Okay, first off, I'm really really really really sorry to make you people wait so long for this chapter. I've been working so hard on Sorrowful Soul that I nearly forgot about my poor little AU fic. Thank all of you for your patience with me, it's greatly appreciated. Anyway, now, on with the chapter! Read REVIEW and enjoy!
Mayu Kitsune
Target: Sesshomaru
Naraku's eyes narrowed as he glared at the paper in front of him. He moodily folded it up before placing it in an ashtray on his desk. There was a slight sizzling sound as a cigar was scuffed out on it.
"Rejected again?" a black haired woman prompted. She seemed to be enjoying his agitation though she didn't show it much. The only sign of her amusement resided in her crimson red eyes.
Naraku sent her a glare, "That foolish man doesn't have an inkling of an idea what he has done." he growled irritably, "It looks as though I'll be taking things into my own hands yet again."
Oh I'm sure. the woman thought sarcastically. I know exactly what you'll do.
"Kagura."
"Yes?" the woman asked grudgingly
"I have another job for you." Naraku stated.
"What is it?" Kagura demanded. She didn't look happy about it. She was always getting orders from him.
"It's simple, I want you to kill Sesshomaru and anyone else who would get in the way of my property. I don't care how you accomplish it."
Kagura's eyes narrowed. She knew what he was getting at. He wanted her to use her appearance to get to the stubborn sheriff and stab the guy in the back when he was least expecting it. She had put up with these kinds of jobs for long enough, she did not want another one.
"What if I don't want to accomplish it?" she snapped, "What if I'm damn tired of taking orders from you?"
"Have you forgotten, Kagura? I helped your parents into this country and they had a debt to pay. Now that they're gone, it's your job to pay it off. You have to work until your time is up."
"And what if I don't?" Kagura demanded, moodily beginning to walk out. She paused at the door as she heard a faint click.
"If you don't then I'm sure not many people would miss you. I've told you this before, until your debt is paid you belong to me. Your life is in my hands." Naraku retorted, now with a revolver aimed at her.
Kagura sent him a venomous glare.
"So, are you going to do this or aren't you?" Naraku prompted.
"Fine." Kagura replied grudgingly.
"Good." Naraku stated, "I'll keep in touch. I look forward to receiving news of the noble sheriff's death."
Kagura didn't offer anything in reply, just stormed out. Damn him! she thought, Five more years of this shit to go! I can't take this much longer.
She clenched her fist as she continued to walk, That bastard. I can't run from him! If only I could find a way . . . America, land of freedom my ass.
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"Hi, It's nice to see that you've decided to stay for a while." Kagome's cheerful voice stated.
"Yeah, whatever, can I just have breakfast?" Inuyasha grumbled. How did he ever let Miroku talk him into staying for a few days?
Miroku had made the point that they would have to search for another target before they did any moving anywhere, but that wasn't going to keep Inuyasha in town for very long. Besides, that lecher would find any excuse to flirt with the deputy. As a matter of fact, that was what Inuyasha was sure he was doing.
Kagome just gave a heavy sigh. Somehow she got the feeling that he didn't want to be anywhere near her. Normally something like that wouldn't have bothered her so much, so why was it bothering her now? "Fine, what do you want?"
"Grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast . . . and water."
That figures. That's the exact same thing he ordered yesterday. Kagome thought as she walked off to place his order.
"Hey! You should act better toward Kagome, she's only trying to be nice you know!" A high pitched voice suddenly stated.
Inuyasha blinked a few times, his golden eyes searching for the source. It took him a moment to realize that the owner of the voice was standing right beside him. No wonder he had overlooked them, they were so small.
The little boy had the worst scowl on his face, glaring up at Inuyasha with big green eyes. His hair was red and was put back into a small pony tail. He wore tan overalls and a white shirt that seemed to be a little too big for him
"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" Inuyasha questioned.
"I didn't ask you! You just stop being such a jerk and be nicer to Kagome!" the little boy shouted.
"That's enough Shippo, stop pestering the customers." Kagome said with a nervous laugh as she picked him up. "What are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to follow me to work!" she exclaimed in a whisper.
"But I had to. Your mother's getting worse by the minute!" Shippo argued.
"What?" Kagome exclaimed loudly.
"She needs the medicine."
Kagome took on a troubled expression, "I know." she said sullenly.
Inuyasha had been listening and trying to hide his interest. So her mother was sick and that's why Kagome had taken up a job? To take care of her mother? The news that Shippo brought seemed to even be bothering him.
"I don't have enough money. I'm still twenty dollars short!" Kagome moaned.
"See if you can bargain with the guy again." Shippo suggested.
Kagome seemed a bit panicked. She had forgotten all about Inuyasha sitting there and headed straight for the door with Shippo in tow. She had to get that medicine to her mother!
Inuyasha watched her leave. No, he thought, you're not going to get involved, you're going to stay right here.
Kagome hadn't wasted any time, getting to the pharmacy quickly. The clerk looked up as she ran in. "So you need another bottle?" the clerk questioned.
Kagome nodded, "Yes, and now. Mom's getting worse."
"I see. So you have the money this time?" the man behind the counter asked.
Kagome fell silent.
"Do you?"
"Look, just put it as an I.O.U. . . . please." The young girl begged.
The clerk let out a sigh, "I'm sorry Kagome, I told you before that I wasn't going to take anymore I.O.U.'s."
"Please!" Kagome pleaded, "I promise I'll pay it!"
"I'm sorry, but that medicine's expensive and your debt keeps growing every time you come here. You've worked up quite a load for yourself and I can't help you this time." the man stated.
The clerk turned as he heard a clinking behind him. "Hey," he suddenly shouted, "come back here with that!"
Shippo didn't listen as he hugged the bottle of medicine to him and ran for dear life having snuck back behind the counter while the man was distracted. "C'mon Kagome, let's get out of here!" he yelled. He let out a small oomph as he ran into someone standing in the doorway. The small boy looked a bit panicked as he found his feet off the ground.
"You're supposed to pay for something before you take it, you know." a voice said sarcastically. Inuyasha began to walk back toward the counter, carrying Shippo with him.
"No!" Shippo protested, "Mrs. Higurashi needs this!"
"Quit your whining." Inuyasha grumbled setting the kid down on the counter before drawing out a considerable amount of money and sliding it across the counter to the clerk. "Here." he muttered.
The clerk looked to him in question, "May I ask of you what exactly it is you're paying for?"
"What do you think? Do you really want the kid to just run out with it?" Inuyasha prompted. He was cursing himself the whole time, but something told him that he had to do something. Why did Miroku just have to make him stay?
Shippo and Kagome both gave the white-haired man stunned looks. He was paying it off? Just like that? Why?
The clerk took the money, ringing it up before announcing that it had been more than enough to pay off Kagome's debt. Even more surprising was the fact that there was enough left to pay for another bottle when the time came.
"Are you sure that you want to pay all of this? It's purely your choice but--"
Inuyasha cut the clerk off, "Is there something wrong with it?" he asked irritably, "So what if I'm feeling generous today, don't mess it up!"
The three other people present in the room just stared at him. Was he crazy or just plain nice? To be truthful, from the way he was talking he didn't seem like the nice type.
The bounty hunter shot them all glares, "What're you looking at?" he growled. He turned his attention solely on Kagome, "Stop staring! Don't you have something to do?"
Kagome blinked, looking as though she were beginning to say something when she was suddenly being dragged along. What was he doing now?
"C'mon, your old lady's gonna die at this rate." Inuyasha stated.
Kagura looked to be miserable as she entered the town . . . on foot. She wore a red dress that was decorated in some places with black lace. She fanned herself furiously against the desert heat with the fan that she held. Why had she resorted to this? She could've shot herself for having this bad of an idea! If it weren't for that bastard Naraku then I wouldn't have to resort to this! she thought angrily.
She walked into the sheriff's office where Sesshomaru was putting a few papers away in his desk. He seemed as though he were just going to be on his way out. Doing what? Kagura didn't care.
The white haired man paused as he noted her in the door way. He hadn't seen her around before, not that he paid too much attention to individual people in the town anyway. He rose an eyebrow at her as though to ask "What?"
"Excuse me," Kagura began her act, "But my wagon, is . . . uh, stuck."
"Stuck?" Sesshomaru prompted. How could anyone manage that? There wasn't much for a wagon wheel to get stuck on in the desert.
That's what I just said wasn't it? Kagura thought irritably. She already didn't like him, though she had to admit he was probably one of the best looking sheriffs she'd ever seen. Not to mention the youngest.
"Yes," she continued, "My horses were startled by a snake and they somehow broke loose."
Sesshomaru seemed nearly amused. This woman had either run into a complete and total freak accident, or she was the biggest ditz he had ever seen. "So you want me to help you, correct?" he prompted.
"Of course. So are you going to be a gentleman and help a woman in distress?" Kagura questioned, giving him her best flirty look and speaking in her best silky voice. Nearly every man fell for this one. This was about to be over as soon as she could get him alone . . .
"I have other business to attend to but I am sure that my deputy would be willing to assist you." Sesshomaru's voice interrupted Kagura's thought.
Kagura seemed taken off guard. What? He wasn't coming? She struggled to keep her sudden anger from showing through. Damn! What is with this man?
Just about then, another woman walked in politely saying excuse me to Kagura who stood in the doorway. She wore clothing more like men than women. Kagura just stared a bit.
"Sango." The sheriff said.
"Yes?" the woman prompted casually.
"Take a few horses and help this woman with her wagon; I have other things to do."
"No problem." Sango stated as Sesshomaru headed out.
Kagura stared a bit. She was the deputy? She gave a temperamental look in Sesshomaru's direction. That jerk! He was just going to ignore her? So much for being a gentleman. What was it with men anyway? All of the nice ones were bad looking, and the nice looking ones were jerks. It was definitely a shame that women have to put up with the fact.
Only a few moments later Kagura was sitting atop a horse, leading Sango to where her wagon was. It definitely looked like what she said had happened to it had actually happened. She had some help getting it out there and fixing it up, but once it was like that she was on her own.
"Wow," Sango stated, "it really does look a little messed up."
"Yeah, well would you just help me get it to town?" Kagura questioned, trying to hide how irritable Sesshomaru had left her.
Sango got off the horse and got to work, improvising the best she could to hook the horses up to the broken wagon. "So," she began, trying to lighten the mood a bit with some small talk, "What brings you out this way?"
Kagura paused. What could she say? "I was just passing through though it looks like I'll be stuck here for a while." she answered. She was making things up as she went now, not really having thought up of a plan B.
"All by yourself?" Sango asked nearly disbelievingly. Hardly anyone ever made a trip by wagon by themselves. Not even men. What was this dressy woman doing out here alone and on such a long trip?
Kagura again found herself in a tough spot. What now? Sango had a point. "Well, yes . . . is there something wrong with that? Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't take care of myself." she replied, trying her best to sound somewhat indignant.
"I guess you're right." Sango stated after a bit of thought, "It's just that I don't see a lot of people in general make a trip all the way out here by themselves. I mean, there's thieves and Indians. . . not to mention that the weather has been known to kill people out this way."
"Are you done yet?" Kagura asked grumpily.
Sango looked a bit affronted buy this but didn't say anything about it. "Yeah, it's done." she replied.
"Good."
Sango offered to help Kagura onto the wagon, but she was only ignored as Kagura got on by herself. Sango tried to let it all roll off of her back anyway. It wasn't like she was going to see this woman again anyway.
"That sheriff you're working for; he's a bit uptight isn't he?" Kagura prompted after a moment.
"Sesshomaru? I guess so." Sango answered, still trying to be nice. She was a deputy, she was supposed to help uphold the law, not break it.
"What can you tell me about him?" Kagura questioned.
Sango blinked, not at all ready for that question. "Why do you want to know?"
"Just curious." Kagura covered, "What was he so damn focused on doing when he left?"
"Oh, that . . . he had to go pick Rin up from Kaede's."
"Rin? What is she to him? A girlfriend or something?"
Sango seemed to find the thought kind of funny. Sesshomaru. With a girlfriend? That would be the day. "He hasn't had a girlfriend since I've known him. Rin's just about the only person I've ever seen get anywhere close to him though." she replied.
Kagura seemed a bit interested now. Perhaps there was a way she could get to this person to get to Sesshomaru. "Who is she?" she asked again.
"She's this little girl he found only about a week ago. Her parents were murdered and she was about to be when we got there." Sango stated. "He didn't give a second thought to shooting the guy that did it either. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry; usually he's so calm all the time."
So he's not completely devoid of emotions. How cute. Kagura thought sarcastically. "So it seems that he has a soft spot for kids." she stated more than asked.
Sango thought for a moment, "Now that you mention it, I guess he does."
My job may have just been made easier. Kagura thought to herself as the wagon pulled back into town.
So how was that? Did I keep people in character okay? Sorry I don't have a preview for you this time. I ran out of time. Continue to be patient with me and I'll get chapter four up as soon as possible. I don't exactly have it written yet. . . don't kill me please!
REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!
Mayu Kitsune
