Shades of Gray

by fallenangel7583

Kagome wants to escape from the pressures of the Higurashi name, InuYasha wishes to prove him more then a black sheep. Both lead duel lives at sun set. When paths cross in that gothic setting, fires of the soul ignite. I/K, S/R, bdsm, non con warning.

45. Shades of Gray

~~ Shades of Gray ~~

~~ Chapter 45~~ Shades of Gray

*- notes: I can't thank those who have stuck by this story enough. It's been such a long ride, and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to ditch it because I had lost my motivation. Finding the mindset I was in nearly fifteen years ago is an impossible task, but I've done my best to do right by these characters and give them the endings they deserve. Trigger warning: there is discussion of the awful things Bankotsu did to Kagome in this chapter as they finally face the judge.

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: please make sure that you read chapter 44. was doing some weird shit with not posting new chapters for the last few weeks. So I uploaded chapter 44 on Tuesday, and then 45 today. If you tried clicking the 44 update, it told you it didn't exist. It does now. So please make sure the order you read was 'chapter 43: like the sun' then 'chapter 44: five' then 'chapter 45: shades of gray'. /notes

Michael Reyes had one job, but he had the pleasure of wearing many hats. That is to say, he was one of the few competent people at his office, and therefore, was given multiple jobs which were sworn to only be temporary. He knew, after working for the court system for so long, that temporary was a euphemism for permanent. So, while his actual job was court stenographer, he doubled as the IT best-boy at times. He knew how to operate the equipment the old biddies couldn't figure out; so, while he also had to transcribe his documents, he often spent his time playing with their computers, fixing the audio tapes, and reviewing information on an as-requested basis. While most days he enjoyed his job, he was not looking forward to the rest of this particular case.

Lowering his double expresso cappuccino with two extra shots of expresso to his side, he glanced at the face staring back at him from the newspaper. The doe eyes had fooled him at the start of this case; she seemed so innocent, and Koizumi the big bad wolf, that he would have joined the raving protestors calling for the monster's pelt. But the more he heard, and the more that was disclosed as the trial wore on, he found that it was so much more than he first thought. Sure, the young girl had a rough life; she had supposedly been sexually assaulted as a young teen and left with an unwanted child, which her mother claimed as hers that, for some reason, ended the marriage of her and her husband. He still was a little confused as to why a man would turn his back on his family over such traumatic matters, but he had a hard time understand that 1%. If anyone was absolutely the villain in this whole charade, it was her father. The man had cut off all of his communication with his daughter because she had been assaulted by a child of his business partner. As if that had been her fault? Michael had two girls, both of whom were in their twenties, and he couldn't imagine having abandoned them after such an experience. He also knew the guilt he would harbor in his heart over being the ultimate cause of her trauma; and yet her father seemed as though it was an inconvenience for him, as if she had orchestrated the entire event for some surreal type of revenge.

But to settle this inner turmoil, or to seek absolution of these sins, as the state argued, she had sought out punishment. Kind of. Again, everyone seemed a little shaky on the details. But instead of just seeing a shrink, like most American's, she dressed up in leather, traveled fifty-two miles, and allowed some other psychotic rich asshole to beat her. Again, Michael thought as he sipped his coffee, he didn't understand the rich. 'And in this case,' he thought, 'there is an abundance of rich assholes who have enough money to feed the whole country's homeless'. Higurashi. Koizumi. Taisho. All kids of foreigners who came to America and made it big.

'Rich kids,' he thought with a grumble; 'if my kids had a fifth of the opportunities these morons have squandered, they'd never want for anything. But these dumb shits, not one over thirty, got involved in some seriously kinky shit that has smeared their family names across the front of every tabloid in America. I hear they are following this case in Japan as well. Stocks for all the companies have plummeted; Koizumi had nothing left, but Higurashi and Taisho have both taken a significant hit. I wonder if these kids even care that they are irrepressibly damaging the legacy their parents tried to create for them. Selfish little...' Michael spent the next fifteen minutes grumbling to himself while Kagome Higurashi's bruised and battered face starred back at him from the newspaper.

The one thing that was certain was that this trial was barely anything less than a media circus. The reporters and paparazzi—was there any real differences? —were camped out in front of the court house every morning, some sleeping in their vans to have the first chance to accost the court workers at 5am. The poor janitor didn't know what hit her when five rushed her yesterday on her way into the building. Security would be tighter today; it had to be. This was quickly becoming a hostile work environment. The reporters hung at the door, waiting on something they could spin to be the next tragic American tale. They were all camping on the Higurashi side of the trial; Koizumi ruthlessly beat the girl half to death because she no longer wished to associate with him. That was the only thing that Michael really understood. After that, though, everything went to hell; the girl took out fake restraining orders, but had copies of paperwork that weren't submitted. She went to see him, he came to see her, regardless of the supposed orders. She never called the police because...why? Something about her family was her lame excuse. He showed up at her work, but no one saw him. He kidnapped her, but no one reported it for hours. He had goons hold up her work who later ended up dead through very unclear and unspecific circumstances that involved demons; it was all so convoluted. But the focus of this particular case was whether or not he tried to kill her. All the superfluous information was clutter that the district attorney was hard at work trying to sweep under the rug. The defense, however, was not having it; they wanted to air all the dirty laundry out. Leaks to the media were happening more and more every day; first, the bombshell that the Higruashi girl's younger brother was really her son. Then it came to light that the girl was sleeping with the Taisho boy and Koizumi. There have also been whispers that she was having affairs with two other men; a man by the name of Itogawa who had also broken into a hospital and tried to kill her and some demon that she met at the club. What was it about this girl that had men frothing for violence? A golden pussy, maybe? He couldn't imagine what would drive respectable, accomplished men to give it all up in a fit of rage. Her innocent victim act was staring to grate on his and the public's nerves. Every day she was being cast as more and more of a whore. And he hated it.

There was a prevalent attitude that existed in these kinds of cases of which he was very much aware. It was hard not to be, having dealt with so many sexual assault cases in his life. They, being the public, liked to blame the victim. Because she was promiscuous, she was asking to be ...insert the charge here. Raped, strangled, assaulted, stalked, murdered, sold into slavery, gangbanged, etc. It was so common, in fact, that he wondered how those attempts to spin the women from being victims of a horrendous crime to having been 'asking for it' still worked on a jury. But it did, just as it was starting to work here. People stopped paying attention to the facts, as strewn together as they were. They didn't want to know that Koizumi had orchestrated her abduction from her place of employment. They didn't care that she was beaten and repeatedly raped by this rich psycho. They didn't pay attention to the fact that he had strung her up in his dungeon and flayed her back open, broke several vertebrae, and severed her spinal cord. They didn't even blink when told of the damages that occurred internally from his repeated sexual abuse, and that, according to her initial prognosis, she would have probably been facing a hysterectomy because of the severe damage. But then she had been miraculously healed. He wasn't going to even attempt to understand that, and it seemed that they jury didn't want to know either. What they wanted to know was why she was seeing four different people, what she was wearing the day she vanished, and how many men she had slept with over the last year. All of that, of course, was inadmissible. It didn't stop people from forming opinions. And, in his experience, those who were serving on the juries weren't always the brightest.

The girl had been damaged, that much was obvious. All of the data, photos, x-rays, and reports told the story of a girl who was horribly assaulted and lived through yet another nightmare in her short life. But the problem, the impassable mountain that the prosecution had to face, was the fact that this girl, so battered, bruised, broken, and not to forget paralyzed, had not one single mark on her. She could walk, talk, and was just as beautiful as any picture pre-Banktosu Koizumi. How could she be perfectly healed two months after such an assault? No one had answers. Or, should it be said, no one had answers they were willing to share.

The defense had called into question the validity of the medical reports, they pushed the thought that someone was out to blackball Bankotsu. And how couldn't someone believe that; here this girl was, not a scratch on her, while the vultures picked apart the ruins of the former business giant. Bankotsu's companies had been liquidated or assimilated into Taisho corp. The man, who had been worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was now wearing a suit that was worth more than he had in savings. Even his family sold him out, so it was whispered. He had been ruined by the train that was named Taisho; and it had been Kagome's case that served up all of his fortune to that family. If it came out that this entire event was fabricated, it would be one of the most devious acts of financial terrorism that the world would have seen.

Today, though, was very different from the rest. Today Higurashi was to take the stand. The trial had started nearly two weeks ago and had comprised of the testimony of the lawyers, the doctors and paramedics, the police, and some character witnesses for Higurashi. They had wanted to keep her from the stand; the prosecution had thought it too much for her to relive the terrible ordeal, and more so, to give the court room the graphic details of what that monster did to her. But Higurashi was more than willing to testify against Koizumi. She wanted justice, she wanted to confront him and demand answers; but what the Prosecution feared were the questions that others would ask of her that she couldn't answer. Those questions seemed to threaten to blow holes in this case. And that terrified the prosecution. This girl could make or break the case. And everyone knew it.

Koizumi, himself, had been as cool as a cucumber this entire case. In fact, if Michael was honest, the man's composure was terrifying. When he smiled, it never reached his eyes. His eyes were emotionless voids that lacked any spark of humanity. It was as if he were soulless; he went through the motions of being a person but that was where the similarities had stopped. Michael could also swear, and it made him break out in a cold sweat, that Bankotsu had all but smirked when photos were shown of the damage done to Higurashi. He seemed pleased with himself, with his final product. But he was quick to say how disgusted he was that someone would do that to such a beautiful girl, and he would never dream of doing something so evil. All the while, during his questions, Michael's hair stood on end. Whether or not Koizumi had done this deed, there was something inherently wrong with him; he was not someone Michael would want to meet in a dark alley on any night.

Yesterday, he had been granted a slight reprieve. The court security systems were scheduled for maintenance, so he had the luxury of a half day. It didn't stop the reporters from harassing him on his way out the door and down the street, but it had been nice to kick up his feet. The calm before the storm, he surmised, while gathering his belongings and getting ready to exit the bus. He grimaced as the court house stairs came into view. Protesters were still blockaded across the street, and it seemed both sides were out in numbers today. The loudest were those who supported Kagome and her plight, and yet the other side seemed to be growing quickly. They called for the truth, for Kagome's lies to be seen as just that; it was another obvious attempt by left wing feminists to see to the destruction of the male's rights to due process. They clambered over claxons and war cries that a woman could now so easily destroy their lives with just a statement and see to their financial ruin.

Reyes rolled his eyes. The drama was too much. Pushing out the door of the bus, he shuffled his way into the court house, shouldering past reporters and muttering 'no comment', even though he wasn't entirely sure anyone asked him for one. They were all waiting on baited breath for Higurashi to appear.

Arriving at his office, he placed his expresso on the table and dropped into his chair. He still had to review the audio tapes from yesterday morning's trials, which brought him in two hours early today. He could have done it yesterday, but the weather was so perfect that he had to take the opportunity to escape while he had some sanity and daylight left to enjoy it. Reaching for the stenograph machine, he paused. He checked around his desk, looking quickly for his tape recorder. While he was unquestionably a professional, he always used a backup device to make sure that he caught everything that was said. Looking around the small office, he panicked. If that device got into the hands of a reporter, they would have all of the testimony from the previous day. He wasn't sure what was confidential and what was not, but he wasn't going to be the source of a leak to the press.

Grimacing, he turned on the lights of the court room that had doubled as the big tent for this circus. He walked to his podium and searched fruitlessly. Nothing there. He ran a hand through his curly black hair and cursed. Where the hell did it go? He remembered the court room emptying yesterday morning after the trial. He had paused to talk to Monica about a memo or something at her station next to the judge's bench. Walking back there, he all but sighed in relief. He had left it sitting on her desk. Picking it up and slipping it into his pocket, he sighed again. Wasn't going to be his ass this week for a fuck up, that was for sure.

The click of her heels echoed across the barren corridors of the court house. The wooden floors seemed to almost rise up to meet each downward thrust of her foot, begging for the weight of her sins. Scuff marks decorated the floor, she noticed as they continued their parade through the empty halls. She wondered how often they had someone come in to care for these bruised planks of wood. She couldn't help the small shiver that rode its way up her spine while making undesired parallel connections between herself and this scuffed up, abused floor. Shaking her head, she knew it would do her no good to drown herself in pity. Today she needed to bring her A game; she needed to put the life of being someone's doormat, someone's—Bankotsu's—floor out of her mind. She had enough weight resting on her shoulders to crush her to pulp against these battered boards. If she spoke out against Bankotsu, her life and those of family and friends would eventually be forfeit to his psychotic tendencies. If she played his game, she would once again be nothing more than his pawn; sure, he might actually live up to his word and never bother her again, but it wouldn't be long before there was another victim, another life, that he would claim in his sick ways.

She had been up all night with these fears playing like movies behind her eyes. Even with InuYasha's fantastic attempts to knock her into an unconscious sex-laden slumber, she hadn't really slept more than a few hours. While he tried his damn hardest to chase all the demons away, and held her to the bed with punishing thrusts and wicked movements of his tongue, he hadn't been able to fully pull her away from her thoughts. It had been fun, that was for sure, and by the end of the night, she had screamed the number nine before collapsing against his side. But it hadn't been enough to stave off the dreaded thoughts or vivid dreams that woke her in a cold sweat of panic and heartache.

And here she was again, considering both sides of the argument; to tell or to evade? Each decision came with serious ramifications. Their district attorney hadn't been of much consolation either; his panicked stature the day before was like watching a building crumble. He had believed himself so safe in the arms of the law that he hadn't once thought to check who it was that was truly holding him. The law only reached so far, and it was Bankotsu's game, his plight in life, to exploit it for all he could.

Easton led the charge into the courtroom, his head held high and his three-piece suit in immaculate condition. But for all of his posture and poise, fear had touched him and left its mark; his eyes were checking every corner, every crevice that they passed, waiting for the invisible assassin to take someone's life for daring to stand against this man. Kagome couldn't blame him; she knew all about how jumpy Bankotsu could make a person. His fingers twitched every few seconds, a nervous tick. Kagome sighed, hoping he would get it together when she took the stand.

Kagome firmly set her jaw as she walked behind the prosecutor. She had made her mind up at four AM, while sitting in an empty bathtub in InuYasha's arms. She was exhausted, delirious, and nearly sure she was hallucinating, when it all became clear, so clear she could laugh. The answer had always been there, waiting for her to see it, for her to notice. She hadn't actually had an option, in truth. She had to do what was right; it had been her resolve to do that nearly three months prior, and to allow Bankotsu to attempt to sway that was simply not an option. She would testify against him, and then get the hell out of the area with her family. She would utilize every contact she had to protect those precious to her. She could transfer schools easily, and with InuYasha's pledge to follow her to the ends of the Earth, she knew he would help her make this a reality. She would make sure they were safe. But even with that resolve, she couldn't help but ponder over her choices.

Keeping the pace with the attorney, she attempted to pay no mind to their armed security escort, or the voice in the back of her head that warned her of treachery. What if he had hired one of these men to be that assassin about which Easton had been so worried? This paranoia would be her bed fellow, she acquiesced, for the remainder of her life.

Entering the courtroom, she was surprised to find InuYasha, Sesshoumaru, and their father already sitting in the seats. She and Yash had parted after he dropped her off with the prosecutor that morning. He had wanted to check in with Sesshoumaru before the trial started. She blinked, and blinked again, as she realized that the great Inu no Taisho had left his humble abode to attend this trial. His steely eyes met hers and he gave her what was really only a tiny incline of the head, but was a giant broad smile to her sleep-deprived mind. For a man as expressionless as him, his acknowledgement of her plight, and taking the time to be here to support her, was endearing. She touched her lawyers' shoulder, cringing at the way he jumped in surprise. She motioned to the Taisho clan and silently broke stride to sit next to her boyfriend.

He looked as worn as she did. Slipping his arm around her shoulder, he kissed her forehead and then pressed his nose against hers. "You look like a fucking mess. Guess I do too," he added.

Both elder Taisho men cleared their throats. Toga spoke first, "for the sake of dignity, InuYasha, watch your mouth."

"This isn't your backyard brewpub," Sesshoumaru added for good measure.

InuYasha lifted his eyes to stare at Sesshoumaru, because he was a much easier target who probably wouldn't murder him. "Oh, my backyard…brew pub? What the fuck does that even mean? Can you hear yourself below your Oxford haughty English? What the fuck are you even saying?"

Sesshoumaru snapped his head to stare at InuYasha. "I'm saying try to be civilized for once and keep your trap shut. No one wants to hear you run your mouth. It's bad enough that you did…" he grimaced and motioned to Kagome's sleep deprived face, "that to her the day before she has to square off against a psychopath. I mean, honestly, both of you reek of sex and look like hell."

"…fuckin' showered," InuYasha mumbled before glancing over at Kagome and cringing. While Sesshoumaru was full of shit and they didn't stink, Kagome definitely had some light red markings across the flat of her neck from the neck tie and his canines that makeup barely concealed. So maybe he hadn't fully thought through his plan last night, but it had been fun. He was impressed that she could walk, and in heels no less.

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly, blinking his eyes in utter exasperation. "And choked her while doing so? I mean, honestly. What were you thinking? You realize that she has to address the jury today, about nearly being choked to death? I swear…sometimes I think you just do these things to watch the world burn."

Toga made a noise that made it sound suspiciously like he agreed with Sesshoumaru and his vexations.

InuYasha sighed and returned his attention to the girl next to him. "Judge wanted to see the counsel in his chambers. Something's up; did Easton say anything?"

Kagome shook her head, having missing that conversation apparently. She glanced around the room to notice that Eason had already left the court room. "Wait…when did that happen? How did you know?"

Sesshoumaru sighed pointedly. "Someone excels at sticking their nose where it does not belong. He overheard the bailiffs talking. Apparently, the judge is not pleased this morning."

Kagome leaned forward slightly to look past InuYasha to his brother. "Do you know why?" Hope blossomed in her chest at the thought that maybe, just maybe, they had found some evidence of Bankotsu's threats from the day prior.

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Not a clue. I can only presume it's about the media circus that has established itself as part of the scenery outside. They have lived on that grass now for nearly two weeks. I am willing to bet he is tired of being accosted every morning by those…hooligans."

Kagome rolled her eyes and swatted his knee. "They're not hooligans, Sesshoumaru. They're just trying to keep the country aware of what's happening."

Sesshoumaru eyed his knee for a moment and then the girl. "No one should pay attention to this drivel. It's mindless, inane, and utterly pointless, no offense. They only give a damn because of the names involved. Had this been another Jane Doe from the hills of Pennsylvania, no one would have cared. But because the families are wealthy, America is obsessed. It's a sickness, I swear."

Kagome raised her eyebrows in agreement, made a face, and sat back in her seat. InuYasha glanced around the room, his eyes narrowing at the men in uniform who stood as sentries by the doorways. "New guards today," he commented quietly. "These guys haven't been here before. They must not be taking chances, knowing who is and who isn't on Bankotsu's payroll." He reached over and gently squeezed Kagome's thigh, hoping that having guards she could trust would assist in easing her conscience.

Taking a few deep breaths, she began rehearsing her answers, the key points she wanted to make, and her affability. She had to get the jury to see her side and to sympathize with her. She stole a glance at InuYasha, who was intently watching the door on the far side of the room. It was the door where Bankotsu had appeared yesterday, and he would appear again there very soon. Kagome glanced at his hands, noticing how white his knuckles had become the longer he stared. She knew it wasn't a good idea for him to be here, to hear the twists his lawyers would put on her actions, to see the way she would dissolve into a fit of tears when the right words were strung together. Today was going to be the hardest day of her life. She was going to have to come face to face with a lot of truths about herself that she had tried to ward off, to bury, to cover in bruises and salacious behavior. She didn't want him to be here, but he had insisted and so had all her friends. The courtroom would begin filling at any moment, once the doors were opened. And then it would be show time. She would testify against Bankotsu, his threats be damned, and come what may.

It was to Kagome's surprise when the lawyers emerged from the room wearing various stages of disbelief across their face. Mr. Easton opened his mouth, as if he were to address her, but the bailiff began speaking.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Meyer."

Kagome and the Taisho men rose, awkward in their ascent at the sudden appearance. Court was not scheduled to start for another thirty minutes.

The judge, a fifty something year old male who looked like he had never smiled a day in his life, appeared swiftly and took his seat. He stared at his desk, undoubtedly reading some papers, and then met the gaze of the court. "I need all non-court appointed members to clear the room, with the exception of Ms. Higurashi."

InuYasha's gaze shot to Kagome and then quickly back to the judge. Sesshoumaru and his father were already standing and collecting their belongings. "With all due respect sir," InuYasha addressed the judge as he took a tentative step forward.

The judge glanced up. "Are you a court-appointed official, son?"

InuYasha furrowed his brows, a frown playing at the corner of his lips. "No but…"

His frown deepened, "then clear the room."

InuYasha quickly glanced back at Kagome, "what do you want me to do?"

Sesshoumaru quickly grabbed InuYasha's arm and dragged him back a step. "Leave, now. You will be of no help to her from a jail cell. Argue with him and you'll be in contempt. And I am nothing short of positive that if you end up in a jail cell, it will be your execution chamber."

InuYasha threw a glance back helplessly at Kagome, knowing what his obnoxious brother said was true. His mouth moved a few times but he couldn't find the words.

The bailiff took a step forward. "You need to step outside, sir." His inflection was not nearly as nice as the judge's was.

Kagome could hear the growl building in InuYasha's throat. Having had little sleep the night before left both of them on edge, and InuYasha was starting to seem more like a ticking time bomb with every breath he took in that court room. "It's okay," Kagome said swiftly, "I have Mr. Easton. It will be fine; I'll tell you everything."

InuYasha was very obviously not okay with this. "But…I don't want you to be alone with that fuck face…"

"I won't be. There are plenty of people here. You need to go," she kissed his nose and pushed him back a step.

Scoffing and throwing everyone in the room a very hostile glower, InuYasha trod after his family, allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

The judge signaled to the bailiff. "Please bring Mr. Koizumi to join us."

Kagome's heart leapt into her throat as she spun around in the gallery. She hadn't expected him to be included when they had asked to clear the room. What the hell was going on?

The door, where less than twenty-four hours previously the devil had appeared, opened swiftly. Two men ushered the same demon into the room, but this time he was donning fancy manacles. Kagome felt the corner of her mouth tip up at the irony of it all; here he was, beholden to his fate which lay in her hands, cuffed and unable to escape. He had hoped to crush her in a very reversed situation only a few months prior, but here they were now. His hands and feet were both bound, the metal clashing against the stark contrast of his white suit.

Shuffling to his seat at the defense table, his eyes caught hers for but a second. She could see a thousand emotions circling those oceanic blue eyes of his, but they all stemmed from the same source of emotion: He was as unsure of the judge's intentions as she was. The look of confusion that dwelled across his features, and the way his eyes flickered uneasily between the judge and his lawyer said it all; he had no idea what was happening. Kagome felt the breath leave her as she suddenly realized that she might have the upper hand. His monstrous presence, the all-powerful, all-controlling entity that had haunted her dreams and terrorized her life had been stripped away. In front of her was the shell of the man she had met years prior, the man she had fallen in love with and who had been swallowed whole by his desire to dominate. He had been reduced to ruin, no matter how much he fought that fact. He had no control over what was happening here in the court room and it showed in the way he held himself as he walked.

As Bankotsu took a seat next to his lawyer, the man leaned over and began speaking quietly to his client. Kagome watched Bankotsu's expression as cautiously as she could. She breathed yet another sigh of relief when Bankotsu's eyebrows raised up, nearly disappearing under his bangs, before he slowly closed his eyes and slouched back in his seat. He seemed to take a handful of deep breaths then opened his eyes sharply. He leaned forward again and the two men began speaking quickly.

"Please bring in the jury," the judge said without another word to the court.

After a moment of tense silence, except for the quiet whispers of the defense, the twelve men and women who had been assigned to the case for the last two weeks filtered into the room. This was the first she had seen them. Glancing at the jury box, a part of her was amazed to know that these people, plain people that she might have passed on any day on the street, would be the ones to decide the fate of her life. They held her safety and security in their hands and they looked like the common Joes of the world to whom she had never paid any attention. As the last one took her seat, the judge directly addressed them.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we here in the district court of New York City appreciate your time and energy devoted to pursuing the truth and justice of this case. In light of new evidence, a mistrial is being declared for this particular trial. We thank you for your diligence and your time. Your civic duty to the city of New York city has been met. You may collect your personal belongings and see the court officer for payment."

The bailiff helped to usher the confused and contemptuous people of the jury from the room. Angry mutters of wasted time, confusion, and one particularly upset juror for not knowing the end to 'this circus' echoed across the chamber as they were rushed from the room.

As the twelve were removed from the courtroom, Kagome smashed her hands together in an attempt not to visibly waver in her seat. New evidence? That sounded so hopeful that she actually dared to steal another glance at the defense table. Bankotsu was slouched in the chair, one hand pressed against his lips in either an attempt to smother an expression or not to be sick. Her eyes darted across to the prosecution table where Easton was speaking with one of his associates. Wouldn't someone just tell her what the hell was going on? Easton had been so sure there was no way they could convince the judge about the witness tampering; they had no evidence as of last night. Maybe the police had found something?

"Ms. Higurashi, would you please approach the witness stand," the judge called to her softly.

Moving her mouth twice she glanced at the prosecution and then to the defense. "Uhh…yes, your honor," she replied swiftly before pushing forward. She walked past Easton, who gave her a firm smile and a reassuring nod. That was a good thing, right?

She could feel his eyes burning into her, demanding her acknowledgement as she reached the stand. His presence, though efficiently nullified by manacles and the presence of the bailiffs, was still felt in her bones. Lifting her eyes to the table of the defense, she could see him regarding her. It was as if he was assessing everything that had changed in her since the last time they had been alone. Really alone. Not when he had kidnapped her at the height of his madness or the time that he held her to his desk and bludgeoned her within inches of her life. It was as if he was looking to see if the Kagome he had known, the one who he had taken into his care and taught the ways of being a submissive, was still present. It was as if he was calling to her soul to see if there was any part that would still answer him.

Lifting her chin, she met his stare with a cold one of her own. No, was the silent answer she returned. There was no part of her that would ever answer to him again. She then turned her attention to the judge. From the corner of her eyes, it seemed as though Bankotsu wilted, just slightly.

"Ms. Higurashi, I appreciate you coming in to the courtroom today to share your experience with Mr. Koizumi. I am to understand it has been…harrowing."

The defense lawyer stood after a second, as if unsure how to proceed. "Uhh…objection, your honor?"

The judge paused and redirected his attention to the lawyer. "Objection to what? Who are you objecting for? There is no court case happening here now, son. Save it." Glancing back at Kagome, he attempted to smile again. "I understand that yesterday you were here at the courthouse with Mr. Easton. Is that correct?"

Kagome nodded, forgetting to voice her words. She startled after a moment and answered quickly, "Yes…sir. I was."

The judge smiled benevolently, as one would at a young child. Kagome tried not to hate him for it. "I would like you to tell me what happened yesterday, when Mr. Easton was called from this very courtroom for a phone call."

Kagome swallowed thickly. She could feel his gaze intensify, daring her to tell the truth. She kept her eyes focused solely on the judge. "A guard appeared at that door," she motioned to the far side of the court room, "and brought Mr. Koizumi into the room. He took off his handcuffs and told him he'd be back." She dug her nails into her thighs to keep her attention focused solely on the judge.

"And this guard, he left you two alone?"

Kagome nodded. She could hear Bankotsu hiss a slur under his breath as he thrusted himself backwards in his seat.

No one paid him any attention. "And what did Mr. Koizumi tell you?"

'Deep breaths, Kagome', she reminded herself. 'Inhale…exhale. You can do this.' "That if I told the court that he was the one who kidnapped me from work, he would make sure that everyone I loved would be murdered. He offered me my freedom if I said I wasn't sure that it was him."

"Your freedom?" She could hear the clicking of keys from the court stenographer as he followed their conversation. They seemed to clack at the same rate as her heart beat.

"He wouldn't send anyone to attack my family, or my friends. He said I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. It essentially boiled down to him giving me back my life without him in it."

The judge nodded slowly. "And then what happened?"

Kagome blinked. Her nails bit into her leg as she forced the next part out. This wouldn't come back on her, right? They weren't trying to get her on an assault charge, there was no way…right? "I…attacked him. I tackled him to the table and momentarily considered trying to stab him in the throat with a pen."

The judge lifted his eyes slowly to look at Kagome. He eyed her quietly for a moment before nodding. "And then?"

"Well, the guard returned and pointed a gun at me. Bankotsu flipped us over and told me that I should take his deal, and then they left."

The judge pinched the bridge of his nose before removing his glasses to regard Kagome as one would an interesting specimen of new creature. "I have to ask, Ms. Higurashi: Why didn't you stab him?"

She heard Bankotsu make a noise that sounded like he was vaguely offended. Kagome blinked and shook herself to be able to answer the question. "I'm not a murderer, your honor. I would have liked nothing more than to bury that pen in his throat, but that's just not who I am. I would much rather see him face justice and allow you and the system to devise the appropriate punishment. I don't want to give more of my life to this monster than I have already."

The defense attorney began speaking again. "Sir, I mean…I understand that what Ms. Higurashi is saying sounds very damning. But…there's no actual evidence that supports her assertion. Our video cameras were out yesterday and…"

"We have an audio tape of the entire exchange," the judge said swiftly.

She heard Bankotsu growl again before he opened his mouth and addressed the court. "I'm sorry your honor, but I don't believe that."

The judge sniffled and shook his head slowly. "Of course, you don't, Mr. Koizumi. Because you think you are so slick that you can just get away with anything. You can slide by and no one will notice. This time, son, you didn't account for human error. There was a recording device left in the room that morning, by mistake, from our stenographer. It recorded the entire conversation."

Kagome's mouth fell open as she whipped her head to stare at Bankotsu's expressionless countenance. The only tell that he gave to express his upset was the faintest twitch of his mouth. She turned back to the judge, "So that means…"

The judge sighed heavily. "It means a lot of paperwork."

Kagome chewed on her lip for a moment, her eyes scanning the room. She could see the defense lawyer attempting to rationalize something, anything, to avoid losing the case that was unwinnable from the start. She could see the calculations running through Bankotsu's brain, trying to find a loop hole or a way to slither away without anyone noticing. His eyes locked on hers and she tilted her chin up a bit further, signifying that she was unbreakable. His eyes narrowed before he sighed and blinked heavily. He looked exhausted and defeated. Continuing her examination, she could see the relief and triumph in Easton's eyes; he was pleased that he no longer had to go up against Bankotsu's bullshit. She knew that Bankotsu had put the fear of god into a lot of people who had been in the court room. She could imagine InuYasha pacing in the hallway, seething and irate that he couldn't be in the room with her. He hated her being out of his sight, especially when wearing a limiter, and he had become nearly possessive about it. She could picture Sesshoumaru, sitting on the bench trying to read a newspaper while InuYasha paced back and forth, and quickly tiring of his brother's antics. She imagined that their father made haste to get away from the papers, that were undoubtedly chomping at the bit to get a few words in with the eldest Taisho.

Kagome realized the defense was speaking, "…and maybe we can come to an agreement."

Blinking, she focused her attention on Easton who was eyeing her. "What?"

Easton slightly raised a hand, signaling her not to say anything. "Given the new charges that will be filed for witness tampering and having an audio recording of a confession…"

Bankotsu slammed his hands down on the table, the thunder of his palms was reinforced by the cracking of his manacles against the hard-wooden surface. "You have nothing! You say you have this mysterious recording and yet I haven't heard it. I think," he turned his attention to his attorney and narrowed his eyes to slits, "I think this is a conspiracy, a set up. I think that all of you are conspiring to get me to confess, to rob me of my due-process. What, did the Taisho family pay you off? Are they lining your pockets so that you will take their side," he threw a glower towards Kagome, "her side…and believe these lies?"

Kagome rolled her eyes along with nearly everyone in the courtroom. She couldn't contain the small bubble of incredulous laughter that slipped out. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she grimaced and prayed no one had heard. Sneaking a look up to the judge, she was mortified to find him staring at her. The man gave her a moment to contain her hysteria before addressing the man who spoke out of turn. "Mr. Koizumi, I am sure that you actually believe that. I believe that you think yourself infallible." Lifting up a small recording device, he pressed play and Kagome felt a hot blush erupt on her cheeks as she immediately recognized their voices.

Bankotsu's cold and callous words rang out from the tiny device. She found herself grimacing at the crass words he chose to use in a court of law.

"Kag, get the dick out of your ears and listen to me. You get to walk away. You get to never worry about me, or my friends, or my family, or your family. You get to go back to Kagome circa January 2006 if you just…forget. And I know we're too far in for you to play stupid, like you love to do. I realize you can't just get up on the stand and tell them you forgot the past two years over the last few weeks. As much as I would love it if you could keep your dick sucking mouth shut, I know you can't and I know we're way past that point. So what I want is for you to remember everything about us. That's you and me, babe, and the times that we had leading up to this…faux pas. I'll even let you slander me by recounting that time that I hit you in my apartment."

There was a pause and Kagome shivered at the fresh memory of his most recent assault. "You tried to kill me." Kagome felt a shudder rip through her body at the memory and at his defense of his actions.

"semantics. But honestly, you're being dramatic. I had plenty of opportunity during that time to kill you, or have you killed. I wanted you to learn not to lie to me, but, little good that did. I won't fight you on your revisionist history of that event…." Kagome's voice interrupted his train of thought. "You beat the hell out of me and tried to drown me!" Cringing, Kagome could just about hear the condescending smile covering the bastard's face. "I washed the blood off of you after one of our sessions. It's a far cry from drowning."

He really was insane, wasn't he? Kagome had danced around the thought for so long but it was true. He wasn't always, was he? She almost couldn't remember. The recorder continued to air all of their dirty laundry for the court to see. "A session? A session, Bankotsu, was a gentle flogging, with maybe a crop, not a god damned bullwhip, following by tender love making and aftercare. Not brutal force, bludgeoning, and then you choking me into unconsciousness on a table."

"You didn't deserve one of our good sessions, Kagome. Not after lying." There was a sigh and a lengthy pause. "I don't have time to debate this. Look. Tomorrow, when they ask you who 'accosted' you at work, you're not really going to be able to recall a face. It's all really blurry for you and, while you thought it was me, you realize that maybe you were wrong. You really can't be sure who it was."

Kagome sucked in a breath of air; there it was, the witness tampering. And it seemed, by the way the grin worked its way onto Easton's face, that it was enough to press charges with hard evidence. Kagome knew the final nail in the coffin was quickly coming. "No one would believe that," "Suddenly I'm confused? No…that's…"

She held her breath, ignoring the way her hands were starting to shake. She wasn't sure if it was out of relief for all of this being over, or for the way Bankotsu's eyes hadn't left her since they started the recording. "They don't have to, not really. They just need to know you're not sure who it was. Reasonable doubt, Kagome. That's all I need."

"If it wasn't you…"

Bankotsu's words rang clear though the quiet room. "You don't need to worry about that. If you don't remember who it was. You get to be free of me. That's it. Nice and simple. It will be a clean break; you have my word." Another pause, and this time it seemed as if done for dramatic effect. "I promise you, we'll be done."

The judge pressed pause on the recording and stared silently at the defense table, waiting for Bankotsu's response.

Bankotsu stared at Kagome, his hatred nearly palpable. His mind was slowly drifting back to the day that he had pulled her out of her car through the broken window. The way he felt the broken glass slide through the soft flesh of her back, sending rivulets of warm red blood spilling down her back and onto the cold ground. He thought about the way she had struggled against him, how she fought like a wildcat for her life. It was the hardest he had been in a long time, as he smashed her against the roof of the car again, and again. Hurting her felt so…good. He knew he shouldn't feel that way; he had loved her once and you shouldn't enjoy hurting those you loved. He had loved her, deeply. Before she had become Taisho's whore, before she had been touched by Sha. But she had awoken something in his blood that demanded hers, and he was not strong enough to stop it.

She had been his and she had been his world. When Kikyo had introduced them, her faux innocent routine had lured him in. He was adept by that stage in life in seeing the darkness that dwelled behind one's eyes. He could see she had a secret that terrified her. He could see she was suffering and seeking redemption. He wanted to believe that in the early months he honestly wished to heal her, but that was never true. He wanted to exploit that darkness, that secret, and use it as he used whores.

But he wasn't sure how far she was willing to bend. It had taken the better part of a year to figure it out, when he forcefully held her down in bed and taken her ass. She had then licked him clean at his command. It was that night, he realized as he stared at her, that something inside of him broke. In a dark corner of his mind, thoughts and desires he had tried hard to repress seeped out and demanded for him to make her bleed. It demanded him to force her to submit, to debase her as far as he could. It called to him to bring her to the club, to watch other men fuck her, humiliate her, and hurt her, and then to do even worse things himself when they were alone. It told him what to whisper to her, to remind her that she brought it on herself, that it was her atonement for her previous sins, that it was what she craved and deserved.

But he fought the desires, he fought those compulsions. He kept her from that part of his life, and instead wined and dined her as much as he could. He treated her like a princess, but the need for her to be his whore possessed him. He found himself wanting to push her further and further, to break her, to bleed her. He delighted in the abuse, more so than he had with any previous girlfriend or submissive, and he wanted more. He wanted it so much that it scared him. He knew that his role as a Dom, even if he wasn't officially hers, was to allow the submissive to feel out how the relationship should go, to tell him her limits and her desires and allow him to find ways to please her. But if he were honest, his relationship with Kagome was all about his needs. He never once cared if she liked anal sex, or if she found it repulsive when he would cum with his dick lodged down the back of her throat. He was simply enthralled in how he could use her for his pleasure. He would think about her at work and become instantly hard. He found himself locking his door and rubbing one, or four, out on a daily basis in his office.

He still loved her, almost as much as he loved hurting her. It was during this time that everything had started to fall apart. He had Kagome, his girlfriend, and Mags, his slave at his club. As he was preparing Kagome for her introduction to his club, he happened across Sha and Mags fucking in a back room. That night, he tried to quell the voice in his head with her blood. He had theorized that if he had hurt Mags the way that his brain longed to hurt Kagome, maybe it would sate the desire. Mags had bled and bled, and yet it wasn't enough. Even when the life had drained from her body, the compulsion was still there, screaming Kagome's name in the forefront of his mind. He knew at that point that there was an issue, that maybe he should seek help. Taking Mag's life hadn't mattered to him, and deep down it troubled him how little he cared about it. Seeking help though, what could come from that? He couldn't rightly explain to a shrink he had just beat a girl to death to try to quell the desire to murder another, so to him, it was a moot point to even bother discussing it.

It wasn't long after that night in the warehouse that he decided to bring Kagome to the club. Maybe seeing her in his dungeons and at the beck and call of other Doms would sate his desires. And while it didn't quiet the voice, he quickly became obsessed with the sight of her in his place of refuge. All he wanted was to live in the memory of those hours. Yet as he toiled away his nights with Kagome at the club, he found that his business was suffering. His time spent in his office was dedicated to searching online for new toys and posting in BDSM forums amongst other doms on ways to punish her. He realized, however, that his shareholders were becoming anxious at the downturn of profit in his business and had to redirect his effort and focus. He had to force down the darkness to attempt to take some semblance of control in his life.

He hadn't wanted to break up with her, not really, but she was bad for business. He knew he was on the fast track to becoming a figurehead in American Business and knew he needed something more. He needed a girl who came from fame, and Kagome was not that girl. When he had started dating his fiancée, Ayumi, the heir to an oversee fortune, he pictured it was Kagome who he was kissing, touching, fucking. But it nearly spelled disaster as he found himself unable to control the desires. Ayumi had threatened to leave him the first time he tried to choke her during sex. He learned how to squirrel away the need when he was with his fiancée, long enough to have vanilla sex and sate her needs. It had been difficult at first to control it, and if he were honest with himself, the fifteen or so minutes was about all he could do before the itch was begging to be scratched again. He had eventually began demanding Kagome attend the club two nights a week, he even went as far as to give her a job, to make sure she would show up and be at his beck and call. Very quickly, he found himself dragging her into the confines of the dungeons and found solace in the sound of the bull whip as it ripped and sliced into her skin. He gave into all of the compulsions, all of those dark desires, as he trained her to be his at the club. And he reveled in her pain. But never had he felt better, never had he felt so alive, as he had the night he accosted her in the parking lot. She had defied him, she had left him for another, for InuYasha Taisho, and that was unforgivable. But more than anything, he had thoroughly enjoyed the pain and hurt in which he had finally allowed himself to indulge. Watching her bleed, watching her writhe in pain, watching her life drain away while she hung in his black room was the pinnacle of his darkest wishes.

The love he had felt for her, he realized as he watched her, the judge, and the lawyers speak about him as if he weren't sitting right there, had been a veil for his desire to hurt her, to abuse her, that ultimately lead to him wanting to kill her with his bare hands. The fear in her eyes when he held her down in his apartment, and later in the car on the way back to the club, was the only thing in life he craved. He realized, as his pants tightened and his heart rate increased, that he could never quit her. He enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, the quivering fear that lingered in her eyes as he towered above her, the control over her very existence was what he craved. Even here, even now as his entire life was being disassembled in front of him, as he sat in a room of lawyers, and justice, and men with guns, he would take any opportunity to see the fear in her eyes again. He groaned inwardly, and maybe outwardly as well, that he had given up the opportunity the day before. He had turned his nose up at the thought of fucking her on the table at which he now sat, feeding into the jealous hatred and rage that she was willingly giving herself to InuYasha. He should have made her bleed yesterday, he should have fucked her senseless. He could have sent her back to InuYasha with him dripping down her thighs.

He found a maniacal bubble of laughter ripping its way up his throat before he could stop it. Scared at what would follow, he attempted to put his hands over his mouth to silence himself, but the laughter came regardless. He could feel his face contorting into a sneer, his pupils dilating, and his breath now coming in pants as the laughter ripped through him. All noise in the court room ceased as all eyes were now trained on him.

He met her gaze head on, holding her eyes captive and daring her to look away. He had to wrest back control, he had to have her again. Maybe…maybe if they would just understand that he owned her, that he had made her what she was, that she was his, maybe they would allow him to continue his work. Maybe they would allow him to see that beautiful shade of red as it slipped out of her body and splashed on the floor. "Your honor," the words began to spill from his mouth without his permission, without the Bankotsu polish; "what you don't seem to understand, what none of you understand, is that she is mine. She's done this to me, she made me this way. I was…I was able to maintain a balance between who I was at the club, and who I was at home, and she…she blurred the lines! She made it so that I couldn't maintain these boundaries, that I couldn't control…" pausing, he tried the argument from another angle, "She agreed to our terms, she took the vows. She knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to become my property. Who are you to say what I should do with my property…" he shook his head, seeing relatively blank, if not aghast, stares; "She made me want more, she made me want her, to want to…" he searched for a word for a moment, "she made me obsessed with her. It's only fair that she belongs to me. I don't know why you're allowing her to talk, she's only a toy. She's mine…" He was vaguely aware of the looks of horror and disgust that were being thrown his way from the others in the room. He knew his defense lawyer was talking over him, repeatedly telling him to stop speaking, but he was but a gnat. Everyone was in shock except for Kagome. She met his crazy head on, her eyes refusing to look away. She didn't even blink as the voice that he had tried to keep hidden, this side of his crazed obsession, seeped out from the dark corners of his mind. He had always had this proclivity for violence, but she brought it out, she gave it life and purpose. "Take responsibility!" he yelled suddenly; his voice nearly shrill with emotion.

Kagome stared at Bankotsu, initially baffled by his words. But it slowly began to make sense, the words, his actions, his beliefs. She didn't break eye contact with him as he ranted and raved, as he showed the court exactly how crazy he could be. "There he is, your honor," she said without looking away from Bankotsu, "that's the person who rules this body. This might be the only time you get to see him, to hear him, but this is who I've dealt with for the last year." There was a part of her that wanted to pity him but she just couldn't find it in her. "He's not sane." For the first time with a startled revelation, she acknowledged that he actually honestly believed she was his property, that he owned her, and that he truly believed everything he had done was within his entitlement as her master.

The judge was staring at Bankotsu as if he had grown two heads. Recovering as quickly as one could upon hearing such a self-destructive rant, he watched in dumb-founded silence as Bankotsu let the once taught strands of his mind begin to unravel. His decent to madness happened so rapidly that the frayed vestiges of his being no longer resembled a man, but instead bore the countenance of a caged, rabid animal. "Mr. Koizumi, please get ahold of yourself. You are the one responsible for your actions. You ask her to take responsibility when you yourself refuse to acknowledge your involvement in her injuries. Also, please remember you are in a court of law and I will remind you that anything you say is on record."

"Oh," Bankotsu nearly giggled, "oh I will take responsibility for what I've done to her. I enjoyed every second of her punishment, every inch I thrust deep inside her…" Somewhere inside of him, Bankotsu knew he had to stop talking, but they had to understand first, they had to see this from his perspective. "But she drove me to madness. She was fucking a demon, that Taisho boy—his family are demons you know." He saw Kagome gasp and knew he had struck gold. He attempted to wrest control of the situation but found himself failing. "She has probably fucked the entire brood, the god damned harlot." His eyes shifted to Kagome and he grinned maniacally, "tell me, does Inu watch as you suck his brother and father's cocks, or do they all fuck you at the same time? It wouldn't be the first time you found yourself air tight, would it?" Seeing the blush erupt on her cheeks, he shifted his eyes back to the judge. "She is mine and she belongs with me, not with that pack of cock sucking demons. And I don't know how else to explain my ownership. I wouldn't come to your house and tell you not to put your dog in a cage, or on a leash. I wouldn't tell you not to discipline it when it disobeys. I don't understand why you think it's any of your business what I do with my pet." He eyed Kagome, "she signed away her humanity when she agreed to become mine. A dog has more rights than she should, and I should be allowed to punish it when she tried to rub herself off on another man. And yes, maybe, maybe I pushed too far, but really, so what if I ruined her? A slut like this shouldn't be allowed to breed."

Easton, who had been struck dumb by Bankotsu's rant, seemed to come to his senses and shot to his feet. "Your honor," he pleaded as Bankotsu continued, "this is…obscene. Please, for the sake of the victim…"

The judge cleared his throat and attempted to address Bankotsu. Banging the gavel, he yelled over Bankotsu's tirade; "Mr. Koizumi, I am strongly advising you to stop talking."

Banktosu stood quickly, enjoying how his lawyer was slowly cowering away from him, and how the bailiffs snapped to attention, as if they could stop him should he chose to physically engage the girl. Ignoring the judge and the other lawyer, he continued. "She is my property! This is…this is ridiculous. I'm not crazy, I'm not insane. This isn't…" he shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "I built my business from the ground up, from nothing!" He turned his attention to the judge as he fought for his much-needed control. "I made my wealth! I did it! Someone who is not mentally well couldn't do that. I opened a club, I made it popular! Why are you insistent on taking away what is mine?" Spinning to Kagome, he gnashed his teeth together, "and you! I gave you everything! I helped you with acceptance to college, I funded your scholarships from my pocket. Who was it paying for your train tickets, your clothing, your meals? I brought you release from that dull life you lived in Kikyo's shadow. All I asked for was your unwavering loyalty, and for you to end the night in my bed. Was that too much?" He closed his eyes and counted backwards from ten. He had to calm down, he had to….

The judge pounded his gavel once more on the bench. "Mr. Koizumi, I know you are not of sound mind currently, but I think your counsel would appreciate if you just stopped talking!"

Kagome rose to her feet, her eyes coldly meeting the man before her. It was only with an overwhelming sense of relief that she realized that he truly had no power over her. "I'm not yours anymore, Bankotsu. You need help. You've needed it for a while. You're not well. I'm sorry that you feel I hurt you. But what you did…I wouldn't have lived. I wouldn't have survived you. I loved you but it's over and it's been over for a while. You need to let me go." There was no pity in her words, simply the truth as it had to be told. She was glad that his madness had emerged before his theory of the Taisho demon blood. No one would pay his beliefs any attention as he was clearly out of his mind.

Bankotsu sighed heavily, his breath slowing down as he seemed to slowly piece himself back together. "It won't let me rest…it won't let me stop thinking about how much I want you…how much I want to hurt you…" the last words were hissed through closed teeth. His eyes opened as he met her cold stare. "I can't let you go, don't you understand," he nearly whispered, "you're mine. I told you that our pact, our contract, was for life. Did you think I was playing? Did you think it a game? I will never let you walk away from me, Kagome. I can't. You belong to me!" His voice grew in volume until he was nearly shouting at the end. His hands pounded down on the table once more. "Now, tell them, tell them that you made it all up. Tell them that I was not responsible for your injuries and we'll go home. You've been punished enough for the past. We'll start clean, I won't take actions against you for this, but you need to tell them it was lies, created by those demons so that they could steal my fortune and my property." His teal eyes shined brightly as he held up his hands. "Do as I command!"

Judge Meyer shared a look of commiseration with the defense attorney and Mr. Easton before addressing Kagome directly. "I think, Miss Higurashi, it would be best for you go to wait in the prosecutor's office. We truly appreciate your time and your…" he stole a quick glance at Bankotsu, "patience with these matters. And I am sorry for all that you suffered at this man's hands. Mr. Easton will explain how things will progress going forward once we have completed our discussion here in this court room."

Bankotsu seemed to take exception to the judge's comment. "You do not get to order her around! Listen to me Kagome! God damnit, listen to what I'm saying! You better fucking tell them it's all a god damned farce! Don't go anywhere; I have not dismissed you! You know how this will end if you disobey me. I will make you rue the fucking day. Just tell them it's done. Fucking tell them, Kagome!"

The judge groaned before shooting the bailiffs a glower. "Please remove Mr. Koizumi from my court! I think we've all had enough today." Bankotsu had barely spoken in the last two weeks so of the trial; but when he had, he was eloquent and well mannered. He was amazed, and completely baffled, to watch the mental deterioration of such an articulate individual. He had seen those who had been deemed not competent to stand trial, and he had dealt with some sociopathic criminals during his days on the bench, but he had never seen someone become so mentally unhinged so rapidly.

Bankotsu was on his feet before the judge finished his sentence. "You can't do this! I have rights that are being violated! Where is my due process?" seeing the blank faces of all those around him, his face contorted into a snarl. "Oh, this is fucking great. It's not bad enough that InuYasha Taisho is sticking his dick in my property, now he's sticking it in all your pockets, too? Here I thought the court was above being bribed by demons. Are you going to do anything about that? It's public record! Sesshoumaru Taisho waited until these false accusations caused enough upset in my company to buy his way into being the major shareholder! He ousted me from what is rightfully mine and now you're going to take her from me as well? I will not stand for this! I will not!" As two bailiffs closed in on either side of Bankotsu, his voice elevated. "I have fucking rights! I am a god damned American citizen! You're siding with demons, for the record." Seeing that Bankotsu was not going to begin moving on his own volition, the bailiffs resorted to dragging him. He did not go easy. Digging his heels in as often as he could, he slipped into madness once more. "Kagome! You stupid cunt! You've made your decision! I will make sure you pay for this! Your family will never be safe again! Sleep with your god damned eyes open because one night, I will be there! I will fuck the god damned life out of you over InuYasha's corpse. You will realize that what I did to you at the club was just the prelude to our sordid tale!"

The third bailiff joined the other two and assisted in the final shove to push him through the doorway. His voice was still heard, screaming obscenities and threats at Kagome for a moment longer before they were abruptly cut off.

The court room was quiet, a welcomed change, for a moment while everyone seemed to simultaneously ask themselves if that had really just happened. Kagome licked her suddenly dry lips, reminding herself to breathe.

With a shake of his head, the judge mumbled to Kagome, "you may step down."

"Kagome…" Mr. Easton had approached the stand quickly and offered her his hand. "I'm…sorry…."

Kagome swallowed dryly, feeling tears welling in her eyes. She took a deep breath, and continued her reminders to breathe as she accepted his help. "So much for not having to talk to him," she muttered to Easton as she reentered the gallery.

Easton cringed and paused by the prosecutor's table. "My apologies, Miss Higurashi, for how today played out. The benefit of this…windfall…is that he had clearly admitted his guilt in a court of law. Please allow me to talk to the judge about how we will proceed from here and I will meet you back in my office in, say, an hour?"

Kagome nodded dumbly before and slowly making her way from the room. She didn't quite know how to feel. Listening to Bankotsu's rant, actually hearing him verbalize his feelings about his ownership over her, was a lot to take in. He had always made quick quips and jokes about her being his property, his whore, but she had always taken it lightly. Apparently, he had not. There was a small part of her, one that she would never verbally acknowledge, that almost understood why he had done the awful things he had. This went so far beyond the realm of BDSM though, and she really hoped that someone in the system got him the help he needed.

As she pushed through the doors of the courtroom, she was greeted by a very peculiar sight. Sesshoumaru was on his feet, both arms wrapped around InuYasha from behind, crushing the man's back to his chest. Two court officers were standing in front of them, talking rapidly with hands resting on their weapons. InuYasha's face was red, redder than she had ever seen it, and she could distinguish the vulgar words pouring from his open mouth. Sesshoumaru spotted her first, and an unquestionable sigh of relief seemed to sweep across his features. He said something to the guards, who both immediately backed up, and Sesshoumaru called to her, "I'm letting him go!"

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed only for a moment. As Sesshoumaru said those words and freed InuYasha from his restraint, InuYasha shot forward like a bullet. Grabbing her by her arms, he hauled her into his chest, embracing her for all he was worth. There was a low growl in his chest that reverberated in hers as he held her tighter. "What in the actual fuck," he asked, his entire body shaking with rage, "were they thinking?"

Kagome cringed, never once considering that what Bankotsu was hollering could be heard outside the courtroom. "He…"

InuYasha pushed her away and looked over her, as if looking to see if they had allowed him to physically assault her the way he had verbally. "Those cock suckers allowed that son of a bitch to talk to you…to you…that way without stopping him! I can't believe…" Grinding his teeth for a moment, he seemed to be incapable of calming down. "Of all the fucking ridiculous things…they shouldn't allow a rape victim to be belittled like that by their rapist! They wouldn't stand by idly as some murderer recounted the way he dismembered someone…. Why the fuck did they allow him…." Shaking his head, he crushed her against him again, unable to complete a coherent thought. Kissing the top of her head, he mumbled, "they should have fucking gagged him." He paused for a moment before muttering, "see how he likes that shit." Kagome couldn't miss the way he trembled as he held her. She had never seen him so furious.

Kagome's fists closed on the front of his shirt, holding him closer to her while reinforcing that it was InuYasha who stood before her. She seemed to be in her own headspace, ignoring the tirade in which InuYasha had indulged. "He's gone…it's over," she sighed into his collar. It was only then that she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's finally over."

InuYasha felt the anger leave his body as her tears began to seep through his shirt. He loosened his death grip on her arms and kissed the top of her head. Turning to rest his cheek against the crown of her head, he eyed the courtroom wearily. He doubted the validity of her claim, because everything he had seen from the courts had been nothing less than a shit show. But he wasn't going to rain on her parade, or interject more worry into her already overloaded brain. He wanted this to be over as much as she did. But he had heard Bankotsu's rant, as had half the people amassed in the hallway. The man believed himself to be the proprietor of Kagome's mind, body, and soul and somehow, iron bars weren't going to change that. InuYasha knew his convictions were firmly rooted in his brain and that was extremely dangerous. While he would allow Kagome to see this as the end of her interactions with Bankotsu, InuYasha knew that this was when he had to take the reins, figuratively speaking of course.

"We," Kagome hiccupped out from her place nestled in his chest, "have to meet up with the district…attorney in about…an hour." She took a deep breath that only made it halfway to her lungs before being exhaled abruptly as a choked sob.

InuYasha glanced up to meet Sesshoumaru's gaze. His neutral expression was contradicted by the darkness in his eyes. Sesshoumaru had restrained InuYasha the minute Bankotsu had raised his voice loud enough to be heard in the hall, yelling about Kagome needing to take responsibility. InuYasha's barrage of curses and attempts to throw Sesshoumaru off balance to escape his grasp was enough to entice security to get involved. InuYasha had nearly calmed down until Bankotsu had begun his threats. Then it was all hands-on deck for Sesshoumaru to try and stop InuYasha from murdering the psychopathic businessman while simultaneously talking down the armed guards from shooting Inu as he grew more and more dangerous with every shout.

Sesshoumaru had heard everything that Bankotsu had said in the trial. Even though he wore a limiter, his ability to hear was still much more evolved than the typical human, his brother included. He had heard Bankotsu's proclamation about their demon heritage and knew that he had to get in front of this. No one in the court had taken his accusations seriously, especially in the midst of his mental breakdown; however, Sesshoumaru wasn't all too sure that Kagome hadn't given it away. The girl was an open book, and if she was startled by his revelation, she might have given Bankotsu the knowledge he needed to ruin the family. His mental breakdown and deluded notion of ownership of the Higurashi girl should be enough to refute anything he claimed. But if he could get the audio of Bankotsu's crazed rants, that would be sufficient evidence to discredit anything he said in the future.

"I will join you in your meeting with the attorney," Sesshoumaru concluded in a tone that was unquestionable.

InuYasha raised his eyebrows at his brother before glancing down at Kagome. "Are you okay with that?"

Sesshoumaru answered before Kagome could say anything. "It wasn't a request. In an hour, yes? If you excuse me, I need to make a phone call."

Kagome let go of InuYasha's arm and spun on Sesshoumaru. "Wait, Sesshoumaru, Bankotsu…" she darted her eyes around the empty hall nervously. "he said…"

Sesshoumaru glared down at Kagome, his gaze silencing her immediately. "I know what was said. I will see to it, but I need you to not repeat it."

"What else did that fuck face say?" InuYasha's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe of bangs.

Kagome rubbed his arm idly while holding Sesshoumaru's gaze. "No one…"

"Enough," Sesshoumaru responded soundly, making it quite obvious she was to talk no further on the matter. Turning on his heels, Sesshoumaru made a speedy exit, leaving the other two in his wake.

Glancing around for the first time, Kagome scrunched up her nose. "Where is your father? Is he still here?" She rubbed her eyes, momentarily embarrassed as her cheeks reddened under InuYasha's gaze. She felt her knees weaken under the thought of his father hearing the things Bankotsu said about her and their...exploits.

InuYasha wrapped a long arm over her shoulders and pulled her tight to him. "Nah, Pops hit the road as soon as they kicked us out. He knew his lapdog," he nodded in the direction Sesshoumaru had vanished, "would report everything to him. Seems like he was eager to do just that." He frowned before pulling Kagome back to him. "Are you okay?" He asked hesitantly, knowing that he was opening a can of worms.

Kagome rested her head on his shoulder and mulled over his question before answering. "I think I am but I wonder if the worst is yet to come. I've heard a lot of nasty things said about me these last few weeks. While I don't really care what people say…." she trailed off and sighed.

"Fuck em," InuYasha muttered before kissing her gently. "We can get the fuck out of here as soon as you say go. I think," he said after a moment, "that we should take some time for us." He pulled her back towards the bench and slowly sat down, pulling the smaller girl onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her midsection and placed his chin on her shoulder. "Hear me out, okay?" When she nodded, he continued, "I think we should take the rest of summer, and the fall semester off. We'll go somewhere warm, Greece, Italy, India, wherever you want. We'll relax, like really relax."

Kagome smiled indulgently before sighing wistfully. "That sounds lovely, but Inu, I can't. I mean, I ruined a lot for my mother and now Souta knows the truth about our relationship. I can't just skip out like my presence isn't needed."

InuYasha shrugged. "We'll take em' with us. I mean, a family vacation isn't exactly what I had in mind," he responded rubbed reassuring circles on her back. "We can get them a room next door….or another villa….or whatever it will take to get you to say yes, and for us to leave this god-damned shithole."

Kagome smiled patiently. "Souta's in school, InuYasha. I can't take him out for six months of first grade."

"What, we can teach him to read, or eat with a fork...or breathe through his nose...whatever the fuck they teach in first grade."

Kagome chuckled and leaned back against his shoulder. "I want to, I do…"

"Then do it."

"That's what got me into this mess," she reminded him. Sitting up and removing herself from his embrace, she stood before him. "I'm sorry, Inu, but I can't. We can't."

InuYasha frowned and made a grab for Kagome's hands, looking to pull her back into his hold. She slid back another step and clicked her tongue at him. Frowning, InuYasha narrowed his eyes playfully. "Oh we can, I just have to figure it out. What if….now hear me out," he said leaning forward, "what if I pay off all your mom's bills and move them into a new place that's in a better district and pay your mom to watch him…" He noticed how her expression was becoming one of warning and gave up his dream with a sigh. "No dice, huh?

Kagome smiled gently and clasped her hands behind her back. "Right now, I need to focus on getting our lives back on track. I have a little boy at home who really doesn't understand what's happened. I have a mother who I have…" with a cringe, she ground her teeth, "gravely embarrassed and left in financial ruin. I can't imagine what she's hearing from her friends about me. And I know I shouldn't care, but it has to be hard to hear gossip from your friends about your kid's deviant sexual life." She breathed out a puff of air quickly, "no, I can't just run away."

InuYasha reached forward but Kagome moved from his grasp again. "Kag, you can't be worried for you mom. She's a big girl and while yes, I'm sure it sucks, she'll overcome it. She's an adult. She will survive this, just like you will. But I'm willing to bet," he offered, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard, "that she would support you taking a bit of time to step out of the spotlight while this case simmers to completion."

Kagome closed her eyes before dropping to sit on the bench next to InuYasha. "I can't ask that of her. So please…"

InuYasha finally nodded, relenting for the time being. Draping his arm over her shoulders, he hugged her tight. "I'm so sorry you had to listen to that bullshit." Stiffening for a moment, he turned to regard her. "You know that's all that was, right? It's all horseshit, Kagome. You do not belong to him, you owe him nothing. You don't owe anyone anything. What he did was wrong, you never agreed to let him take your life." Trying to swallow down the anger that swelled in his chest at the mere thought of Bankotsu's words, he said, "he's a god damned stalker, Kagome. He showed his true colors to the people in that court room today and hopefully, they'll lock him away for life."

Kagome rested her cheek against InuYasha's shoulder. The fear that had consumed her the moment Bankotsu began his tirade bubbled up to the surface. She didn't want to think about it, but she had to. She knew she couldn't shy away from the painful conversations anymore. The thought of this trial dragging on though, that this wasn't the close of her woes, was heartbreaking. "What if," she began slowly, "what if they say that he's not competent."

"Come again?"

"What if they say he wasn't competent to stand trial. They can throw out all of today's testimony if they prove that he's mentally unsound. Everything that he said could be gone." She closed her eyes and let the thought marinate in her brain. Bankotsu had very obviously had a mental break; for as long as she had known him, even though these thoughts had always lived as part of him, he had been able to control them. Today, it became more than obvious that he no longer could maintain that control. Even though he had come to her and attempted to manipulate her into taking his deal, they could easily blame it all on an inherent mental illness that was guiding his actions. He could be remanded to a psychiatric facility for his sentence, which would be a much lighter sentence. And knowing him, he would find his way to weasel out, slip through the cracks, and find a way to escape back to society.

InuYasha took a deep breath, trying to force down the kneejerk angry response. He hadn't thought of them throwing out today's testimony. "If that's what they decide, then they can proceed without you. They saw firsthand how he can't keep his shit together when you're anywhere near him. This will just keep happening any time that they try to get you to testify. If they think for one minute that this was a fluke, then the jokes on them. He's crazier than a shit house rat, and they got a taste of it today."

"That's my fear. They might attempt to pin a diagnosis on him and say that was the reason for his soapbox confessions. They can try and say that he wasn't thinking logically, or soundly of mind, when he abducted me. They can say they'll medicate him and it will solve all his problems. Then they'll…" Kagome's voice trailed off as InuYasha hauled her into his chest.

Hugging her fiercely, he spoke firmly. "Don't you worry about that. We can't live with the what ifs, Kagome. It's been slowly killing us for the last few months. We can't hypothesize anymore; we can't brace for a future that's unknown. I know you like to be prepared, but we can't just sit around preparing for a war we aren't sure we're going to have to fight. I want to see you smile again, Kag, I want to hear you laugh. You've been so caught up in this drama with him and his bullshit that I haven't seen the real you in months. So let the court do it's job. If we need to worry about something else in the future, then so be it. But don't stand here thinking about it."

Kagome sighed heavily. "I know, but it's not that easy."

"Story of our lives," InuYasha shot back. "Fuck it. Let the fucker yell and scream what he wants. They can lock him up in a facility, or a prison, or the fucking bottom of the Hudson. Stop letting him control you."

Kagome took a long deep breath and attempted to ground herself. InuYasha was right. There was little choice she had in controlling the narrative that came from Bankotsu. She would just have to roll with what he said, just like the others would. Speaking of…she grimaced as she thought back to Bankotsu's proclamations.

"He told the entire court room that…" she frowned and glanced around, lowering her voice. "About your family. How…" she eyed him and closed her mouth. She hoped that InuYasha could pick up on what she was trying to convey.

Raising his eyebrows, he shrugged half-heartedly. "Consider all the facts; he knows you know Sha, he knows that you know me. He knows you and I are together, and he knows that you and Sha did…stuff. He knows that Sha and his demon kin showed up to take you back, he knows I have a brother who took over his business. It's pretty easy to draw the parallels, but if I'm honest, he probably was testing the water and gauging your reaction to add validity to his theory. But that's all it is Kagome, a theory. He doesn't have proof to support it."

Kagome grimaced and leaned forward to rest her head in her hands. "I…I didn't say anything but I can't promise that my face didn't change. Oh God, what if I gave it all away?"

InuYasha chuckled and tightened his arm around her to pull her back to him. "No one is going to believe the ramblings of a mad man, Kagome. Relax, it's okay."

Falling into the comfort of his arms was easy, and she allowed herself to close her eyes and attempt to relax before meeting with the prosecutor.

"I'm proud of you."

Kagome opened her eyes and glanced up at InuYasha. "Why?"

InuYasha snorted and shook his head slowly. "You held your ground. You showed that fucker that he didn't control you anymore. And you looked hot as hell doing it." He grinned as she gently smacked his shoulder, a blush coloring her cheeks. "You did good today, Kagome. No one can take that away from you."

Kagome groaned and buried her head further into InuYasha's chest. "I just want to go home."

InuYasha smirked. "What, you don't want to go out and face the gaggles of press just waiting to surround you in a tight circle and make you answer all of their inane questions?"

Kagome groaned louder as a response.

InuYasha's smirk widened. "Oh come on, someone has to explain to those fucks with BDSM stands for, and what a proper relationship entails of."

"Be my guest," Kagome ground out, burying her face deeper into his shirt.

"I'd rather show them," he cooed quietly in her ear.

Kagome's head shot up, nearly colliding with his as she looked at him in horror. "Yash! No. No thank you. I don't want to deal with those fucks, and I don't think you're the person to do it either."

InuYasha simply maintained irritatingly smug expression. "Oh please. I'm sure I can educate a few of them. There's hot ones, right?"

Kagome chuckled despite the current circumstance. "Please don't. I can't imagine the horror on your father's face when that would air on the six o'clock news. Son of billionaire tells all on the perks of being a sadist."

InuYasha waggled his eyebrows and kissed her head. "Don't worry. I've worked it out so that a car will pick us up from the bay. You won't have to go near them. Let Easton be the mouthpiece."

"You're too good to me," she replied lifting her face slightly.

"But you know you won't be able to avoid them forever. I mean, what happens when they want the rights?"

Kagome's brow furrowed for a moment before the revelation hit her. "You think they'll make a movie out of this?" Horror stretched quickly across her face. "No, no! Who would want to see that?"

"Uhh…who wouldn't? Please, this drama is the masses opioid." The sly grin returned to his face. "You'll be played by some hotty with big tits, I'll be played by some Jersey Guido, and Miroku will be the only person of color on the scene. Cause you know we'll both be white."

"They…can't do that."

"What, white wash a film?

"No, make the movie without my consent, right?"

InuYasha grimaced. "No, I think they can." The silence that fell between them was deafening.

"They're gonna make me a bitch named Karen, aren't they?" Kagome groaned and ran a hand down her face.

"Imagine if they figure out I'm a demon," he purred in her ear. "Imagine the sex scenes. Think they'll include dog ears? It'll be hot." He laughed loudly. "Ah man, I can see it now. Horrifically depicted scenes of what some newb thinks represents BDSM: Some macho asshole with clip on dog ears standing in a full rubber body suit with a feather, tickling a chick with huge tits who hasn't a clue about what is supposed to happen."

Kagome joined him in laugher, resting her head against him as they continued to near tears at the thought of Hollywood's rendition. After a few moments, Kagome wiped her eyes and smiled despite herself. "Thank you," she whispered quietly.

"For what?" His voice was less quiet as he was still caught up in the raucous laughter.

"For always finding me."

InuYasha stopped laughing as he gazed down at the girl in his arms. "Always," he whispered before placing his index finger under her chin and tilting her face up towards his. "Always." Lowering his lips to hers, he found the solace he needed within her soul.

"I can understand you're upset, but I implore you to remember that we are bound by the confines of the law. We can't just dole out punishments that we think are just without a fair trial and conviction in a courtroom. And, ultimately, it's not for us to decide. The only one who decides what constitutes a fair punishment is the judge."

"The confines of the law offered no protection to your witness today. How will they do any better the next time?" was the reply they heard from inside Easton's office as they approached. Knocking once, InuYasha pushed the door open only to pause mid step. Inside the tiny office of the DA was Sesshoumaru, sitting in the seat in front of the prosecutor, his hands resting on his knees and leaning forward while still managing to tower over the attorney, and Toga Taisho, who stood just behind Sesshoumaru, hands shoved into his pants pockets, chin held high, and eyes full of fury. The district attorney seemed to be completely distraught while sitting in the presence of two of the wealthiest men in the country. Their combined stares seemed to completely unnerve the prosecutor as a thin line of sweat beaded across his forehead. His mouth moved but he couldn't counter the eldest Taisho's comment fast enough.

"What happened today should never have happened. You should never have allowed a rape victim to be spoken to the way you allowed Bankotsu to do today. It is a perversion of the justice system to ask her to do that again." Toga lifted his chin just slightly higher, uncaring of the condescending tone of his words. "And I am more than sure that any news outlet would love to hear about how this court system allowed the badgering of a witness by their accused tormentor in the presence of a judge."

InuYasha gently led Kagome into the room and offered her the last seat in the office. He braced his hands on the back of her chair before eyeing his brother warily. He had caught the general meaning of Toga's words and could feel his gut twisting at the thought of Kagome being subjected to this all over again. "Catch us up."

Sesshoumaru eyed his brother for a moment before answering. He had hoped that he and his father would be quick enough to solve the blunder that was today's court hearing. Really, they had hoped to influence the DA into bringing a quick end to a case that had the possibility to become damaging to not only Kagome's psyche, but also the Taisho family empire. And yet it seemed to Sesshoumaru that the DA had very little interest in wrapping up this case, but rather using it to thrust himself and his office into the limelight for an indefinite amount of time. A case that drew as much attention as this, if ending favorably for the prosecution, could catapult this man's career to the next political level. It could have the potential to open endless opportunities for the lawyer.

"The defense attorney has entered a plea to consider Bankotsu mentally incompetent to stand trial, brought on by the stress of the case and the loss of his well-amassed fortune overnight. They are suggesting that said mental state began after yesterday morning's trial, therefore including his audio confession from yesterday and today's courtroom antics. Ultimately, they believe all of what he has said and done recently should not weigh on the verdict of this trial because he has been toeing the line with insanity. They offer little explanation for how he successfully bribed others to work for him, and Easton believes that he can counter that, but only if they find the guards who accompanied him yesterday. So far, because the guard did not speak on the recording and they had no video evidence, they can't place who it was. They will undoubtedly attempt to use his loss of sanity to explain the bribery, witness tampering, and threats of violence." Sesshoumaru brought his attention back to the lawyer who sat silently behind the oak desk. "And," Sesshoumaru continued, "we, father and I, believe it would not be impossible for Bankotsu to obtain a psychological evaluation favoring their prognosis. And once doctors are introduced regarding sanity, it becomes very difficult to combat, isn't that so?"

Easton sighed unhappily as all eyes focused on him for but a moment and he shrugged while struggling to find the right words.

Sesshoumaru didn't give him the time to formulate his thoughts. "Therefore, if this is all thrown out, we will have to do this again. We'd be back at square one, once Bankotsu is deemed competent for trial. That would give the defense all the time to come up with counters for the arguments and evidence they've heard, and any more necessary time to complete the witness tampering."

"Fuck. No." InuYasha spoke clearly and sharply. Leaning over Kagome's form, he locked eyes with the prosecutor. "You can retry him, you can erect the big tent and run your circus, but you will do it without her." His fingers locked tight on the back of Kagome's chair, his violet eyes flaring with anger.

Easton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Mr. Taisho," he cringed when three sets of eyes turned to him. "InuYasha," he corrected, "you have to understand that this trial…"

"Hinges on her testimony? That was before Bankotsu took the high dive off the deep end in front of a fucking judge. You have a confession. That's it, that's all you get, and if you need more than that, then you should find a new fucking job." The chair groaned under the pressure of his clenched fists.

His father clicked his tongue and InuYasha fell silent. "While extraordinarily and unapologetically crass, my son has a very clear point. You cannot expect Ms. Higurashi to take the stand again. What she suffered in there was barbaric. It's an insult to victims everywhere that she was allowed to be berated and threatened like that in front of a judge. Now you expect for us to encourage her to do it again? Why? To what end? What will you gain that you do not already have? Have her meet with a judge, take a statement, and allow this poor girl to move on with her life." Toga turned eyes to Kagome. "I think I speak fairly when saying that she has been through enough."

Mr. Easton held up his hands gingerly, trying to show that he was not the bad guy. He failed. "Mr. Taisho…senior…I understand how this seems. And I do agree," he said while turning his attention to Kagome, "that while what happened today was horrifically unfair to Kagome, the justice system will continue to protect her."

"Great job you've done so far," InuYasha quipped. "Wasn't it just yesterday that you were telling us that if Bankotsu could infiltrate your office, that nothing was beyond his reach? That if we went into the witness protection program, it would be akin to a death warrant? Now you're asking us to not only forget all of his threats, but also the way he was able to manipulate the system to be fucking left alone with Kagome—in a fucking court house—and trust that the law will do a better job this time around? Not fucking likely. Try again."

"You should have shut him down the minute he began to speak," Sesshoumaru added after a moment. "He should never have been allowed to address Kagome directly. I would understand if it was an end to a mean, but it wasn't. All he did was relish in the fact that he was able to abuse her. But now, you're saying that not only was it fruitless, but she'll also have to suffer through it again? No, that is completely unacceptable. We," he motioned to InuYasha and himself, "could hear only part of what he said, but to those of us in the hallway, he offered a clear and concise confession to his crimes. Repeatedly."

Easton grimaced again, lacing his fingers together over the large file on his desk. "Actually," he began, "he never clearly admitted to the kidnap and attempted murder. It was insinuated but never clearly declared. What he did do, however, was threaten to kill her, and you," he nodded towards InuYasha.

"Like to see him try," InuYasha muttered before sighing heavily. "Look, it's obvious that you're not getting her on the stand again. Trying to do that will only set him off, and make her suffer for no gain. You have a confession from him on audio tape from yesterday, you have his crazy rant from today. If you can't put him away…" InuYasha raised an eyebrow, "then see my previous fucking statement."

Kagome reached back to touch InuYasha's hand to try to calm his ire. She looked back to the prosecutor, unable to hide the frustration and exhaustion from her voice. She just wanted all of this to be over. "What will happen with their plea of incompetence?"

Easton eyed the other three men warily, wondering if one would interject before he could answer her question. As eight eyes bore into him awaiting his professional opinion, he could feel the mounting tension. Someone had once said that the Barr exam would be the toughest test of his expertise; clearly, they had never encountered a single Taisho, let alone all three of them. "Well," he started, "I will be meeting with the judge and the defense attorneys to discuss moving forward. The judge will review the material and decide if they support the plea. Before we can do this, however, there are a few things that will happen. Bankotsu will be moved to a federal prison from the maximum security one he is in now."

"Why?" InuYasha bit out.

"With his clear and documented attempts to persuade Kagome to testify to his benefit, he will be facing federal charges. He also bribed government officials, which is another federal crime. Plus, with his threats about the possibility of a jail break for his current roommate, we felt it prudent to remove him to a more secure facility. When this is complete, which will probably be within the next few days, he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and will probably be under surveillance for at least seventy-two hours. Once they decide he is not a threat to himself or those around him, they'll release him from the medical portion of the prison. But he will be kept mostly in solitarily confinement until the next trial. They will also be relocating his current bunkmate from here to a prison on the west coast, just to ensure that he does not attempt to escape and come after any of you."

Toga narrowed his eyes and turned from staring out the window of the prosecutor's office to glare at the man. "What about a plea?"

Grimacing, the man braced himself. "We are going to be offering a plea deal that was drafted by people above my paygrade. I…didn't put this together, please remember that. But I think it's fair and it will keep him off the street."

"Indefinitely?" InuYasha asked, one of his eyebrows arching high.

"No, that is not possible without hard evidence, I'm afraid."

InuYasha nearly smashed his fists into the back of Kagome's chair. Letting go of the battered wooden top, he walked in a tight circle. The venom of his tenor nearly as poisonous as his gaze. "You. Have. Hard. Evidence," he hissed, "what the fuck more do you need? A confession written in blood? Give me five minutes with him, you'll have it."

Kagome reached out and tried to grab InuYasha's hand but he quickly ripped it from her grasp. He was far too angry to allow himself to be placated. Turning on the prosecutor, she asked, "what is involved in the plea deal?"

The man's hand shook slightly as he retrieved the folder he had been given by the Attorney General. He eyed it for a moment before regarding InuYasha and the family. "We're hoping that he will accept the plea. Honestly, after everything that has transpired, it would be the only logical option." His smile disarmed no one.

Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair, and crossed his arms casually over his chest. "And what would that include?"

Easton smiled wanly. It was easy to see how quickly he was tiring of dealing with the Taisho family bullying tactics. "I really am only at liberty to discuss this with Ms. Higurashi. As the victim in the case she is entitled to know what we are offering her assailant. I would prefer if you would all give me a moment with her to discuss the terms. She is more than welcome to share it with you afterwards."

"Go fuck yourself," InuYasha replied curtly. "Fucking tell us."

The lawyer balked before his aura finally darkened. "I have done my best to be civil with you, InuYasha, and to suffer through your crude remarks without comment. I understand how frustrating this process is and when things don't go how we want them to, it becomes unbearable. But I ask that you remember with whom you are speaking. We're not friends, and I do not have to sit here and…"

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru dragged a hand over his face. He was long past weary of this conversation. He had attended today's trial in hopes of seeing the cracks in Bankotsu's facade, to see exactly how Kagome's presence would affect the normally rational business man. He had seen variations of fetishes and affairs throughout his life; hell, he had participated in one with Rin. But Kagome and Bankotsu's connection was unique, and it made him question a lot of decisions that had been made. Kagome was the wrecking ball that had caused Bankotsu's empire to crash down around his ears. For his part, Sesshoumaru had known obsession, and he thought he had felt it when he was drawn to Rin. For months, Rin was at the forefront of all of his thoughts. He found it hard to concentrate, especially if she was in the room. He checked out of his marriage when he realized that he was in love with her, and had made it his sole purpose to be left alone with her as much as possible. He knew the burning need of having her beneath him, of tasting her and taking her. But he had never once forced her into a situation, and he had always been in completely control his actions. But to know that his contemporary, a man similar in age and stature, had all but ruined himself over one girl baffled him. He had always known Bankotsu to be smart, if not dangerously observant. While he would never admit it out loud, especially seeing how things had played out, he had been impressed by Bankotsu's rise to power. Where Sesshoumaru had taken root in his father's business and flourished as a branch of Taisho Corp, Bankotsu had built is from the ground up. But to see the absolute annihilation of an empire like Bankotsu's at the hands of one girl had morbidly drawn his curiosity. He wondered what it would take to self-implode the way Bankotsu had, and couldn't help but wonder if Rin had rebuffed him, what his reaction would have been. He was sure, absolutely positive, it wouldn't have entailed stalking, kidnapping, or raping her. So why would Bankotsu, a man of such integrity in the business world, stoop to such a decision. Sesshoumaru simply could not understand throwing all of his hard work out the widow for a girl who didn't want him.

But more so than the morbid curiosity of the processes in Bankotsu's mind, he had been blindsided by the scandal. He prided himself on information and yet the entire affair had gone unnoticed by himself and all the other competition. While he didn't exactly care who Kagome was fucking, he liked to know the illicit details about his adversaries, and Bankotsu had been the closest anyone had come yet to what one would call competition. While he had heard some whispers of the man having a bit of a deviant sexual appetite, he hadn't been prepared to hear the extent. The sex club was a complete surprise; he had hidden his connection to Illusions well. And to find his brother to be wrapped up in it as well was icing on the cake.

Sesshoumaru found, as the trial dragged on, that he needed to see what it looked like when someone crashed and burned. He also needed to make sure Bankotsu didn't take the Taisho family down with him. "Just. Tell. Us," Sesshoumaru growled from his seat.

The lawyer turned his attention to Sesshoumaru and grunted, "Mr. Taisho, you have to understand that I am not at liberty to discuss this with the man who may or may not be responsible for the downfall of this man's company. I would ask that you and your family step out…"

Reaching across the desk, Sesshoumaru plucked the folder out the lawyer's hands, meeting his outcry of rage with a glare that could turn someone to stone. Sesshoumaru held the man's gaze for a moment longer, ensuring that he expressed what exactly would happen to this man if he were to try to take back to folder. Sesshoumaru then flipped through the top three pages of the file silently, before skimming them again. "Ten years for attempted murder, one for kidnapping, two for sexual assault, three years for witness tampering. Sixteen years total, with no chance of parole?" Closing the file, he lifted his eyes to stare at the lawyer, aghast and sickened by the revelation. "Two years for sexual assault? This is illogical. He nearly paralyzed her. How could you ever consider yourself protecting the public by only locking this madman up for sixteen years?" Lifting his eyes, he glared holes through the man's soul. "He would return to society before he's forty-five. He would still be young enough to do this again. And after hearing him today, I would think you understand completely that he will do this again." Rage boiled under his skin and for a moment, Sesshoumaru considered dropping his limiter and decimating the entire office with the flick of his wrist. It took a lot to work up the young prince, but damn it, this was starting to become absolutely ridiculous. The legal system in this country was abysmal, but here was the hard facts; the victims don't matter.

Kagome's mouth hung open as she turned to stare at Easton. "Is this for real? Sixteen years is all my life is worth? He would be walking the streets when my children are teenagers. He would…" Turning to look at InuYasha, she was relieved to see him nearly as blisteringly angry as she was. "Sixteen years?"

Easton sighed pointedly and addressed Kagome, wishing to be anywhere else but the tiny office. "I understand how it sounds. Sixteen years might not sound like a lot, but it's a start. While he is away, we can research this other woman whom he supposedly murdered. If we can get enough evidence to prosecute him, we will tack on first degree murder charges. We also have the case of the bartender. He could be looking at two life sentences on top of these charges." He tried to play the optimist. While he silently agreed with the family, he knew that they had to offer something that gave Bankotsu hope to see the outside of a jail cell again in the foreseeable future. The deal was a hard swallow for the victim, but it might be enough to end this circle-jerk.

"Or he could be looking to be back on the street in sixteen years if you fail," InuYasha quipped, "and somehow I don't think you have the know-with-all to properly try and convict him. I mean, look at the shit show from today. You couldn't get Bankotsu to shut up. Besides, what if he won't take the deal? Then you want what? You'd want Kagome to take the stand again? I think we've made it clear that will never happen. I will not allow her to be anywhere near that son of a bitch again. So you can take your plea, you can take this case, and you can take this entire legal system and shove it up your ass sideways."

Easton groaned and stood swiftly. "I think we're done here. Ms. Higurashi, you have heard our plea offer to Mr. Koizumi and while you and your…friends…might not appreciate it, it is the best we could offer with the evidence we have. The defense knows that we will be at their mercy if the judge rules that his testimony is inadmissible. It's still fifty-fifty, though, if it goes to trial. Hopefully, the defense will see the validity of this plea and counsel him correctly. Now, I do believe that we are done here. I wish you well and I will let you know…."

"You went to N.Y.U. school of Law, yes?" Toga spoke up, interrupting the current conversation. "and I suppose that you are certified by the ABA." Glancing behind him, Toga's eyes darkened. "I am sure that your Almer Mater would be aghast to hear about how horrifically Ms. Higurashi was badgered today in your presence. It's a matter of pride, bestowing a law degree on an individual and seeing them become something as…esteemed….as a district attorney" He eyed the lawyer for a moment, and while his face never betrayed his emotions, one could see the ridicule dancing behind his eyes. He hadn't meant a word of it. "While I agree with you that this plea is a necessary evil, it is your life support. If it is rejected there is a very good chance that this case will crumble. Therefore, your ability to sell the plea is a priority, and I expect it to be treated as such. Do you understand?"

Easton braced both hands on his desk before turning his attention to the business mogul. "Of course, we want to find common ground with the defense so that Ms. Higurashi will not have to relive this unfortunate series of events again."

Toga merely eyed the man with narrowed eyes. "I would hate to see the repercussions if the sale was to…fall through. First, you subjected Kagome to incredibly inhumane treatment in a court of law, but then to request…no, demand, for her to live it again, I am all but sure your university would be horrified. When this hits the press, and believe me it will, I am sure that they will be forced to reconsider the validity of your degree. After all, someone who cannot control the court room, who cannot protect their witnesses, shouldn't deserve to continue practicing under the name of such a prestigious academy." Leaning forward, Toga's voice deepened. "And even if they do not revoke your degree, you can be more than assured that I will see you disbarred for your ineptitude." Pausing to watch the man realize just how easy it would be for the Taisho family to ruin him, Toga's lip twitched. "Of course, there are ways to control the narrative, if you're so inclined."

Kagome chewed on her lip, watching these three men who owed her nothing engage in such a dangerous discourse. Sesshoumaru and Toga were blatantly threatening Easton, while InuYasha would have happily reached over the desk to pummel the man. Seeing the anger spark in Easton's eyes, Kagome planted her hands on his desk and stood abruptly. "I would like to speak with Mr. Easton alone, if the three of you don't mind. I appreciate everything you have done, and what you are trying to do for me. But…I want to discuss this…"

"No." Toga turned on his heels and stared down at Kagome. "While I understand your plight, Kagome, unfortunately my company and I are invested in this. Therefore, I will be handling this negotiation. If you do not like that, then please take my belligerent son and step into the hallway."

Easton knocked his knuckles against the desk, knowing that he was about to poke the entirety of all the beehives in the world. "And tell me, Mr. Taisho, just how are you invested? Is it because your oldest son managed to buy into Koizumi's company at just the right time to take over the controlling shares, which would seem to go hand in hand with falsifying claims to force a collapse of his business, or because of Mr. Koizumi's accusations about your entire family being of demon lineage?"

All eyes in the room trained on the lawyer and Kagome damn near fell over. A squeak left her mouth as she dropped back into her chair, being as cautious as she could not to let her neutral expression be betrayed by her shock. This man had a death wish, he had to. What the hell was he thinking?

A growl built in InuYasha's throat before both Sesshoumaru and Toga broke out in boisterous laugher. Snapping his head to the left to stare at his kin, InuYasha tried to find footing in their response.

"This wouldn't be the first time that someone has tried to slander our family name," Toga replied evenly, a thin smile still pulling at his lips. "but we've been investigated and cleared of any such charges." Returning to stand in front of the lawyer's desk, he leaned forward just slightly, and the traces of humor were quickly wiped from his face to stare sternly at Easton, "as far as any question of this so-called financial terrorism would go, that sounds quite like defamation of character. We could see you in court for saying something so stupid." Toga stood to his full height and sneered, "and as for falsifying claims, I think you heard the extent of Mr. Koizumi's guilt today in the court room."

Easton ground his teeth together and narrowed his eyes. "I would appreciate if you all would leave now." He returned his gaze to Kagome and offered a waning smile. "I would like to speak with you more on the matter, Kagome, but I do believe that I am at the end of my rope today. My secretary can set an appointment for us to meet again in say, maybe a week?"

Toga clucked his tongue, gathering the attention of the room back to him. "Now, before you so rudely interrupted my train of thought. I want your assurance that this will be handled. I do not want this case to see another day in the court room. Even if that means…finding another way to handle Mr. Koizumi, then so be it."

Easton cocked his head just slightly to the left, his eyes widening. "I'm sorry, what exactly are you suggesting, Mr. Taisho? And I urge you to remember that we are in a building of law and justice."

Toga rolled his eyes before leaning forward. "What I am saying, Mr. District Attorney, is that if you find yourself incapable of doing the menial tasks assigned to you, and completing something as trivial as securing a plea deal, then I would hope you would allow someone with more expertise step in and handle the matter."

Easton pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled loudly. "Mr. Taisho, I assure you that I am the most qualified to handle this situation."

"Sure as fuck could have fooled me," InuYasha commented, raising a slim eyebrow.

Toga ignored his son's comment. "As long as you understand that your career is, quite literally, at stake here, then I see no need to continue this conversation."

Easton stood swiftly and looked towards the door. "I'd offer to see you out, but being that all but Kagome invited themselves in…" he let his voice trail off and stared hard at them.

InuYasha grunted as Sesshoumaru and Toga pushed past him to find the exit quickly. They left without another word. InuYasha eyed Easton and considered going another round to make sure that he understood that Kagome would never take the stand again. He was sure, however, that his father had been pretty clear on the matter. Putting his hand on Kagome's shoulder, he nodded towards the door.

"I would like a quick moment, if you don't mind, InuYasha," Easton said as Kagome made motion to stand.

InuYasha blinked twice, and helped Kagome to her feet. "Was something…unclear?" He dared the man to say yes.

The DA cleared his throat. "Alone, with Ms. Higurashi, if you don't mind?"

"I do. So whatever you're going to say, say it with me here or choke on it."

Kagome turned and pressed her lips to InuYasha's cheek. "It's fine, just give us a minute."

InuYasha balked for a moment before grabbing her hand in his. "I love you, and realize that today's been insane, but are you out of your God damned mind? Bankotsu has already infected more people than we can know. How do you know the minute I step out this guy doesn't blow your fucking head clean off your shoulders cause Bankotsu threatened to out him, or expose something damning? I am not leaving you alone with anyone in this fucking system."

Kagome leveled him with a smile that lacked patience. They had all but drained away with the trying day. "Inu. I shouldn't have to ask twice."

InuYasha blinked before moving his eyes between the two slowly. With a sigh, he turned to the man. "You don't want to know what I will do to you if you hurt her in any way."

"If that was going happen," Easton remarked coolly, "wouldn't yesterday had been the perfect time, when we were alone? I assure you, I just wish to offer her some free advice."

"Is it to get fucked?" InuYasha stared hard at the man before him.

"The opposite, actually. You know where the door is."

InuYasha bit his tongue hard enough to taste copper in his mouth before turning on his heels and allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

Easton let out a long deep sigh and shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his gaze to Kagome. "I know I have precious little time, so I will make this quick. You're young and have the world at your fingertips. You literally have a new lease on life. Please, Kagome, don't squander it."

Kagome cocked a hip and tilted her head just slightly. "I don't understand…"

Easton pressed a few fingers to his temple. "You're not an idiot, and I would ask that you don't play one in my company." Seeing her smile dim, he rushed his point. "You just witnessed the Taisho might. They are bullies; they will push and push until they get their way. They deal in the same currency that Bankotsu does: threats and violence. They are the other side to the same coin. You just barely escaped the grasp of one psychopath. Please don't line yourself up to become InuYasha's victim in the future."

Kagome's smile fell from her face as she took in the man's words. "Mr. Easton, while I appreciate your concern, I want to remind you that up until yesterday, you thought I was a lying slut who was just trying to help my boyfriend's family's business. You went as far to still insinuate it just a few minutes ago. You didn't think Bankotsu capable of any destruction he caused in my life. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't quite trust your ability to analyze one's character. I know what I saw, but I also know who InuYasha is. He is not his father, and he is not his brother. And while he might be demanding, and controlling to some extents, he is equally full of love. He is terrified for my safety and is wiling to combat anyone or anything to see to my wellbeing. I don't know why you would try to warn me to steer clear of him, but it is clear that you know nothing about him."

"I know plenty of people like him," was the short reply. "and I have seen countless cases of young girls, like yourself, who have been extorted and abused, and I've watched them jump into similar relationships again and again. Do you know where it ends them?"

"Have a good day, Mr. Easton. Thank you for your concern." Kagome picked up her purse from the floor and walked towards the door.

-"in body bags," he answered over her. Reaching out, his hand brushed her shoulder. "Miss Higurashi, I can't tell you what to do about your current affairs, but as for the one that I am responsible for, please don't allow InuYasha or his family to get involved. If they attempt to…do something about Bankotsu, as his father suggested, it will backfire and it will ruin everything we have in this case."

Kagome paused with her hand on the door knob. "Mr. Easton, I am tired. I am exhausted from this maze the legal system has us running. I am exhausted from the loopholes that protect the man that just threatened my life and the life of my friends, in front of a judge. I'm tired to of the laws that exclude direct evidence from being used in court, and I am tired of a district attorney who not only didn't believe his client, but also then has the gall to try to make her believe that she has to follow his advice because other people are manipulative. I am done with this. Good luck with Bankotsu, he's a handful." Opening the door, Kagome exited the room without another word.

InuYasha was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest, attempting and failing to look as casual as he could. He studied her expression, his eyes unreadable. "He try to tell you to get rid of me?"

Kagome nodded. "Yup."

"You tell him to get bent?"

"Basically."

InuYasha pushed off the wall and wrapped his arm over her shoulders. "Good girl." He kissed her forehead and nestled his nose into her raven curls before sighing. "Pop and Sesshoumaru already fucked off. We'll see them tomorrow for dinner. Can we get the hell out of here now? Please!"

Kagome smiled and leaned into his chest just slightly. "Yes!"

As InuYasha wrapped his hand in hers, and gently led her towards the awaiting car, she found herself able to breathe freely for the first time in months. She understood that this wasn't over, and that there was a chance that Bankotsu would walk free, sooner than she would ever be comfortable with. But as InuYasha had said, they couldn't live holding their breath, waiting for Bankotsu's next move. They would need to find a balance and live their own lives.

Entering in the vehicle bay, Kagome was startled out of her own thoughts by a small gathering of people. Miroku stood leaning against InuYasha's Hummer, speaking quietly with Sango. Kikyo stood nervously next to Kagome's mother, who seemed apprehensive about the going-ons in the courthouse.

"'Gome!" Kikyo rushed over to her cousin as she descended the steps and wrapped her arms around her. Rocking back and forth, both girls found solace in the embrace. "are you okay? Is it over?" Pulling back, Kikyo searched over Kagome's face to ensure she was physically intact. "We heard that they dismissed the jury. What happened?"

Kagome gave Kikyo a tiny smile and answered the question for the group. "It's over for now. Yesterday, Bankotsu found a way to threaten me in the court house."

Kikyo gasped, looking rightfully horrified. "How? Oh my God, are you okay?" She shot a glare at her ex-boyfriend, as if blaming him for her cousin's ordeal. "Where were you?"

InuYasha resisted the urge to yell, choosing instead to take a deep breath and trying not to let the guilt he already felt consume him. He should have been there with Kagome; he had made a huge mistake in trusting that the DA would keep her safe. He was trying not to be too hard on himself for once again allowing her to be forced to reckon with Bankotsu on her own. The only reason he was able to go easy on himself was the fact that she hadn't been physically hurt. That shouldn't be the benchmark, though, and he kept reminding himself that he had to do better.

Kagome squeezed her arm and chided her softly. "I'm okay, and it's not Inu's fault. Never in a thousand years would we have thought Bankotsu would approach me in the courthouse. He spouted a bunch of nonsense, and demanded for me to make some false claims to help him in todays trial. Funny thing is, he didn't seem to notice that there was a recording device that got our entire conversation."

Miroku was the first to laugh loudly. Pushing off of the car, he walked over and draped an arm over InuYasha's shoulders. "So that douche finally fucked up? Good. It's about damn time. His attention to detail was scary accurate."

InuYasha grunted in response.

Miroku glanced at Kagome and looked her over with a critical eye. "Speaking of attention to detail, you look a little…weather-beaten….yeah, I'll blame it on the weather." He cast a long glance at InuYasha before clearing his throat. "So, what happened?" He waited a moment, "with the court case, not whatever made those sex related marks across Kagome's throat."

Kagome blushed crimson, especially while her mother was in their presence. InuYasha tapped the back of Miroku's head with his hand, making a point to keep his perverted thoughts in his brain for the time being. "They dismissed the jury on grounds of a mistrial. The judge asked me a few questions and…" she made a face and shook her head. "Bankotsu went nuts. He absolutely lost it; he screamed about how I ruined him…" she shook her head again, searching for the right words. How does one describe his type of tirade other than for a sudden bout of insanity?

"He blamed it on her being too sexy for him to ignore," InuYasha added, attempting to interject some humor into the otherwise dismal conversation.

Kagome was going to argue but decided against it. Shaking her head, she snorted, "he tried to tell the judge I was his property."

Sango approached Kagome from the other side, eyeing up her friend. "What an ass," she commented. Giving Kagome a quick hug, she continued, "Were you able, at any time, to tell that fuck face to pound sand?"

Kagome shrugged. "No, not really. But honestly, watching him self destruct in front of a judge while sounding like a raving lunatic was cathartic enough."

Both Kikyo and Sango moved aside so that her mother could hug Kagome. Wrapping both arms around Kagome, she brought the girl tight against her. "I'm so glad you're safe. The police moved Souta and I last night to some place without really explaining what was going on. I was so afraid for you, but they wouldn't let me use my cell phone. All they would do was tell me that you were safe, but they wouldn't give me any details. Is all of that over?"

Kagome opened her mouth but hesitated before looking at InuYasha. InuYasha answered for her. "It isn't, but I think for right now, we're okay. They're moving him to a federal facility, and doing a psych eval."

Miroku groaned and hung his head. "Dammit, I was afraid you were going to say that. Are they trying to say that he should be deemed incompetent to stand trial?"

InuYasha nodded once. He was baffled for a moment before remembering this was literally what Miroku was going to school for.

"Fucking psychology," Miroku grumbled, "they'll try to peg him with some obscure disease and say that all of his obsessive behavior was an effect of that." Seeing horror written across the face of Sango, Kikyo, and Kagome's mother, he made a face. "Sorry. I mean, I don't think they'll just dismiss the charges. They won't just let him go. It won't be an easy case to prove, but hopefully your part in this is done. They might remand him to a psych facility until they feel he gets his head on straight, then he'll face the rest of his sentence."

"We can only be so lucky," InuYasha muttered. Taking a step forward, he bowed respectfully in front of Kagome's mother, who in turn gave Kagome a look and laughed lightly.

"Please, InuYasha, you don't need to be so formal."

Inu knew there was plenty for him to be formal about. He couldn't help but feel responsible for a large chunk of the current mess. "Please accept my apologies over the trouble you and your family have been put through because of my poor behavior. I never meant to bring shame to Kagome or her family."

Miroku took a step back, his eyes wide and hands in front of his body. "Who da fuck is this guy," he whispered to Kagome. "I've never seen him so serious, or fucking…respectful." He eyed Kagome for a moment before shaking his head. "You seriously got something going on that makes these men lose their damned minds." Taking a step closer, he whispered, "can you teach Sango?"

A resounding thud echoed across the garage, topped only by Miroku's grunt of pain. "Asshole," Sango seethed.

Kauai embraced InuYasha's hands and bowed quickly. "I know you care deeply about my daughter. And I am entrusting you to keep her safe until we know for sure that this monster will never bother her again." With a turn on her lips, she added, "So I can overlook the…tousled…look my daughter is sporting today."

Kagome blanched slightly before bringing a hand to her hair. "I thought I look good!"

"Oh baby girl, you look amazing! Especially in that ensemble."

Everyone's attention snapped to the man who emerged from the driver's seat of the hummer. Jakotsu walked around the truck and kissed Kagome's cheek twice. "And, just who are you wearing?"

Kagome laughed and hugged her friend. "I'm wearing the working woman's outfit, a Jakified original."

Jakotsu swayed his head and folded his arms. "Well, that's all well and good, Poodle, but no one is gonna see you hiding here in the garage. What happened to meeting the press head on?"

Kikyo grimaced. "They're a bunch of blood thirsty wolves out there. I heard that they really gave Bankotsu's attorney the what-for today when he exited the court house. Everyone wants to know why there was a mistrial declared. Do you think they'll tell?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know what Easton will do, but he'll have to tell them something. I just don't want to give anything away, so it's best that I avoid the reporters for right now."

Jakotsu visibly pouted. "And after I put so much effort into that outfit."

Pushing Jakotsu's shoulder, Kikyo responded for Kagome, "bitch, please. You've gotten plenty of free advertising from Kagome's interviews and exploits with the press already. Stop being extra."

Jakotsu glared at Kikyo before taking in her outfit. "What about you, pumpkin? You want to be a model? I think I can find something to fit those big hips of yours."

Kikyo faked outrage before throwing her arm around Jakotsu's shoulders. "No, I have no interest in modeling. Now designing, maybe we can talk."

Kagome cleared her throat and approached Jakotsu carefully. "Jak…I don't know how to thank you. You saved my life and took on your entire family for me."

Jak pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight. "I love you, poodle, but I also did it for me. That entire family was toxic. I just needed to get my head on straight to realize that I couldn't associate with them anymore."

Kagome nodded into his shoulder. "You risked so much. I mean, your shares of Bankotsu's company were life blood. Are you going to be okay?"

Jakotsu smiled and pulled back from Kagome. "I orchestrated an entire financial coup. I'll do just fine. Besides, your honey's brother offered me quite the sweet deal. I might even take up some business ventures." With a sigh, he cast a glance to InuYasha. "It was so good watching Bankotsu go down in flames. For all the shit he gave me growing up, for all the bullshit's he shoved in my face, and for all the damage and destruction he's caused to others…it felt good to put an end to it." Whirling on Kikyo, he smiled, "so tell me what you know of design. I might be looking to expand my line."
As the duo spoke quietly, Kagome turned her attention to her mother and Sango. "Thank you for being here. I really appreciate you both taking time…"

Sango held up her hand. "As if we'd miss it, Kagome. I'm just sorry that we couldn't be in the court room when that sick fuck lost his damned mind."

Kagome inhaled sharply and shook her head. "I'm glad no one was in there. No one needed to hear that." She was grateful for being able to be spared that extra humility. She was sure she would have crawled under the table, or kicked Bankotsu in the mouth, had he of started ranting like that around her family or friends.

Kagome's mother grabbed her hand and gently squeezed. "You know that doesn't matter, Kagome. The only thing that matters is that your safe from that lunatic."

InuYasha nodded in agreement. "Hopefully the court will come through in the end. But…." He chewed on his words for a moment before shaking his head and falling silent.

Miroku eyed InuYasha. "You don't think they will." It was a statement, not a question.

"They've done a shit job thus far," InuYasha ground out, "I ain't too sure they'll get it together in the end."

Kagome looped her arm under InuYasha's and squeezed. "We'll get through it. Right now, though, let's get out of here. I want to go home."

Kauai assessed her daughter and her, hopefully, future son-in-law. Though it was a bit early to get her hopes up; however, based on what she had seen of their relationship over the past few weeks, she was nearly sure they were heading towards a happy and long life together. "What you two need is a vacation."

InuYasha's eyes lit up at that as he turned a smug smile in Kagome's direction. "See, I was just saying that. But cranky Kaggy here, she doesn't think she has the time."

Miroku grinned as he slid up closer to his best friend. "So…where are we going?"

InuYasha eyed the man for a moment before relenting. "Anywhere the fuck away from here. Where do you want to go, Miro?"

Kagome blinked up at him. "Wait…we're taking friends?"

InuYasha nearly cheered. "She said it. We're going. Everyone into the god damned truck. We'll figure it out back at the apartment."

Kagome pushed him slightly and turned to her mother. "Momma, I appreciate the thought but I can't just leave…."

Kagome's mother met her with a determined glower. "Oh, you're going on vacation. I don't want those reporters swarming my front yard for another minute. You're going to go on vacation and you're going to stay wherever you two go until this whole case blows over in the media." Shrugging her shoulders slightly, her glower turned playful. "And who knows. Maybe we'll join you. It's been a while since I've seen the world." Her eyes drifted towards InuYasha, "if we're welcome to tag along, that is."

InuYasha motioned to the hummer. "Of course, you're welcome to come. I'm thinking somewhere warm with sandy beaches as far as the eye can see."

Miroku grinned. "There has to be some sort of night life. I mean, come on, it's spring fucking break"

Sango thumped him across his chest with an open hand before opening the side door of the hummer. "You're a pig," she chastised before climbing into the back row of the truck.

"Oink oink, babe," he squealed before slapping her ass and climbing in behind her.

Kagome's mother shot her an amused smile and reached out to squeeze her arm. "I'm glad to see you have such a close set of friends. They are quite—" she paused for a moment and seemed to choose her words carefully, "—eccentric." With a smile, she had both Kikyo and Kagome help her into the car before Kikyo followed behind her.

InuYasha turned to glance at Jakotsu before offering him his hand. "Look, Jak…I haven't really been able to properly thank you…"

Jakotsu shook his hand and then pulled the hanyou into a hug locked by a death grip on his back. "Oh sweetie, you don't need to thank me. I would do anything for my poodle. Besides, my cousin needed help. I'm just sorry that I wasn't able to get it for him before all of this went down. I couldn't stand by and watch him…" clearing his throat, he squeezed InuYasha tighter. "But if you do want to make it up to me…I'd love to experience just what made those marks on Kagome's neck. A tie, perhaps? I think I'd prefer your hands."

Kagome slapped Jakotsu's hands gently before really trying to pry him off of InuYasha. "Jacky, come on."

Jakotsu turned to look at Kagome. "Oh, I'd love to." Feeling InuYasha balk under his embrace, Jakotsu let go with a sigh and a flirty wink, "maybe another time." He nudged Kagome with his shoulder with a large grin.

InuYasha quickly retreated from the man's range. "Or not…"

Jakotsu sighed happily then leveled InuYasha with a no-nonsense stare. "I still don't think you're the right man for her, just to be completely transparent. She should have a break away from this type of lifestyle. But, as I've learned the hard way, I need to let Kagome make her own choices and stay out of them. So, today I'm just a guy, standing in front of a beautiful man, saying you're not good enough for my poodle, and that you better not fuck it up. Or I will fuck you up." With a wild grin, Jakotsu shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to walk into the court house.

"Aren't you coming?" Kagome asked the retreating man.

"No sweetie, I have to meet with Bankotsu's attorney to get a clear understanding of what they're doing to my cousin. I know that there's no one helping him through this, and I think he can use a friend." Looking over his shoulder, Jakotsu added, "I hate what he did to you, and I hope he faces the consequences for it, but he is also family. So, if I can visit him once in a while, and brighten his day, I will. Someone has to tend to him. But don't worry, I will not be willing to talk about you. He knows you're a taboo topic." Waggling his fingers towards Kagome and InuYasha, he called, "Toodles."

InuYasha barked out a terse laugh once Jakotsu disappeared through the building doors. "He really is quite the character."

Kagome smiled softly and leaned against InuYasha's strong frame. "He is. But he has always been there for me. I don't think I would be alive if it hadn't been for him. There are more times than I can count where he helped me get back up on my feet and keep moving through all of this bullshit. Even before Bankotsu took a dive off the deep end, he was there protecting and guiding me."

InuYasha nodded slowly, his expression still unreadable. "I'm glad that he's been there for you, especially when I was unable to be." Chewing on his words, he shook loose some thoughts. "It…concerns…me that he keeps in contact with Bankotsu. I don't like the thought that he could be feeding him info about us, or where you are or what you're doing."

Kagome's expression darkened as she turned a hard glare at InuYasha. "He wouldn't do that!"

"Mabye, maybe not. I don't trust him as explicitly as you do. But I respect your judgement and will try to be more open. However, can you please do me a favor and not tell him where we go."

"Where we go?" She blinked twice, trying to place his words.

"On vacation. Jesus, Kag, get with the program. We're going back to my place, dropping off our caravan of freeloaders, and then getting the fuck out of dodge."

With a heavy sigh, she pushed off of InuYasha to stand on her own. "You already know how I feel about that."

"Yeah, but your mom said we could, so we're going to." He smiled broadly, "I got permission."

Kagome blinked, then blinked again. "I…"

"Now get in the car, bitch." InuYasha slapped her ass, hard enough for the sound to echo through the bay.

Kagome yelped and laughed, rubbing the spot of impact as an afterthought. "That hurt."

"I'll show you what hurts," he growled playfully, taking one step towards her, "If you don't get into the car. And I don't give a fuck who's here to see it."

With a heavy roll of her eyes, Kagome opened the door to the hummer. "Don't threaten me, InuYasha Taisho."

"Then don't give me reason to," he smiled and jumped into the driver seat.

Taking a look in the rear-view mirror, he made eye contact with Miroku. "And who the fuck let Jakostu into my driver's seat?"

A flurry of conversation exploded from inside the cab as everyone began to talk at once.

With a relieved smile, Kagome rested her head back on the seat, enjoying the playful banter of the group. Miroku was making up some grand story about Jakotsu demanding access to InuYasha's car and mysterious fluid that accumulated across the interior, sparking outrage from Sango about him discussing these kinds of things in front of Kagome's mother. Kikyo was pretending to cover Kauia's ears, chastising InuYasha and Miroku for being so thick-headed, that they couldn't have ladies in their presence. And in the oddest of interactions, Miroku and Kikyo laughed together, like actually together. It was a bizarre scene and it made Kagome realize how long it had been since she had spent honest time with her family and friends. Seeing the proof laid bare in front of her on how life continued regardless of Bankotsu, she realized that she had missed this. She missed laughing with her friends, and being carefree without looking over her shoulder. She had forgotten what it was like to live.

Listening to those who loved her enough to be here for her, after everything that had happened, she couldn't help but be thankful. She had ruined Kikyo's relationship, she had horrifically embarrassed her mother, she had stopped talking to Sango and Miroku, and yet here they were, ready to walk through fire for her. And quite the conflagration it had been. Kagome had to reflect on how crazy the last seven months truly were. It felt like nearly a decade and a half had passed since this whole debacle began.

In January, she had returned to college with a secret that defined her life. It was the bread and butter of her guilt and her need for punishment. She had never forgiven herself for things that she could not have controlled in the first place. It had taken nearly dying, twice, to realize that all of her self-loathing had been directed at the wrong person. She should have hated her father for leaving the family, she should have hated the asshole in Japan who raped her, she should have hated the culture that made her feel like she did something to warrant the attack. She should have hated the aching need to bury the truth about her pregnancy and Souta's parentage. Some nights she pondered how different life would have been if she had properly claimed Souta as her son instead of passing the burden on to her mother. How different would life be if she stood up to her father's brutal verbal assaults, and took a stand for her family. But she couldn't go back and erase history, all she could do was promise herself and her son that she would do better.

In January, she was battered and broken, weighed down by her anger and malice. She was self-destructive and allowed Bankotsu to take advantage of that. She was willing to allow him to be her judge and jury, and begged him to punish her to his content. She had never once really put it together that he was using her, forcing her to revel in her self-hatred so that she would acquiesce to his desires, and not only ignore how truly abusive he was, but also crave his absolution, as if he were the one to wield it. She allowed him to break her time and again, and every time he rebuilt her, he made her just slightly more fragile so the next time it would be that much easier to watch her shatter.

In January, she had convinced herself that she despised InuYasha. She had been successful in creating a world where InuYasha was the heretic and Bankotsu her religion. But InuYasha fought her darkness; he burned down Koizumi's temple, exposed the false god for what he truly was, and rescued her not only from the manipulative grasp of the false prophet but also from her own broken ideologies. He led her back to the light, back to a world where she was free to love, free to be accept her past, and free of the chains that had enslaved her.

She had overcome so much over the past seven months. She had managed to find her voice, and her self-dependence. She had found a way to sever the chain tied to her ankle that held her tight to the role of a victim and instead, found solace in the fact that she was a survivor. She had been shamed by the press for her sexual proclivities and yet emerged unscathed by the harsh criticisms. She had faced down Bankotsu and Onigumo on her own and lived to tell the tale. She was stronger now than she had ever been before, and she knew that she had finally achieved freedom from the oppressive last five years that had followed her like a cloud of woe.

She couldn't forget the friendships forged and cemented over the past seven months. Rin, who was still sheltered away from all of this, had come into her life with a determination to see Kagome free herself from the bindings of her past. Sango, a friend from the distant past, had resurfaced at just the right time when she needed someone who really knew her the most. She had pushed Kikyo away, and yet here she was, still standing tall next to Kagome, regardless of the fact that Kagome had single handedly destroyed her relationship with InuYasha. She had become friends with Miroku, whose ability to make light of any situation had been desperately needed. And then there was InuYasha. If she had told herself a year ago that she would have been wildly in love with the man, she would have slapped herself. She couldn't imagine telling her past self about the absolutely filthy sex they had.

Swallowing thickly, choked by a sentimentality she didn't want to dive into, she turned her attention forward as they left the city. Whatever their future held she knew she wouldn't allow Bankotsu to influence her actions anymore. And as the sun kissed the horizon in a vivid display of pink and orange streaks, Kagome finally willed herself to shed the persona of a girl weighed down by her sins and the black and white societal expectations that had contributed nothing to her life but self-loathing and paralyzing guilt and allowed herself to embrace the shades of gray that defined her.

The end

So I do plan on writing an epilogue that will address the following things:

What ends up happening with Bankotsu

What happened with Kagejiro

All the mushy 'how do they end up' stuff

But I have been sitting on these chapters waiting to find time to write the epilogue for…uhh…more than a year. I couldn't sit on them anymore. So here is the official end. I do plan on writing the epilogue, in fact it is started. But I can't guarantee when it will be uploaded. Life comes at you fast or slow, depending. The last fifteen years have been a whirlwind of adventure that has taken me from writing and shown me the world. Now my world consists of a tiny little human and if I didn't have time before…well… I do promise I will try. I need a hobby to keep me from going insane and I'm hoping it's falling back into writing. But this story has been such a ride. I've grown so much from the 23 year old who started this story. The world has changed so much. I look at some of what is written here and am embarrassed by some of it, and proud of other parts. I have also worked over the years on editing (mostly for coherence and grammar) the earlier chapters, so I will be uploading them slowly just to get the edits through. The content or the story will not change. But there will be more warnings where I feel they are now needed in todays world.

I would not have continued with this story without the support of the love of my life, who would constantly bemoan the fact that I stopped writing (he's waiting for the next great American novel from me). I also would not have made it nearly this far through this story without you, my readers. So thank you for a wonderful 15 years of support. I'm sorry it's been that long, but we made it. Mostly.