The It Couple

Chapter Fifty-Two

"We're here," Kagome said softly from the driver's seat, sounding both hesitant and stern as she closed the GPS on her phone. "Do you want to tell me what this is all about now, or should I just walk in there blind and keep my mouth shut?"

Sango looked up from her hunched position. She'd spent the majority of the drive to her mother's house with her head buried in her hands, trying to will herself to calm down and think. But the fear kept coming back. And the anger. And the uncertainty.

"Just stay here in the car," Sango said softly, as she mentally gathered herself to get out and think up her next move.

"Not happening," Kagome said simply, "I'm absolutely going with you."

A few moments of silence.

"Please don't tell anyone about this." Sango grabbed Kagome's hand and held it. "Especially Houshi. Please."

"Fine," Kagome said, her chin set forward in determination, "But I want you to tell me what's going on."

Sango gave a sigh that sounded more like a cough, or a cringe. "Okay."

"Pumpkin!"

Sango shrugged her purse off her shoulder and tried not to be too obvious about using the wall as support as she sat in the chair opposite her father, who sat in his cushy leather armchair in the center of her mother's living room like he had no care in the world.

"Mom," she said immediately, turning her eyes to the corner of the room, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, honey." A small voice from the corner. Sango couldn't quite see her in the shadows, but she didn't seem to be incapacitated. Small victories, she thought.

"Who's your friend?" Her father nodded over Sango's left shoulder. Sango glanced. Kagome leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed, looking clearly unsure but determined.

"Her name is Kagome," Sango said, her voice sounding steadier than she felt.

"She's pretty." Her dad took a moment to send a leering gaze Kagome's way, then returned his attention to Sango. "Looks kinda like that actress, uh, whatshername. Eh, whatever. What brings you here, pumpkin? You can't have a problem with me returning to the family after all these years, right?"

"What family?" Sango said, her legs crossed so tight it hurt. "Kohaku's in the hospital. Mom's here, being quiet about it all. What family are you talking about?"

"Pumpkin," her dad said, finishing off what was clearly one of several drinks that night, "If I knew any better, I'd think you were being a little bitchy."

"No, dad," Sango said, feeling herself sink back into her chair, like clockwork, like a fucking conductor was beckoning the orchestra into its place, "I'm just wondering what's going on."

"I'm moving back home," her father said, a grin on his face as he held his drink aloft, "Isn't that what you always wanted? All those sweet little letters you wrote to me when you were a kid, begging me to come home? You got what you wanted, pumpkin. After all this time, I want to be with my family."

"W-Why now?" Sango stammered, sneaking a glance to Kagome, who was standing stark still, almost rigid against the doorframe.

"Why not now?" Her father sat back in his armchair, the same armchair he'd sat in in all those fleeting memories Sango had of her childhood, where she and Kohaku had been clamoring for Christmas presents or sitting on the living room floor playing board games. And her father had sat there, in his armchair. For the first ten years of it, anyhow.

"Mom?" Sango said, turning her attention to the woman sitting in the corner, "What the hell is going on?"

Her mom did the same thing she always had done. Smile. Just smile, and put a hand slightly over her face to hide the fresh bruising. "I'm okay, sweetheart. In fact, I'm happy he's home. You should just go. Goodness knows, you must be busy right now."

"I can't," was all Sango could say, her voice faltering, but she pushed through it. "He's invading your house, he's pushing back into our lives, and I should just go?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Her dad stood from his chair. Sango felt Kagome move from her position against the doorway, and held up a hand to stop her from rushing forward.

"You little shit," her father said, pushing towards her past furniture that had long seen the length of its usefulness, "I bring you into this world, I provide for you when you're a child, and this is the thanks you give me?"

Sango swallowed, knowing she was shaking, but also trying to keep in mind that in the real world, she was a boss bitch. She was the bomb. She was queen bee. So why was she such a stammering idiot now?

Because at my core, I'm still the same 'little shit,' trying to stand up for my brother and my mom and getting smacked for it.

"I'm grateful for you helping to provide for me," she said quietly, hesitantly, "but isn't that what a father is supposed to do?"

Her dad's expression darkened. "Excuse me?"

"I mean," she said, feeling a little flame of courage inside her stomach as she sat up straighter, "That's what you're supposed to do when you have a kid. Take care of it. Provide for it. And you did that, for a few years here and there."

"Sango, please." Her mom looked up from the corner, clearly not wanting a fight.

But honestly, fuck it.

"No, Mom, stop," Sango said, holding out a hand to assuage her, "Dad, really. What do you want? Is it more money? I'm sure that's a stupid question, but is that what you want?"

Sango's father smiled in a way that would have been comforting and loving if Sango didn't know what was already behind it. "I want to be back with my kids and my wife," he said, so close to Sango she could feel his breath on her cheek, "Why do you have such a problem with that, sweetheart? What have I ever done to you?"

"Excuse me," Kagome said, stepping forward, "I'm gonna have to tell you to step away from her right now. If Sango wants you anywhere near her, she can say so, but otherwise, stay the fuck back."

The look her dad gave Kagome was almost comedic. "Is this little slip of a thing your bodyguard?" He broke into a loud, outrageous laugh.

"I can be," Kagome said, stepping forward, a murderous look in her eyes.

"Kagome, stop," Sango pled, as she watched her father's eyes grow murderous. He stepped toward Kagome, sizing her up, a full head and a half taller than her.

"You have no business being here," he said softly, almost seductively, to Kagome, "This is a family matter."

"I'm here as long as she needs me here," Kagome said, inclining her head toward Sango.

Kagome please don't this will only make it worse he'll take it out on all of us please.

"Such a cute little thing you are," he said, "This is adorable, really. You trying to square up on me. When I'm not doing anything other than moving back home with my family."

"Sango doesn't want you here," Kagome said evenly, "and that's enough for me to tell you that you should probably leave right now."

Her dad laughed again. "This is precious," he said, his face contorted in a grin, but his eyes cold as ever as they connected with Sango's. "Do you want this to get to that point, pumpkin? Your pretty little friend looks like she's looking for a fight. I don't want to fight. Do you?"

"Kagome," Sango said again, unable to alleviate the trembling that had taken over her whole body, "Please."

Kagome furrowed her brow and stepped backwards, back into the threshold, where she folded her arms and gave a stare that Sango was surprised her dad couldn't feel boring into him.

"That's what I thought."

Sango watched Kagome screw her face up in fury and start forward, but she sent her a pleading look and Kagome grew still.

Sango's dad looked on with a smirk, before sitting back down in the chair. "My, the company my little girl keeps these days. Running around with people like this, it's no wonder I never came to visit more often. Not that you do much visiting yourself, these days, from what I hear."

Sango inwardly raged at the thought. How much she had tried to be there for her mother, for her baby brother, and the only reason she'd ever had to leave home was sitting in the leather chair in front of her.

He turned back to Kagome as his voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "This is my house, you little bitch. My name is on the deed. So I tell people when to leave, like I'm requesting you do now."

Kagome's mouth opened, ready to snap out a reply when she caught Sango's eye and seemed to reconsider. At least in the eyes of the law, she would be considered an intruder.

"Just…just go. I'll meet you in the car," Sango whispered.

"You sure?" Kagome looked ready to fight, to hell and back. Sango would have loved her for it if it were any other time and place.

Sango gave a nod back in response, and Kagome gave a pointed glare to the man sitting in the armchair in the middle of the room as she backed up and let herself out of the screen door. "Please, Kagome," Sango said as she left, "Leave it alone, okay?" As in, don't call anyone. She knew Kagome knew who she meant.

Kagome just stared her down pointedly as she disappeared out the front door, nodding in silent acknowledgment of Sango's pleas.

"What the fuck was that just now?" Her dad shot up from his chair like a bullet out of a gun and lunged toward Sango, "You bring your little friend to try and talk shit to me?"

"No, dad," Sango insisted, "She's just like that. She's the kind of person that will stand up for someone she thinks is in trouble, and she thought I was in trouble-"

She stopped. His hand was around her throat. Not squeezing, just a firm grip. He was showing her that he could squeeze if he wanted to. How wonderfully familiar.

"Dad," Sango said softly, trying to keep her voice from crying out louder than necessary, keeping it low, keeping it calm, "I have to be on TV at the Golden Globes in a few days. If there are bruises on my neck, people will ask questions. You don't want me to lose my job, right?"

Her father narrowed his eyes, then released his grip around her neck. "I still don't appreciate this half-assed form of backup you brought to my door."

"I know, Dad. I'm sorry." It was amazing, wasn't it? How automatically the apologies could spill out with this man in front of her? She would have gagged if she were able to move.

"Get me another beer," her dad barked over his shoulder to her mom, who immediately stood up and hauled ass toward the kitchen.

"Mom, sit down," Sango said, "You don't have to get him anything." Even as she said it, her voice was shaking.

Her mom just stopped short in her own tracks, looking shaken and ashamed.

"Oh," Sango's dad broke into a grin, "So we're back to this then. Some things never change."

"What do you want from me, Dad? Really?" Sango tried to direct the conversation back towards her. Direct his attention back towards her. Tried and true strategy.

"Right now, I want a beer. Are you gonna get it, or is your mother? I don't really care who does. But I'm tired of asking."

"I'll get it," Sango said quickly, rushing past him toward the kitchen.

"Great," she heard him call, "Grab one for yourself. We have a lot to talk about, pumpkin."

"Inuyasha, shut up, it's your girlfriend. Probably wants to ask me to run away with her again. OW! Hey Kagome, what's up?"

"Miroku," Kagome said, sitting in the driver's seat of Sango's car, her eyes trained on the front door of the small, insignificant house, "Where are you?"

"Just picking up our tuxes for the Globes downtown."

"You need to get here fast. Sango told me not to tell anyone, but-"

She heard his tone instantly grow serious. "Where are you? What's wrong?" There was instantly a sound of Inuyasha speaking up in the background, and a sound of scuffling, maybe a punch or a slap thrown. Inuyasha clearly had grabbed the phone, because the next thing she heard was his voice.

"Kiddo, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Some shit with Sango. Her dad's a piece of shit, by the way," Kagome said, "Can you guys just get here fast?"

A muted shout in the background. "Miroku's asking if Sango's okay. And you still didn't answer my question about you being okay."

"That's the thing," Kagome said, "I'm out in front of the house, in the car with the windows down. She told me to wait outside, but from what I could gather in there, the situation didn't look good. I'm listening for any noises that sound rough, and then I'm busting back in there, but I'd prefer if I didn't have to do it alone."

"So call the fucking cops! Don't you go in there getting hurt!"

"I can't," Kagome said, "Not until I know for sure what's going on. Plus, Sango said not to tell anyone."

"Well, fuck what Sango says! You're not going back into - well, wherever you are, by yourself!"

Another scuffling noise, and it was Miroku's voice again, despite Inuyasha's audible protests.

"Kagome. Address. Now."

Kagome recited it from memory. "As fast as you can," she insisted again, "She might be mad at me for telling you but I don't care at this point."

She heard the start of a car, and the roar of an engine as it got up to speed. More scuffling noises.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, "Don't go back in there, okay?"

"No promises, jerkface," Kagome said, a humorless smile on her face, "If I hear a punch, I'm breaking down the door and getting Sango out of there. She's clearly helpless against her dad."

"Kagome. Wait for us. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Ten, the way Miroku's driving, as long as we don't get pulled over."

"Is Miroku okay?"

"Are you okay?" A string of muffled insults and curses. "No, I think he's a little stressed out. Hey, buddy, want me to drive?" An even more emphatic string of muffled insults and curses. "Okay, okay, just trying to help. Kagome, if you hear something, call the fucking cops and stay put. Don't play the hero."

"If I hear something, I'll call the cops," Kagome promised, her eyes still trained on the open screen door. Silence. Eerie, eerie silence.

"And you'll stay in the fucking car until they get there?"

"Huh?" Kagome was only half paying attention. Her hearing was focused on the little white house of her.

"Kagome, please," Inuyasha's voice was clearly pleading with her, "Stay put. Wait for us. No matter what. We'll be there soon."

"I'll try. I have to go." She hung up without a goodbye, intent on listening for noises that would clue her into what was going on.

"So the check I gave you wasn't enough," Sango said, feeling herself grit her teeth behind her tightly closed lips, "I cleaned out my bank account, my entire bank account, to get you out of our lives, but you want more."

"That went toward paying off some loans," her dad said sagely, "Trying to get out of the hole here. Get us all back on our feet."

"Are you serious right now?" Sango wished her voice sounded as furious as she felt.

"I think as a member of this family, you should contribute. This being hard times and all. And with your cushy new job, you're in the position of breadwinner. Now you know how I felt all those years."

Sango wanted to remind him that the past several years he hadn't been winning bread for anyone, let alone their family, but she remained silent, seated in her chair opposite his.

"Listen, pumpkin," her dad took a gulp of beer and continued, "I see what you're doing on TV. Running all those fancy red carpet events and meeting the creme de la creme of people. That's a great little job you managed to land, and as a father, I couldn't be more proud of you."

"You've already told me all this," Sango said bitingly, "In New York."

"Well, I'm telling you again. And stop with the attitude. My god, Yuko, you clearly spoil these kids. The mouths on both of them, for god's sake." He turned a furious eye back toward her mom, who didn't look up.

"Hey," Sango said, bracing both arms on the side of her chair, "I'm twenty-five years old. I'm not a child anymore. How I speak to you is my choice, not Mom's."

"It's sweet that you're trying to defend her, but if she'd have done her job disciplining you, we wouldn't even have to have this conversation."

"You unimaginable bastard." Sango's grip around the arms of her chair was so tight her knuckles were white.

Smack. Sango's head flew to the side, and she didn't push back, didn't resist. It hurt less if she just let it happen. Let her body flow with it. Keep her muscles from fighting back.

Her dad shook out his hand, grimacing once with the pain in his knuckles as he fixed her with a steady, emotionless eye. "Let's try that again," he said quietly, dangerously. "What were you saying, pumpkin?"

"I was saying, I'm getting Mom and Kohaku out of here," Sango said, putting a hand to her cheek but refusing to cringe or cry out. She knew he was searching for pain, for weakness, and she wouldn't give it to him. "I'm making more money now than you ever did, not that any of it ever went to helping your family."

She swallowed, feeling the lump in her throat but refusing to let herself cry. Crying showed vulnerability. She'd learned this long ago. "And I'm going to get you out of our lives and you won't get another cent. The money I gave you before was more than sufficient. It was more than you ever deserved."

His glare at her became a glower. She fought the urge to cringe backward as she shakily stood to her feet, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

"We'll live in a nice house, and Kohaku will get better, and neither of them will want for anything for the rest of their lives. I'll take care of all of it. And we'll be so happy without you." She tasted a sliver of blood leaking from the inside of her cheek but smiled despite it.

"Sango, please," her mom said softly from the corner, pleading, not wanting the carnage to continue, just wanting it to be calm again.

I know, Mom. I used to always just want the same thing. And it never worked, did it? Sooner or later, he was always back. Always asking for another handout. Whether it was from your purse or my purse, it didn't matter. This needs to end. Today.

There was a banging sound toward the front door, and Kagome rushed in, a little out of breath. "Did he hit you?" she demanded of Sango, her eyes darting from the center of the room to the man now resituating himself in the armchair.

"No," Sango said, on autopilot, her eyes trained on her dad's. Her hand left her cheek almost casually as she sat back into her chair, even though her jaw was burning with the force of the slap.

"Quit lying to me," Kagome growled at her, "I'm getting used to your tells." Her attention snapped to Sango's father. "You son of a bitch!"

Kagome started at him, running across the living room to a gasp from Sango's mother, and then stopped short at the glint of the blade, skidding to a stop, all her momentum disappearing instantaneously as she shrank back and held her hands up in surrender, stopping only when Sango held out a hand to catch her.

"Sango," her dad said with a sigh, looking at the pocketknife in his hands almost bemusedly, "What if I were to go to your boss and tell him who I am and what I want? That would be a little messy, wouldn't it? Do you think he'd want to keep taking a chance on a little street slut who got lucky if it brought him and his big old studio all this awkward publicity? That is, unless you're sleeping with him for the job. If so, I can't do anything to you. At least, if you're doing it all properly." He kicked over the ottoman in front of him to accentuate his point. Sango's mom flinched in the corner.

Sango wished she'd kept her game face on instantly as soon she'd seen her dad's eyes light up. Kagome, still blocking Sango from her father's view, reached around and gripped her around the wrist. A sweet display of solidarity. But it didn't matter. Not when the knife was out. Her dad had been drinking heavily. The knife was going to be used. Sango knew it.

"Yeah, I didn't think you were that smart about it, pumpkin. Just think, though. All you worked for, ruined by some silly and unnecessary family drama," he said, his smile becoming a leer, "It would be so much easier if you just kept to supporting your family. Your entire family."

"Kagome," Sango whispered to the back of Kagome's shoulder, "Please get out of here."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kagome hissed back, then spoke out louder, to make sure he heard her, "He's got a knife and he's openly threatening us with it. I'm calling the cops."

"Sweetheart," Sango's dad said, that leer returning to his face as he regarded Kagome, "this is my house. You're intruding. The cops will take my side. As will my wife and child." He took a step forward. Kagome openly gulped, but held her ground.

"Do you know who she is?" Sango said quickly, thinking on her feet and gripping Kagome's wrist just as hard as Kagome was gripping hers, "She's Kikyou Higurashi's sister. If there's any incident here, there will be problems. For you and for all of us."

"Oh, so that's where I thought I'd seen her. So she's your insurance, is she, pumpkin? Kagome, is it? You do look just like your sister. You know that, right?"

Kagome gave a sigh that sounded more like a snort. "I know. So back the fuck off. And everyone's leaving, right now. You can sit here and rot, for all I care."

"That doesn't solve my problem." Sango's dad almost looked mildly distressed, but Sango knew enough to know that it was bullshit. He looked up at Sango. "What about all the money your mother owes me for Kohaku's care? I signed off on those bills, you know. It's all going on my credit. I think I'm owed something here."

You son of a bitch you're the reason he's in the hospital in the first place -

"I'll pay you back," Sango said automatically, quickly, standing up and trying to not too obviously pull Kagome along with her. Kagome stood rooted to the spot, shrugging off Sango's hand.

"Too right, you will," her dad said, twirling the knife casually in his hand, "but little Miss Sister-to-Kikyou-Higurashi needs to leave right now. Or this will just get worse."

"Kagome," Sango grabbed at Kagome, almost climbing her with the force of her grip, "Get out of here. Now. You need to go."

Kagome turned a steely gaze over her shoulder to Sango and their eyes connected. Sango knew there was a tear slipping from one of her own eyes, but couldn't help it, and she just shook her head, keeping her jaw set firmly as if to say her decision was final.

"This is bullshit," Kagome said softly, as she slipped out of Sango's hold and stomped toward the front door.

Sango agreed with her.

"Now then," her dad said, "That's the second time today you've pulled one of your little minions into this and tried to avoid your responsibilities. What would you say is an adequate punishment for that?"

Sango sank back into her chair and closed her eyes.

Kagome banged the screen door loudly for the second time that evening, making sure her point was made. Not that anyone cared. Not that Sango would suddenly get up, get her mother out of there, and grow a spine.

Calm down, Kagome. The same shit was done to you for your whole life. Well, not the same shit, but you had to learn how to break free. And Sango hasn't yet. That's not Sango's fault.

Of course it wasn't. Didn't mean Kagome didn't want to wallop everyone in that living room upside the head for different reasons.

She leaned against the stone facade on the side of the house, willing herself to calm down and breathe evenly.

A Mercedes squealed up the street. Miroku's. Kagome immediately sprang up from her leaning position and motioned him urgently to park further down the street.

Both Miroku and Inuyasha jumped out of the car as if spring-loaded into it, and ran toward her. Inuyasha immediately folded his arms around her and she let herself bury her face into his neck.

"Kagome," he murmured, "You okay?"

She could only weakly nod, letting herself melt into his arms. Inuyasha worked on her like a tonic sometimes.

"Sango still in there?" Miroku said, tossing off his sunglasses and throwing them to Inuyasha, who caught them one-handed, still clinging tightly to Kagome.

"Yes," she whispered, "He's got a knife. He's not using it, but he's showing it off sure enough."

"Right," Miroku said, his eyes murderous as he started toward the front door, fists clenched.

Kagome wrenched out of Inuyasha's embrace and grabbed Miroku by the shoulders. "You can't just go in there," she said, realizing now that her voice was shaking. Was it from nerves, or from sheer fury? She wasn't sure. She'd figure it out later.

"The hell we can't," Inuyasha said, pushing past her to join Miroku.

"Wait. Stop. Stop and think for a second, idiots." Kagome had both of them by the wrists and was digging her heels into the ground to hold them back. "If you just walk into that house, that house which her father owns, by the way, he can legally do whatever he wants to you. Intruder laws and all that."

"How about fuck that shit," Inuyasha growled, "He pulled a knife on you? I will fucking kill him and make him disappear."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, looking hesitantly at the neighboring houses. No one seemed to be outside or listening at windows, but that was a chance they couldn't take. "Stop. Miroku, make him stop." That's it, appeal to his chessmaster sensibilities. That's all you can do at this point.

Miroku was breathing heavily, his eyes darting from the house's door to its windows and back to the door again.

Kagome held her breath.

"Inuyasha," Miroku finally said, his voice as calm as she'd ever heard it as he turned around, "What the hell are you two still doing here? Get your ass in the car and get out of here. If some nosy neighbor looks out and sees my meal ticket standing on the street in a possibly incriminating situation, it will probably suck."

Inuyasha glared at him, clearly aghast at his train of thought. "Wh-what the fuck is wrong with you? Let's get in there?"

"I'll take care of it," Miroku said, and now his eyes weren't on Inuyasha's, but Kagome's. "Get pretty boy here out of sight. It's not like you can hide what he looks like, so get him out of here. Preferably somewhere he's noticed. I know we were trying to keep you two from being seen in public together, but - "

"It's fine," Kagome said quickly. All their issues were a hill of beans compared to this. "But what are you going to do?"

He tossed her the keys to the Mercedes. "What I'm good at," he said, turning back toward the house with a fierce determination in his blue eyes, "Talking."

Kagome pulled Inuyasha back toward the car, and he reluctantly followed.

"Any ideas where we should go?" she said as he flung himself angrily into the passenger seat, "I've always wanted you to take me to dinner in LA. So let's do it."

Inuyasha was clearly ready to climb back out of the car and go back Miroku up, so Kagome busied herself with getting the car into gear and slowly, inconspicuously, driving down the street.

She glanced a check in the rearview mirror to see Miroku give them a small half-wave salute, then stomp the ever-loving shit out of the taillight of the Dodge Challenger parked in Sango's driveway. Her dad's car.

The alarm went crazy.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Inuyasha snapped, craning his neck to see as they were about to round the corner.

Kagome felt simultaneously proud and sick to her stomach. "That crazy son of a bitch," she murmured weakly.

"We need to call the cops. If that guy is anything like you said, he'll kill him."

"Not yet," Kagome said, hating herself for having to be the cold, logical one, but then again, she'd been Kikyou Higurashi's assistant for the better part of her life, "The timeline wouldn't add up."

Miroku, please be okay. Please please please be okay. You're the meanest asshole in Hollywood. You can handle this, right?

Right?

Ooooh lord this chapter was hell to write. It was really, really difficult getting myself back into that mind space of mental and emotional abuse. I may have said this before, but a lot of what I write is based in real life.

Sango's dad is the cartoon villain that I wish my abuser was. I know a lot of his actions seem extreme. That's on purpose. Because for me, it never got to this point. It's almost easier to write it in a crazy fictional standpoint where there aren't really grey areas. I tried to do that at first and it just hurt.

So I'm sorry for the delay in posting.

Songs this time are just specific to abuse. Sorry about it.

"Face Down" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

"I'm the One" by Seether

"This is the Life" by Amy MacDonald

"Hell is for Children" by Pat Benatar

I love you guys. Sorry if I'm a little subdued with this. It was a heavy thing to write, but honestly, I do feel a little better after this.

Thank you for your reads and reviews. And really, I'm okay. This stuff all happened to me over ten years ago. I have a loving family and a boyfriend who takes such good care of me it's almost insane. And I have you guys, who are all lovely and make me want to keep writing! Love and kisses. - meggz0rz