity. All that was known was the touching of their hands and hearts beating.

"Kagome! We're hooommmeee!" Souta sang as he burst into the house, a blasé Miroku behind him. "Hey sis! I'm starving. What's taking you…so…long?" His head went to one side as he observed a blushing Kagome frantically preparing food while a strange guy sat at the kitchen table with an equally large blush on his face, strumming his fingers in annoyance. "Hello!" Souta walked over to they guy. "I'm Souta Michaels. I'm the man of the house. What's your name?"

"InuYasha," he grumbled.

"Well, if it isn't the new kid?" Miroku pointed out. "It's nice to see you again. What're you doing here, though?"

"Oh, h-he's the new hired man!" Kagome stammered. She flung some chicken into the frying pan and it sizzled loudly. She wiped her hands on her apron. "He'll be living in the house next door. We might need your help to get his stuff out here. Is that okay?"

Miroku shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind. We can do that tomorrow after school since everyone will be getting ready for the Snowball."

"Thank you so much Miroku!" She ran over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're the nicest man I've ever known."

"Well," he said, happily rubbing the spot where she kissed him, "one does what one can."

"And one pervert enjoys the feel of his cousin a little too much," InuYasha grumbled.

"What was that?" she asked angrily.

"Nothing!" he replied. He felt a pair of eyes on him and looked to see Souta staring up at him with stars in his eyes. "What're you looking at?" he sneered. The boy didn't answer him and InuYasha's nerves first broke and he turned away from the boy. "You shouldn't stare. You look like an idiot when you do it." He looked back and saw that they boy was nodding enthusiastically at him. "Well? Stop staring at me." He did, but would glance back at InuYasha once every ten seconds or so. "Oh ferchrissake! What the hell is wrong with you? You queer or something?"

"It's called admiring," Miroku butted in. "He's admiring you like he would a superhero, although I don't see much about you to admire in the first place." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because you're reckless, or stupid? Or could it be you have no class whatsoever?"

"You stay outta this ya pervert!" InuYasha said as he leapt out of his chair. He pointed to the other man. "You got no right to be making fun of me when I see you feeling up your cousin!"

"Disgusting!" he exclaimed. "How could I feel up my beloved Kagome? I have never dreamed of touching her in any way outside of brotherly love. She's like a sister to me." A glint came to his eyes. "Besides, you're just jealous that I received a form of affection from her while you get nothing." A lecherous grin appeared on his face. "I'm not perverted. You're just jealous."

"And that means supper is ready!" Kagome walked between the two, holding out a very hot frying pan that she set on a hotplate located on the table. The Cambodian inspired dish sizzled invitingly and the aroma it gave off was enchanting. Souta set down plates, silverware, and glasses for four. She gave a big smile that clearly said for them to stop fighting. "What are we waiting for? Let's eat!"

That was all that was needed to stop their quarrelling. Outside the house was peaceful. The night air was still and crickets chirped peacefully.

There came a commotion.

"Hey! I was going for that last piece! It's mine!"

"But I got to it first, therefore, it is mine."

Let us just say that the "conversation" went downhill from there and Kagome was fortunate she lived out in such a remote place or she was sure that the police would have come. But no matter how stressful supper was, she was glad for the noise. Everyone was happy and they were all acting like one, big, happy family. Things couldn't be more perfect, and Miroku realized this as he looked over at Kagome's hand and saw a piece of clothe wrapped around her finger. That same kind of cloth was sticking out of InuYasha's pocket.

Maybe life could get better after all.

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End Chapter

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Author's Notes: Wow. Finished. This one's bit longer than the others, but I had to get something going. I hope nobody minds that. Anyways, I ask that you give reviews, because I am sure to respond to them! Also, I stress that questions should be sent in the form of a PM. I prefer comments, praise, and criticism in the review. Well, that's all I have to say. I hope you stay for chapter four. Until next time!