Naraku closed his eyes and focused on Hojo's memory of Kagome's apartment. When he opened his eyes again, he was at Kagome's window high above the ground. Looking down, his feet dangled mid air ten stories above the busy city street below.
He took in a deep breath and steeled himself; this was no time to lose his resolve. Kagome needed to pay for what she'd done. She needed to feel the anguish and heartbreak he had felt. He wanted to take everything from her until he was the only thing that she had left. And when she finally came crawling back to him he would crush her. A crazed laugh bubbled up from his chest at the thought of watching the light fade from her lovely brown eyes.
Through the curtain he could see Kagome asleep on her bed. Naraku closed his eyes once more, seeing the man Kagome had chosen over him in his mind. In an instant his appearance changed. His hair grew longer, his face morphed shape, and his eyes changed color. The reflection in the window was that of the man he despised.
Naraku grinned wickedly to himself. His plan was working perfectly. In the guise of Kagome's lover he would break her heart, and crush her spirit. He wanted to see the pain in her eyes when her lover betrayed her in the most vile way possible.
8888
Sango stared at Inuyasha and Miroku in sheer disbelief. They had pulled back the curtain and revealed a reality that seemed too fantastic to be true. Yokai were real, and they'd lived amongst humans for centuries without anyone being the wiser. First she was shocked, then angry, and finally she allowed herself to accept it.
"So your father was a dog yokai?" She asked curiously. She pulled her feet up on the couch, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Yes, but my mother was human."
"You have an older brother too, right? Is he hanyo like you?"
Inuyasha snorted back a laugh. "Sesshoumaru is as pure blooded as they come. He's only my half brother."
"I was under the impression that yokai can only produce offspring while mate bonded." Miroku interrupted.
"Well... Yes, and no. My father was mated to Sesshomaru's mother, but because they chose not to perform a soul bond, their connection was easily broken. Bonding your soul to your mate's is permanent, so it isn't taken lightly. Not only does it bond mate's souls together, it bonds their lifespans as well, and yokai are mostly immortal. Only if one dies is the bond broken."
"That's fascinating. Were your father and mother soul bound?"
"Yes. My mother was three-hundred years old by the time I came along. She never looked a day over twenty until the day she and my father were killed."
"It makes me wonder, how old are you then? You're not some creepy ancient yokai looking to shack up with a younger woman are you? " Sango asked with an air of suspicion. Inuyasha snorted again and leaned back in his seat.
"Keh, cool your jets. I'm only twenty four." Inuyasha answered, rolling his eyes.
Sango seemed satisfied by his answer and reached over the coffee table for her tea.
Inuyasha had become more than her best friend's boyfriend in the time she'd known him. He had become a bit like a brother. Despite learning that he wasn't entirely human, Sango knew that didn't negate the fact that he was a great guy, and had always done right by Kagome.
"Just out of curiosity, I noticed the bond between you and Kagome was a temporary one; what exactly are your intentions with her?" Miroku teased, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
"I'd say none of your damn business." Inuyasha growled.
"Alright, fair enough!" Miroku laughed nervously.
Inuyasha's ears swiveled back toward the bedrooms, and he let out a deep growl before jumping to his feet, claws at the ready.
"Whoa, whoa! I was just kidding!" Miroku yelped, ducking behind Sango.
Inuyasha sniffed the air, and shook his head. "Something isn't right." He explained before running down the hall to check on Kagome.
8888
With frightening ease Naraku floated through Kagome's bedroom window. How many times had that pathetic human watched her, wishing to be where he was now? He walked silently across the room to her bed and sat down. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, it took all of his will power not to kill her right then. He restrained himself, and straddled her sleeping form.
Kagome's eyes fluttered open slowly. "Inuyasha?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Why do you think, bitch. " He grabbed Kagome's hands and roughly yanked them over her head. "You've been stringing me along for too long, and now I'm going to take what I really want." He used his knee to force her legs apart while he undid his pants.
"Inu... yasha." Kagome's voice hitched in her throat as her eyes filled with tears. "I thought..."
"You thought that I loved you?" He mocked. "Don't make me laugh. You're just another piece of ass. A warm pussy to rut."
Kagome layed there helplessly for a moment as she contemplated his words. How could Inuyasha do this to her? He'd said that he loved her, asked her to become his mate. Had it all been a lie?
Inuyasha's long black hair fell in a curtain around Kagome's face as he tried to force his tongue into her mouth. Then Kagome noticed it. The tell tale shimmer of Inuyasha's concealment charm was missing. Inuyasha's hair was naturally silver without the charm in place. This man's hair was black. The pleasant tingle that coursed from the mark on her shoulder whenever Inuyasha touched her was absent as well.
"You're not Inuyasha!" She spat. "Who are you?"
"Of course I am bitch!" The imposter growled as he ripped her nightgown up the middle, exposing her body to him. "I'm going to enjoy this." He hissed as he violently grabbed her breast and squeezed hard.
Kagome did her best to struggle free, but her arms and legs felt like limp noodles. She was already drained of energy after making that barrier earlier that evening. Angry tears began to drip down her cheeks. Just because there was nothing she could do to fight him off didn't mean she would resign herself.
The fake Inuyasha put a sweaty hand over her mouth, and she felt something hard and smooth slowly force its way to the center of her thighs and she let out a muffled cry of anguish.
There was an ear splitting crash as the door flew from its hinges and hit the wall across the room.
Kagome's attacker looked up, stunned at the unexpected intrusion. He didn't even have time to fully register what had happened before he was pulled from the bed and slammed into the wall in a flash of silver, his pants dangling around his ankles.
"I'll fucking kill you!" Inuyasha snarled venomously. His eyes flashed from warm gold to blood red. Kagome gasped and pulled her night gown shut before running to Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha!" She cried. He had the imposter pinned to the wall by the neck, his deadly claws mere inches from rending flesh from bone. She had to stop Inuyasha before he did something he would regret later. "Inu, look at me!" She pleaded. His eyes flashed toward her for a moment before snapping back to his prey.
"Miroku!" Kagome screamed in a panic.
Moments later Miroku skidded through the door with his bat in hand for a second time that night. "He's losing control! I need your help!" Kagome yelled.
Miroku nodded, and stood there, bat at the ready.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, tentatively touching his shoulder. "Inuyasha, you've protected me. I'm safe now!" She coaxed gently. He growled menacingly, but lowered his claws. "Inuyasha, I need you." Kagome's voice broke as she fought back the tears. This man that Inuyasha had pinned to the wall had been moments away from raping her. She had to admit that a little part of her wanted him to pay, but the larger part just needed to protect Inuyasha. She knew he would never forgive himself if he did something while transformed. "Please." She begged.
Inuyasha's eyes slowly bled back to gold as he released the attacker's neck and wrapped his arms around Kagome. He breathed in the scent of her hair, and kissed her tears. The imposter fell to the floor in a gasping heap, pulling his pants back up to his hips. Miroku stood over him with his bat poised to attack.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, holding her tightly. She shook her head and buried her face in his shirt before letting the flood of tears loose. He gently lifted her from the floor and moved to the bed, cradling Kagome on his lap while she sobbed. Sango ran in from the living room with a kitchen knife clutched in her fist.
"Sango, will you make sure Kagome is alright?" Inuyasha asked. Sango shook her head.
"Miroku and I have got this. Kagome needs you right now." She knelt down and aimed the knife at the attacker's neck. He tsked loudly. He smiled and lifted his head, exposing his neck to the knife blade.
"I tried to rape your best friend, you know you want to stab that right through my throat." He taunted.
Sango glared at him, setting her jaw tightly. "You're not worth it." She spat.
"Tell us who you are. What do you want with Kagome?" Miroku demanded, holding the top of the bat against the man's chest. He only looked Miroku in the eye and laughed.
"Inuyasha, get Kagome out of here." Sango ordered sternly. The hanyou scooped Kagome into his arms and walked carefully to the living room. Kagome clung to him desperately, laying her head against his shoulder. All he could do right now was be there for her.
88
"I'm calling the police." Sango said, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. This time Miroku did nothing to stop her as she put the phone to her ear and took a step into the hall.
"That little cock tease got what she deserved." Naraku snarled.
"What did you say?!" Miroku demanded, bopping the fake Inuyasha on the head none too gently.
"Did you see her, she's broken. How long do you think that freak of hers will be able to hold the pieces together?"
"Shut the hell up." Miroku snapped.
"The cops are on their way." Sango announced, stepping back into the room. Naraku took the opportunity to jump forward, knocking Miroku to the ground.
"You look like semi intelligent people, so I'll give you some advice. Her life is about to become a living hell. So unless you want to get dragged into her mess, I suggest you leave while you still can. Naraku always repays his debts." And before either of them could stop him, he leaped through the glass.
Sango ran to the window and looked downward to the street below. She expected to see a bloody mess splattered on the sidewalk, but there was nothing but bits of glass shining in the moonlight.
"He's gone!" Sango gasped.
"Well, after a fall like that I'm not surprised." Miroku said, joining Sango at the gaping hole where the window used to be.
"No, he's really gone!" Sango yelled, pointing to the ground below. A few people in the street had begun to congregate below the source of the disturbance;
"He said his name was Naraku?"Miroku asked.
"I think so." Sango agreed. "What did he mean by repaying debts?"
Miroku shrugged. Whoever this Naraku was, he gave Miroku a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
0000
"He said she had it coming?" The office asked eyeing Miroku and Sango sternly, holding his pen to his paper.
"Yes." Miroku answered.
"And you are positive you've never seen this guy before?"
Sango shook her head. "I'd never seen him before tonight. I think someone put him up to it though."
The officer cocked an eyebrow. "And why do you think that?"
"Kagome was being stalked by someone. He kept sending her flowers and chocolates. He texted her all of the time too." Sango explained. The officer rolled his eyes and dropped his pan and notepad into his shirt pocket.
"I'll have to corroborate your information with Miss Higurashi. This is still an active crime scene. I would suggest you find alternate lodgings. Thanks for your cooperation." he grumbled with a dismissive wave of his hand as he turned to leave the apartment.
Sango growled angrily, gritting her teeth together. "What a prick." she snapped. "My friend was attacked, and he acted like he didn't even want to be here!"
"He could have been a little more attentive. Hopefully Kagome is being treated better. I'll help you pack. You can stay at my place until this gets sorted out." Miroku said, steering Sango back toward her bedroom.
00
"MIss Higurashi. I'm Detective Hinata. I'm here to take your statement." she turned and quickly drew the privacy curtain around them. " I know that this is hard, but I need you to tell me one more time exactly what happened tonight." the female Detective asked, taking her seat in the available chair beside the hospital examination table. Kagome closed her eyes and fought the tears as they pooled in her eyes. She felt Inuyasha's arms wrap around her shoulders, and she leaned against him, taking strength from his closeness.
"I woke up in my bed and he was on top of me." she started, her voice cracking as the memory of her Inuyasha faced attacker had pinned her to the bed.
"Does she really have to tell you guys again? She already told the nurses what happened. Can't you ask them" Inuyasha snapped. The Detective eyed him with pity and sighed.
"And who are you?" she asked.
"Inuyasha Taisho." he answered gruffly.
"He's my fiance." Kagome added quickly. Detective Hinata pulled her phone from her pocket. She typed furiously for a moment then looked back up at them attentively.
"I appreciate you being here for Miss Higurashi, Mister Taisho." she offered politely. "But yes, I need to take Miss Higruashi's statement personally so I can make a report." she looked at Kagome with kind eyes. "Just do your best. It doesn't matter if things are a bit fuzzy. Just tell me what you remember about him."
"He pinned my arms above my head and ripped my nightgown open. Then I heard a zipper and felt…" Kagome paused, unable to keep the tears from falling now. Inuyasha leaned closer, kissing her hair lovingly.
"What did you feel?" Detective Hinata pressed gently.
"I felt his… penis between my legs." Kagome answered, steeling herself. "He kept telling me that I was so stupid for not realizing that he didin't love me. He said that I was just another piece of ass, and he was going to enjoy taking what he deserved."
"What happened after that?"
"He tried to push inside of me." Kagome answered. She heard Inuyasha's low growl and squeezed his arm lightly.
"I talked to the nurses that examined you. It doesn't appear that he actually penetrated you." It wasn't a question..
"No. He didn't get the chance. Inuyasha broke the door down and pulled him off of me." Kagome explained. Detective Hinata began typing on her phone again.
"Did you get a look at his face?"
"No." Kagome answered. "It was too dark. I didn't get a good look."
"Did you notice anything else about him? Maybe you smelled something, or noticed something about clothes." the detective suggested.
"He didn't smell like anything. He was wearing a dark shirt. I think he was wearing jeans, but I don't know for sure." Kagome shook her head.
"Mister Taisho, you pulled him off of her?" Detective Hinata asked, turning to him.
"Yeah."
"Did you get a look at him?"
Inuyasha had been dreading this question. "No, the room was too dark, and it happened so quickly. I was ready to beat the shit out of him, but Kagome's room mate and her boyfriend ran in a moment later. They said they would keep an eye on him while I took care of Kagome."
"I've got another officer with Miss Soma and Mister Hirata taking their statements. If there isn't anything you can tell me, I'll take my leave. Thank you Miss Higurashi. I am sorry you had to go through this." she pulled a card from her pocket and held it out. Inuyasha took it. "If you remember anything else, please call me. The doctors have cleared you to leave when you're ready, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you need." She bowed her head respectfully then ducked through the curtains.
"I want to go. Where are my clothes?" Kagome asked, pushing herself up from the bed.
"Are you sure? We can stay a little longer if you…"
"I just want to get out of here and take a shower." Kagome cut him off.
"Here, Sango grabbed you some clothes." he said, grabbing a bag from the chair behind him. "I'll be right out there." he told her.
"Please, don't go." Kagome begged. She didn't want to be alone right now. If she were left by herself she wasn't sure she would be able to hold herself together. Inuyasha nodded his head and closed the curtain back up.
"I'll just keep my back turned then." he agreed, turning away. Kagome managed a smile through her tears. She had almost been raped, suffered the humiliation and discomfort of an internal exam, and been questioned by the police and the entire time Inuyasha had been here by her side. If she had any doubts about his feelings for her they were long gone because he could have easily walked away from this mess, yet here he was. Despite the overwhelming feeling of fear and disgust she felt right now, she still felt an overwhelming love for her hanyo.
Kagome dumped her clothes onto the bed. Sango, bless her, had packed her a comfy pair of leggings and a large sweatshirt. She smiled to herself, recognizing it as one she had borrowed from Inuyasha weeks ago. She pulled it over her head, breathing in Inuyasha's lingering scent on the fabric. It hung down almost to her knees, and the sleeves were much too long, but she didn't really care. She slid the pair of sandals on her feet and sighed, tossing the hospital gown onto the bed.
"I'm ready to go." she announced. Inuyasha turned around, and she couldn't quell the overwhelming need to reach for him. Without any thought she closed the distance between them and buried her face in his shirt. She felt safe in his arms and had no desire to leave them for as long as possible.
Inuyasha kissed her hair, holding her close. "Sango texted me earlier. She says your apartment is still closed off, but Miroku says you're welcome to stay with them until you can go home. I could drive you to your Mom's too, if you want." he offered.
Kagome buried her face deeper against his chest and shook her head. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she begged.
"Of course you can stay with me." he agreed. He grabbed the empty bag from the bed, wrapped one arm around Kagome and together they headed for his car.
