The tiny curl of yōki brushing against Kagome's remaining reiki, so achingly familiar yet so new, was a sweet kind of torture. According to the doctor that Naraku had put in charge of her care, she was about ten weeks pregnant. Though she may have been imagining it, there did seem to be a bit more roundness low on her stomach. The sweatpants and sweatshirts they provided her with were too loose to really judge her weight gain and she wasn't privy to any of her vitals during her doctor's visits.
'The baby has yōkai blood,' the doctor would say. 'It'll be fine as long as you stay alive long enough to give birth.'
Her doctor was awful.
A small calendar on her table, the newest addition to her 'comforts,' let her track the days of her pregnancy...and the days that she'd been held captive. It was now over a month and her family had no idea what had happened to her. More than a month and she was no closer to finding a way out of this mess. More than a month and she'd acquired no new information about anything outside of her tiny room. More than a month since she'd found out that she was carrying her and Inuyasha's baby.
More than a month since she'd purified the man she loved, the father of her child. What would it have been like to tell him she was pregnant? She could imagine his face lighting up, a wide grin stretching across his face. He would probably be worried but too excited at first to show it. She wanted to feel his hands resting on her stomach while he held her at night. He deserved to be there, to experience this with her. It was unbelievably unfair that he was gone, and she was sure he was gone now.
There was no way he wouldn't have come for her already if he was alive. Every day that passed just hammered that point further into her aching heart but she still wouldn't allow herself to wallow. Instead, she made plans.
Her plan the next morning was to appeal to her doctor. She was eating better now, her morning sickness mercifully abating about a week ago. She still felt tired most days, though she figured that was more due to her confinement than the pregnancy. A request, made through Kagura, to be let out to get some fresh air and exercise was quickly shot down. They wouldn't even let her peek out the door to see what was outside her room. She'd caught a few glimpses of the hallway but all she could see was the white tiled floor, bright fluorescent lights, and the plain white wall across from the door. It reminded her of a hospital.
Surely, it couldn't be good for her pregnancy to be cooped up and inactive constantly. There wasn't any room for a treadmill or a stationary bike in her little room; what was she supposed to do? They could, at the very least, let her walk some hallways or stairs. Her powers were no good and it wasn't like she could overpower any of her guards physically to escape. What was the harm?
Lying on the bed, Kagome placed a hand on her stomach and hummed softly. She let a small smile curl her lips upward as she imagined what it would be like to hold her baby. The smile slipped away as quickly as it had come as she remembered that there was a very terrible possibility that she would never even get to see her baby, let alone hold them. She closed her eyes and tried to banish the image of a tiny silver-haired infant with gold eyes and puppy ears being torn away from her seconds after it drew its first breath.
Completely lost in her thoughts, the soft footsteps in the hallway barely registered in Kagome's mind. She shot up just as her door was yanked open and jerked her head towards the intruder expecting to see one of the hanyō guards. Instead, a tall man wearing a dark gray suit stepped into the room and shut the door behind himself. He had unsettling red eyes, a thin nose, and a sharp jawline. Long wavy hair fell loose around his shoulders, dark and slightly greasy. His lips twitched into a smirk as she studied him and she noticed she was shrinking further back onto the bed, her back pressing against the wall.
"No need to be afraid, Kagome," the man said and took a step closer. His voice was a low rumble that set her teeth on edge. "I figured I was overdue to meet the woman who managed to kill two of my...employees."
Kagome's stomach twisted when she realized who was standing before her: Naraku. Even without her spiritual powers, she could feel the oppressive cloud of his yōki filling the room. She swallowed hard, her mouth too dry to speak.
Naraku smirked at her obvious discomfort. "You're very powerful, you know. It's been ages since I've felt reiki like yours." He moved a step closer and it took a lot of willpower for Kagome to not shrink further away from him. "And you're carrying a child of Takahashi descent. How fortunate for me." There was a hint of amusement to his voice and every word made her want to retch.
But at the mention of her child, some of Kagome's fear dissipated and she sat up a little straighter. With confidence she did not feel, she said, "As if I'm going to let some power-hungry coward like you anywhere near my baby."
Naraku laughed, a low and emotionless sound. "It amuses me that you think you will have a say in the matter. Kagura must be treating you too well if you think you have even a shred of hope left against me." It was then that he began to look around her room, his eyes pausing on each small comfort that Kagome had been provided. The clock, her small stack of books, a few extra pillows and a warmer blanket, and even the tiny calendar that she kept track of her pregnancy on, none of it escaped his scrutiny.
His smirk fell away, replaced with a deep scowl. His eyes seemed to burn into her, crimson fire threatening to consume her soul if she let her guard down for even a second. He dropped his voice even lower and said, "Your child belongs to me, any future children you have will belong to me, your body belongs to me, and your life belongs to me...for as long as I let you keep it." His earlier amusement was replaced with venom and hatred. "I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on you and I will not let you go to waste. If you don't believe me, ask Kagura about your grandfather." He shot her a wicked smirk then spun and stalked out of the room.
Angry words were exchanged in the hallway that Kagome couldn't make out. Another man, this one a guard that she vaguely recognized, stalked into the room. His eyes trailed over her comforts, much as Naraku's had, before he started grabbing. Her calendar and clock were the first victims. He used his hanyō strength to shred the calendar and crush the clock, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Her books were next and fell quickly to his razor-sharp claws to join the growing heap. The sound of tearing and crushing filled the room.
Kagome was too stunned to move. She could only watch in wide-eyed silence until he stepped up next to her bed. He scowled at her then ripped away the pillow from behind her back and the blanket she was clutching to her chest. They too were shredded and joined the rest. Kagome felt cold and it had nothing to do with a lack of a warm blanket.
The door slammed and Kagome jerked her head up with a gasp; she was alone again.
She pushed herself away from the wall and settled on the edge of the bed. Closing her eyes to avoid seeing the damage on the floor, she took deep breaths to calm herself. She was trembling but it wasn't from the fear or distress she was sure they were hoping they would inflict. She was so angry, if she could she would be growling. It was all so pointless.
The ruined items were the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. "Stupid bastard," she grumbled. "Stupid, cowardly, cruel, heartless bastard." A small part of her hoped he was still in the hallway listening. The larger, more rational part of her hoped he was long gone. Even with her powers suppressed, her skin had crawled at the angry flare of his yōki as he stalked out of the room. She was angry but she wasn't stupid.
Her anger could wait though. She stood and walked over to the door, avoiding the pile in the middle of the floor. She placed a hand on the door and leaned close, listening. All was silent in the hallway. Trembling fingers brushed the door handle before she wrapped her fingers around the cool metal. She strained her ears and stayed frozen in place, her ear a hair's breadth away from the door.
This was a ritual every time someone left her room. All that was left was to turn the handle and hope it was unlocked. It was a long shot, she knew, but it didn't hurt to check. One sloppy guard, one second of distraction, one lapse in routine could mean freedom for her. Of course, the last person she expected to slip up was Naraku but he had been furious when he left and anger makes for a great distraction.
Her body tensed and her hand twisted the handle…and it turned.
Kagome's entire body trembled and her stomach knotted almost painfully. This was it, her chance to run. If she was caught, there was no telling what measures they would take to further secure her but there was no guarantee she would get another opportunity like this. So much could go wrong; one guard, one camera, one wrong move and she may never get another shot at this. But she had to take the chance, however slim it may be.
Holding her breath, she slowly pushed the door open just enough to see down the hallway. The white walls, white tiled floor, and white ceiling with its fluorescent lights were almost blindingly bright. There were two more doors similar to hers, one on each side of the hall. At the end of the hallway, partially covered by dark blue curtains, was a large window. For the first time in over a month, Kagome got a small glimpse of trees and a sliver of red and orange sky.
The breath she was holding came out in a sigh and her eyes stung with forming tears. She blinked them back as she opened the door a little more, just enough to stick her head out and look in the other direction. Her grip on the door lessened when she confirmed that she was alone in the hallway.
Knowing that could change in a matter of seconds, she quickly surveyed the rest of the hall. There were two more doors in this direction, creating a zig-zag pattern of five doors along the walls, all closed. Instead of a window at this end, there was one additional door, open and leading to a dim stairwell. Judging by her view out of the window, she was probably three or four floors up. The supposed stairwell appeared to be the only way on or off this floor, assuming the other doors were more rooms like hers.
Kagome was left with a few options, though none of them were very appealing. The first was to turn around, close the door, and pretend she hadn't peaked into the hallway. There weren't any cameras that she could see and she didn't think the unlocked door would raise many suspicions. At worst, they would be more diligent in locking it on their way out. This would, however, make her eventual escape more difficult.
She thought about just bolting for the stairwell and hoping for the best. The major problem with that was she had no idea where they were. They could be in the middle of a major city (doubtful given the trees, but possible) or they could be in the middle of the woods somewhere. She could be running away from one problem and straight into another, and that was assuming she even managed to get out of the building. She needed a better grasp of her situation before she tried anything drastic.
Which meant her last option was probably her best bet: checking the window and exploring the other rooms. Hopefully, at least one or two would be unlocked and, if she were extremely lucky, contain something that would aid in her escape later on.
Heart hammering and hands sweating, Kagome took one tentative step outside of her prison. The tile floor was cool under her sock-covered foot and she shivered, as much from the temperature as from her frayed nerves. Two more steps took her completely into the hallway. Her hand pressed into the wall was the only thing that kept her on her feet when her reiki flared back to life.
Gasping for breath and straining to listen over the rushing blood in her ears, Kagome slipped quickly back into the room. Heart hammering frantically, she felt her reiki recede immediately but she feared the damage had already been done. Surely someone would have felt the surge of power and would come running to check on her. She pulled the door shut and waited as she tried to control her breathing and stop her pulse from racing. She waited, and waited, and waited a little longer. When 10 minutes had passed, then 15, then 20 and nobody came bursting through the door, she finally allowed herself to relax slightly.
Finally in control of herself again, she stood and approached the door. She had to be ready when she stepped back into the hall. Her reiki was only sealed in this room and that was going to make her escape so much easier. For the first time during her imprisonment, Kagome felt a spark of hope. With renewed optimism, she once again placed her hand on the door handle.
Then she heard the sharp click of heels on tile and braced herself for the worst.
After over a month of sitting in a jail cell, Inuyasha was finally a free man. Less than an hour ago, Sesshomaru escorted him from the police station and drove him straight to the Higurashi shrine. No words were exchanged, no congratulations given, and no thank-yous uttered. As Inuyasha was climbing out of the car, his half-brother finally spoke.
"I will be back in one hour. Be ready."
Inuyasha nodded and shut the door. The steps leading up to the shrine loomed in front of him, inviting and intimidating. A light dusting of undisturbed snow covered the old stone, shifting slightly with the wind and catching the golden light of the late afternoon sun. From where he stood, Inuyasha could see the sign at the top of the steps that informed visitors of the shrine's temporary closure. Even from this distance, he could pick up the scent of mama Higurashi's cooking.
He was free and he was home; it felt incredibly empty.
"Kagome," he said under his breath. None of it meant a damn thing while she was still missing.
A shift in the wind sent a shiver down his spine and got his feet moving. His stomach knotted uncomfortably, the sensation growing as he reached the top of the steps and surveyed the deserted shrine. A thin but pristine layer of powdery white greeted him and the smell of food grew stronger. The wind pushed at his back and seemed to urge him forward. His nose continued to twitch as he walked but any lingering hint of Kagome's scent was long gone.
As he approached the house at the back of the shrine, his heart began to hammer in his chest. How was he supposed to face Kagome's mother after he'd failed so miserably? If he hadn't left Kagome alone, if he'd been paying better attention, if he hadn't left his damn sword behind, then maybe Kagome wouldn't have been taken. It was all his fault and he'd been able to do nothing so far to fix his mistake.
He steadied himself and slid the door open. Immediately, underneath the mix of scents in the house, he picked out a minuscule trace of Kagome. Faint as it was, it was still a punch to the gut and he had to place a hand on the door frame to prevent stumbling into the house. His body took over as his mind struggled to accept that she wasn't here, she wasn't fucking here, she wasn't going to be here, and she hadn't been here for over a month.
"Inuyasha," a woman's voice called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"
"Yeah," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's me." He took a few steps towards the voice before Mrs. Higurashi came rushing into the hallway and threw her arms around him.
"Your brother told me they were letting you out today. I was so worried about you," she said, the force of her hug knocking Inuyasha back a step. She pulled back and smiled up at him, looking so much like Kagome in that second that Inuyasha almost forgot how to breathe. "Come on, I know you must be starving." Tugging on his hand, she led him into the kitchen and guided him to sit at the table.
A bowl of ramen appeared in front of him and the smell made his stomach grumble loudly. He dug in, grateful that Mrs. Higurashi was holding her questions while he inhaled his food like he hadn't eaten in weeks. A second bowl quickly replaced it when he finished; it was gone almost as fast as the first.
"I knew they wouldn't feed you enough," Mrs. Higurashi commented as she took his second bowl away to clean. Her smile never faltered and she almost seemed to float around the kitchen. Even Inuyasha couldn't help the small upturn of his lips whenever she glanced over at him. She was genuinely happy that he was here, that he was free and safe and sitting in her kitchen eating ramen.
This wasn't the response he expected. He had prepared for anger at his inability to protect Kagome and disappointment that he was there and she wasn't. He was ready for harsh words and dirty looks. He was sure he'd be the easy (and deserving) target for all of Mrs. Higurashi's frustration, worry, and fear.
He was wrong and he was the fucking worst and he should have known better.
"How long are you staying?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she settled into a chair across from him. Her smile was still in place but her eyes were unfocused, her expression tight, and her hands twisted together.
"An hour, at most," he said, trying not to let his voice waver. "I can't just...I need to do something."
Mrs. Higurashi nodded and covered one of his hands with both of hers. "You'll find her, I know you will," she said and for the first time since Inuyasha sat down, her smile faltered almost imperceptibly. She squeezed his hand then leaned back in her chair. Her hands went back to twisting together on the table, her knuckles making occasional popping sounds.
They sat there for a moment, silence stretching between them. Water dripped slow and steady in the sink and somewhere in the house, Buyo landed on the floor with a soft thump. The smell of Mrs. Higurashi's cooking still lingered, reminding Inuyasha of those first few weeks outside of his hidden prison, learning his way around her kitchen and just enjoying being around other people. In a way, he felt just as stuck in place now as he did during those days hidden beneath the well. Until he found Kagome, until he knew she was safe and with him, his life was on hold.
He pushed himself away from the table, the chair scraping quietly against the ground. "I should grab some things before Sesshomaru comes back," he said and stood quickly. Mrs. Higurashi gave him a small, sad smile and waved him away. "Go ahead. Just, don't leave without telling me, alright?"
"I won't," he said before turning and striding out of the kitchen. He went straight to his room at the end of the hall, barely resisting the urge to leap up the steps and yank Kagome's door open. Her scent would still be strong, if a bit stale, and it was growing hard to resist the temptation. He managed though and stepped into his room, taking a second to scan his belongings.
It was odd seeing everything just how he had left it down to his crumpled sheets, half-empty bottle of water on his nightstand, and a lone sweatshirt thrown over the back of a chair. When he was only a step away from the bed, his nose began to twitch. He dropped to his knees and pulled the blanket to his face, inhaling a lungful of Kagome's sweet scent. It didn't just smell of her, it smelled of them. His hands clenched in the softness of the sheets, his skin burning against the cool fabric. Bile rose in the back of his throat and his eyes stung with the effort to hold back tears.
He couldn't be here, it was too much.
Like someone read his mind, his phone vibrated against his leg. Sesshomaru was getting back to him early.
"Be ready to leave in five minutes. There have been developments and we move tonight. Wear black and dress for snow."
It took him three minutes to change his clothes, one minute to say a hasty but emotional goodbye to Kagome's mother, and a few seconds to get to the bottom of the shrine steps. Sesshomaru was already waiting.
"Start talking," Inuyasha said as he got into the car, slamming the door and buckling his seatbelt as Sesshomaru pulled away from the curb.
"We found a link between some property in Onigumo's name and the research our father was involved in," Sesshomaru explained, his voice as flat as always. Inuyasha grabbed the handle above the door as they took a turn much faster than the car should have been able to handle. "We overlooked it at first because we weren't taking our father's past into account. The connection should have been obvious." He almost sounded angry.
Inuyasha growled. "What makes you think she's there?"
"Because of the children. It is the facility where they studied the mixing of reiki and yōki." They screeched around another bend, swerving around some cars stopped at a light.
"You're going to get us pulled over jackass," Inuyasha said as he dug his claws into the dashboard to keep himself from flying out of his seat. "Or killed," he added under his breath though he knew he'd be heard.
Sesshomaru scoffed. "I am keeping on schedule. Kōga is meeting us a mile away from the facility to give us his scouting reports," he said then shot a glare at where Inuyasha's claws were dug in. "You're paying for that."
"Fuck off, it's your fault anyway," Inuyasha said but eased his grip anyway. "You've got Kōga sneaking around where you think Kagome is?"
"Yes. Wolves are exceptionally good at slinking around the woods in the dark."
"The woods? Where the fuck is this place?"
Sesshomaru was silent for a few seconds, his lips drawing to a thin line. He took a ramp onto a highway that would take them out of the city and towards the mountains. "It is deep in the mountains, isolated in the woods."
Inuyasha took in his stiff posture and the way Sesshomaru's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Wanna be more specific?"
"No."
"Where the fuck is she Sesshomaru and why the fuck don't you want to tell me?" Inuyasha asked, his chest rumbling with his agitation. His claws flexed back into the dashboard uncaring of the damage he may cause.
With a sigh and a look of resignation-the most emotion Inuyasha had ever seen from his half-brother-Sesshomaru said, "The facility is ten miles past the edge of our father's property."
"So what you're telling me," Inuyasha said trying his best to keep his anger in check, "is that she was right fucking there for the last month and a half and we're just now going to get her?"
"We did not make the connection until today," Sesshomaru pointed out. "Whether she was that close or not, we did not know until this evening."
They both fell silent after that, Inuyasha too lost in his frustration to speak anymore. Sesshomaru's car flew down the highway, the landscape slowly turning from buildings to trees as they approached the mountains. After two hours of driving with only Inuyasha's occasional growls to break the monotony, they finally reached the edge of their father's property.
"Only a few more miles," Sesshomaru said unhelpfully. "Tessaiga is in the trunk."
That got Inuyasha's attention. "You think we're gonna have to fight our way to her?"
"We won't know until we rendezvous with Kōga and his men but there is a good possibility that Onigumo will have his hanyō posted around the facility."
"And no police involvement?" Inuyasha asked with a sneer.
Sesshomaru scoffed. "Human police do not get involved in yōkai affairs and yōkai police would only get in the way. We handle this my way."
"Fine by me."
They lapsed back into silence for the last few miles. At a seemingly random spot, Sesshomaru pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut the car off. Without a word, he got out and closed his door silently, Inuyasha quickly following suit. Just inside the trees, dark shapes shifted and a group of men with Kōga in the lead emerged from the forest.
"About time you two showed up," Kōga said, glancing between the two men before settling his gaze on Inuyasha. "One of my men spotted Onigumo leaving one of the buildings looking pissed as shit. You ready for this?"
"Of fucking course I am," Inuyasha said and glared into the woods like Naraku might step out of the trees any second. "All I've had to do the last month is stare at a wall and wait. I'm ready."
Kōga smirked and nodded. "Good because Kagome's gotta be here; why else would that bastard be hanging out at an abandoned research facility?"
"What information have your men gathered?" Sesshomaru asked as he approached the trunk of the car. He popped it open and pulled Tesssaiga out, tossing it to Inuyasha who caught it deftly. "Make it quick as we must move under the cover of the night."
"There are three buildings but only two of them have the lights on and are in decent condition," Kōga explained, talking fast. "One looks like a regular single-story office building with big-ass windows and rows of cubicles. The other is a depressing three-story rectangle with one window on the second and third floors and only one exit with two men guarding the door. That's where we expect to find Kagome."
"Onigumo came storming out of the guarded building about an hour ago," one of Kōga's men added. "He must've been pissed cause his yōki was going fucking crazy. I swear I can still feel it. Makes my skin crawl." The man cringed and his features scrunched up in disgust.
It was quickly decided that Inuyasha would take the building where they would be holding Kagome while Sesshomaru and Kōga went after Onigumo. Until they knew more about the hanyō working under Onigumo, they would try to leave them alive. Getting Kagome to safety was their top priority but taking out Naraku was a close second. They could deal with the consequences later.
Once their plans were in place, they set off through the woods. Kōga's men spread out and went back to keep watch while Kōga, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha cut a straight path towards their destination. It would take them about 15 minutes to reach the facility moving as carefully as they were which gave Inuyasha plenty of time to work himself up.
"Get yourself under control," Kōga hissed through his teeth. "Your yōki is gonna give us away."
"Fuck you," Inuyasha bit back but concentrated on calming himself anyway. Then he felt it: a single powerful pulse of reiki. He recognized it immediately but barely had time to gasp before it cut off abruptly. A hand squeezed his shoulder almost painfully.
Sesshomaru stepped in front of him, keeping his grip firm. "Do not do anything rash. If they know we are coming they my grab her and run...or worse."
Inuyasha nodded and shrugged out of Sesshomaru's hold. They resumed their walk through the woods at a slightly faster pace, Inuyasha pulling ahead in his anxiousness to reach Kagome. His skin prickled at the remembered feel of her reiki's warm caress, however brief it may have been. She was so close and it took everything not to run ahead and start tearing things apart until he found her and made sure she was safe.
They finally reached the tree line and got their first look at the small compound. From where they were standing, they could see the entrance to the plain concrete building with the guarded door. The office building was set behind it and to the right, its windows dark. A slim figure approached the two guards and Inuyasha growled when he realized who it was.
"Kagura," he said, his voice low and rumbling. "The fuck is she doing?"
"Why don't you go find out?" Kōga said, his voice also low and dangerous. "Time to get this shit done."
"Try not to blow anything up," Sesshomaru said flatly. "We slip in, do what is necessary, and slip back out. Are we clear?"
With a quick nod, the three separated, each knowing that tonight would see the end of this mess...one way or another.
