Chapter 10: Coming Undone

Kohaku shivers and blows a puff of warm air into his hands. Its fucking freezing and he's tired of standing around. Kohaku watches as Hakudoshi throws another punch. He winces internally, touching his jaw unconsciously.

"I'm sorry!" The man cries, "please everything is there, the money, the drugs, everything, I swear!" The man is considerably older than both Hakudoshi and himself. Kohaku controls his urge to scoff at the man, bowing to and begging a teenager for his life. What a pathetic excuse for a man.

Hakudoshi has the nerve to smile before pulling his glock from his jeans. The man goes to plead again, but the pale boy silences him before anything can be said. Kohaku watches as the life bleeds from the man's eyes and collects around his skull. Kohaku remembers the first time he watched someone die. One of Naraku's whores.

He doesn't remember what she did. Doesn't really matter anyway. Naraku was God in these streets. The girl had crossed him and that was enough. He was with Hakudoshi, per usual. They rolled up on her while she waited for a john. Kohaku never quite figured out if it was better that she never saw it coming. He remembers the way he felt. How his heart stopped as he ducked in the backseat of the car. He remembers Hakudoshi speeding away, then feeling sick, then getting his ass beat for throwing up in the car. He remembers his shaking hands and the tears coating his cheeks without his permission.

"Let's go." Hakudoshi's voice brings him back. They walk to the car. Kohaku notices Kaede is startled when they open the doors, the lights blinding her for a moment. Kohaku slams his door a little harder than necessary. Just the sight of the young girl in the front seat has his blood boiling. How many times had they talked while sitting on her dusty fire escape? Just the two of them, smoking cigs and being real. How many times did he warn her that Hakudoshi would only drag her down and bring her misery?

"You know it's hella boring sitting in the car." Kaede complained loudly, but to no one in particular. Kohaku knew she was talking to him. He was the one that always insisted, borderline demanded, she stay in the car and wait. Kaede was a strong headed girl who made her own decisions, yet Kohaku couldn't help but feel like he needed to protect her from this. That feeling he had when he watched some nameless prostitute take her final breath, he never wanted Kaede to know what that felt like.

Kohaku always wanted to argue, but he knew there was no point. She wouldn't see his side. She'd just annoy him into agreeing with her and that wasn't happening this time. He scoffed at the thought, crossed his arms, and leaned his head against the window.

"Maybe once you can shoot a gun without getting knocked off your feet." Hakudoshi chimed. Kohaku doesn't want to, but a smile spreads across his face. Kaede had been too confident one day and the kickback put her on her ass, literally.

"I'm a much better shot now! I've been practicing." Kaede huffs and relaxes when she feels Hakudoshi's firm grip on her thigh.

"Give it some more time babe. Be lucky Uncle Naraku took you on, he clearly thinks you're special. He's only ever had two females in his ranks before and one of them was his own daughter."

"And the other?"

"Never met her, but I heard she was badass. Till she tried to squeal to the pigs. Haven't seen her around since, but you know how things like that go."

Kaede gulped at her boyfriend's nonchalant tone. No, she didn't know how things like that went. She didn't go around killing people who upset her. Kaede wasn't raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, but sometimes she wondered if she really knew what she was getting herself into. When she asked Naraku to train and hire her, it was like her mouth had suddenly been disconnected from her brain and she didn't have the ability to think before she spoke.

She wasn't sure how she managed to convince him that an unseasoned delinquent, who hadn't done more than party a little too hard and skip school, was worthy enough to put on his team. She had done it though.

It was crazy to think that night was over a month ago. The chilly fall had given way to a winter wonderland, though the snow never seemed to stick. There was only one week left of school before winter vacation. It'd been a few days since she last talked to Mrs. Latocki. Kaede remembers the first day she called the middle-aged woman, about a week after moving in with Naraku, and she remembers the sound of her sigh of relief.

"I'm so glad you're safe." The older woman said. Kaede's heart lurched in an unpleasant way.

"I'm...I don't plan on coming back. Thank you for all you've done." Kaede's grip on her cell tightened.

"You'll always have a home here Kaede. Your sister came to me, a few days before she died, and all she ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy. She asked me to make sure that you stayed that way, and I won't let her down. You're a strong girl and you're smart, so please, just call when you can."

Kaede hadn't wanted to make any promises. She didn't even want Mrs. Latocki in her life anymore, she didn't need her. There was a snarky reply sitting on her tongue, but instead Kaede said "I'll call when I can."

"Thank you," was Mrs. Latocki's gentle reply.

Kaede blows her breath on the window so she can draw something. Two more traffic lights and they'd be home, back at Naraku's place. She looks over to Hakudoshi, who keeps his eyes on the road.

"Do you remember their names?" When he shoots her a confused glance, Kaede elaborates. "The names of the girls who worked for Naraku."

"Well, there's Kagura. As Naraku's daughter this life was kinda her birthright. Then there was, uh, shit...I'm blanking on the name." Kaede sat on the edge of the passenger sit.

Kaede began to squirm in her seat when Hakudoshi was still thinking, several seconds later. Kaede spoke up. "was it Kikyou?"

"Yes! I knew it was on the tip of my tongue." Only Kohaku noticed the way Kaede stiffened. From the backseat he could see the way she sank back into her seat, the way her hand gripped the door handle. When they pulled up to the house, Hakudoshi was the first to exit. He opened the car door, complaining loudly about how bad he had to piss.

"Do you know her?" Kohaku questioned in a soft tone.

"She was my older sister. Naraku mentioned her awhile back. I didn't believe him when he said they worked together." Kaede felt a million miles away. Her head was fucked.

"Are you following in her footsteps or something? What kind of legacy is that to leave for someone?" Kohaku commented rudely.

"Fuck off, you don't know what you're talking about! If my sister was in some shit, it was because of me! So she could take care of me. All we had was each other." The young girl twisted around in her seat, cracking her knuckles to give her hands something to do, besides smack her inconsiderate friend.

"Sorry." Kohaku said sincerely, "I wasn't trying to talk shit. You never talk about her. I've known you since 7th grade, how could I not know you had a sister?"

"She killed herself, 5 years ago, when I was in 5th grade." Kaede started. "I didn't tell you because, when you sat next to me at lunch you just smiled and introduced yourself, like a normal person. You made conversation with me by talking about regular things, not by giving me your condolences. You looked at me like I was just another kid in class to talk to. Not the weird, sad girl with the dead sister and no parents."

"Kaede, I-" They freckle-faced boy tried to apologize once more, but the tired looking teen put up her hand to shush him.

"It's fine, you didn't know." The young girl moved to the backseat, forcing Kohaku to scoot over and make room for her. She plucked a blunt from Hakudoshi's glove box, before placing her feet in Kohaku's lap and making herself comfortable against the door. She sparked the THC and took two long drags before passing it to her friend.

"Is that why you did it? Moved in with Naraku and started working with him, because your sister did it?" Kohaku asked as the blunt settled between his fingers.

"You know how I have trouble sleeping, right?" Kohaku nodded; his lungs too full of smoke to reply with words. "It's because I have nightmares. Sometimes of me, but mostly my sister, Kikyou, dying. For the longest time, I couldn't see who was hurting me and I couldn't see who was hurting my sister. All I could remember were crimson eyes, deep like the color of blood." The blunt came back in her possession and she took two puffs, before continuing.

"Then I came to that party here, with Hakudoshi, and I remember Naraku walking into the room and something clicked. His eyes...I had seen them in my dreams."

"So, what are you saying?"

"I don't know! The thoughts in my head are constantly churning." Kaede laughed to keep from crying. Her fingers scratching her scalp and pulling at her hair. "Every night I dream that Naraku kills my sister. Why? I don't know. What I do know is they knew each other, worked together, and I need to keep putting the pieces together. I'm tired of Naraku being some mystery inside my head, some villain in my nightmares, so I came here. Keep your enemies close right?" She felt Kohaku squeeze her calf as she exhaled.

"Listen here Scooby-doo," Kaede barked out a laugh and Kohaku continued, "I know you like to roll solo, but I've got your back. Let me help you figure this out."

Kaede maneuvered so could put her arms around her friend. She squeezed him tight and sincerely before letting go.

"Thanks, Shaggy."

"Sure, now, let's go before Haku thinks you're sucking my dick." Kohaku only missed Kaede's fist by centimeters.

''Kohaku is so dead.' Sango thought as she sat impatiently waiting on her brother. 15 minutes turned into 30, which turned into 60. They were supposed to be getting his tux for the wedding.

At the 90-minute mark, Sango was thoroughly pissed off. She stormed out of the store with a new appointment, just as her brother came dashing around the corner.

"Sango!" He watched as the tall brunette woman turned to face him, her hip jutting out and her arms crossed over her chest. Kohaku's heart didn't skip a beat until he met her eyes, coming face to face with what was brewing just beneath the surface.

He was fucked.

"Explain." She said tersely.

"I... overslept."

"It's 2pm, on a Sunday."

"I was up late, forgot to set my alarm." Sango turned on her heel in a huff. The little shit just had an answer for everything didn't he. She did her best to ignore him as he jogged up to her side. "Come on sis, I know I'm late, but I'll make it up to you. I'll be at the next appointment early."

"That's not the point Kohaku." She said through clenched teeth.

"Then what is it? 'Cause something sure crawled up your ass and died." Kohaku almost ran into his sister after her abrupt stop. Shit. If he wasn't dead before, he definitely was now.

"You know what Kohaku? I sacrificed a lot to help you grow and turn you into a responsible person. The least you could do is honor a commitment you make to me. I don't ask you for a lot of favors."

"I know." The boy's shoulders sagged in guilt. Damn she was laying it on thick, but he deserved it. Sango was at every game, every play, always the one taking care of him when he was sick. Now it was his turn to show up for her. Grabbing her hand Kohaku started leading his sister back towards the tuxedo shop.

"Kohaku, I already made a new appointment. We'll just make sure to show up for that one."

"No. I didn't scramble out of bed and across town for nothing." At the chime, several employees turned their heads. They were quickly greeting by a sales associate.

"Hello, what can I help you with today?" The older man greeted.

"I need a tux fitting." Kohaku stated.

"Unfortunately, we do fittings by appointment only. I'd be happy to set one up for you." The man turned away, no doubt to begin scheduling the fitting, but was stopped short by Kohaku's voice.

"That's what I heard, and my lovely sister here had an appointment all set up. I ruined it with my lateness and it's important I get fitted today, you know, so there's time for alterations and things."

"I understand sir, unfortunately we can only honor standing appointments, not missed." Kohaku felt his eyebrow twitch at the guy's rigidity. From what he could see they were the only customers in the store. Appointment only his ass.

"Okay, how about this?" Reaching into his back pocket, the teen pulled out his wallet and opened it in a fluid motion. He retrieved one crispy, blue, hundred-dollar bill. "I'm sure you can get us in sometime today, right?"

The older man moved faster than Kohaku expected, the money suddenly gone from his grasp and in the man's pocket.

"Right this way sir, Guillermo will be taking your measurements. After, you'll be allowed to try and find something you like. Only 5 options in the dressing room at a time please." Kohaku turned and beamed at his sister. So happy in getting his way, he missed the look of surprise across her face. She chalked it up to maybe making some extra money at Totosai's, until they got to the counter and he offered to pay for the tux...in full.

"Kohaku! You don't have to do that, I'm the-"

"Bride." He supplied for her with a smile. "Groomsmen and bridesmaids pay for their own attire. I got this." The wad of cash he produced from his pocket had her mouth agape. Where was her little brother getting this kind of money? It certainly wasn't from her.

"What are you, some kind of drug dealer?" She said sarcastically. She was too busy staring at his money to notice the way he stiffened, or the uncomfortable way he laughed.

Souta sat in class on Wednesday, eyes towards the window, and not a thought on the lecture being presented by his teacher. He drummed the fingers of his right hand on his desk, while his chin sat in in the palm of his left. Ancient Japanese history was already a tough class to sit through. Never mind the fact that it was the only class he shared with Kaede, and she hadn't bothered to show up in days.

She'd been scarce since the night she randomly stumbled upon the shrine. He had woken up the next morning alone. Only a short note left on the pillow her head had laid on.

Thanks again, see you later.

K

Souta watched as birds flew freely, probably finding their way somewhere warm. The trees were bare, and the grass had been covered in a thin layer of snow. The bell rang and Souta began packing his things robotically. He didn't see the point in finishing out the day. He was too distracted. He wasn't learning anything anyway.

Home didn't sound very appealing. While he knew it was likely no one was there, that was kinda the most unappealing part. He didn't want to be alone, he just wanted to...see if she was alright. Stopping by the office on his way out, the teen grabbed one of the school directories next to the teachers' mailboxes.

He took a moment to question why the school made every student's address and phone number readily accessible, but that was beside the point. Souta soon found himself walking in the opposite direction he normally took home. Soon the high-rise buildings turned into crumbling mom and pop shops. He tripped a few times on some cracks in the sidewalk, a few homeless men laughed.

He thought about glaring but ignored them instead. Soon he was in front of a small apartment complex. Kids yelled as they played outside. Parents and adults sat on their stoops, smoking and drinking. Souta walked right into the building he was looking for. The door had been taken from the hinges.

He finally found the apartment he was looking for on the third floor. He knocked a few times after hesitating for several minutes. He'd been fine the entire walk over here, now he could feel his palms sweating. He was confused when the door opened, and no one was there.

"Mom! There's a weirdo at the door!" Souta looked down in time to watch a young girl scamper away, an older woman walking into view as the girl rounded the corner.

"Can I help you?" the woman said kindly, though she was giving him a distrustful look.

"Uh, Hi. My name is Souta, Souta Higurashi, I go to Shikon high?" He's not sure why his statement ended up sounding like a question. He cleared his throat awkwardly as the woman waited for him to continue. "Is Kaede home?"

The woman's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the girl. "Kaede moved." She shared. "Is everything alright? Has she been going to school?" The woman stepped forward in her concern.

Souta buckled under the sudden pressure to answer her questions. So many words came into his throat at once, they seemed to get stuck there. Noticing, she invited him inside and he relaxed at bit. Souta sat on the couch and allowed his body to melt into the cushions. The older woman sat a cup of tea on the small table in front of him. He thanked her and took a gentle sip.

"I'm sorry for interrogating you and for never introducing myself. Mikayla Latocki." They shook hands and Souta eased even more as the woman smiled. "My daughter Lea answered the door, my oldest is out at the moment, and my son Jace keeps his face glued to those games. I know you were looking for Kaede, but she doesn't live here anymore. She's not in any trouble, is she?"

"I hope not. Are you her aunt or something?" Mrs. Latocki looked slightly taken aback, and Souta had the decency to feel guilty. Here he was, being short with a woman who had invited him into her home. His mother would be ashamed. Before he could apologize the woman was out of her seat. She returned quickly with a photo in her hands.

The little boy he could only assume to be her son, with his arms crossed and head the same as height as his mother's knee. Mrs. Latocki held an infant in her arms, Lea most likely. On her right stood a teen girl, her face pretty, but her eyes sad. Souta vaguely remembers the girls face. One of his sister's friends. Then he landed on Kaede. In her sister's arms looking the happiest he'd ever seen her.

"We're not related by blood, but we're family. We take care of each other. Kikyou, was doing the best she could and together we were able to make things work. The children in our lives were taken care of. When Kikyou died, Kaede never quite recovered. The hurt made her cold, distant. She started skipping school and hanging out with that Hakudoshi boy."

Souta tried not to crumple the photo in his hands. He remembered his sister being messed up about one of her friends dying. He remembered the day Kaede first talked to him back in fifth grade. She had waltzed up to him without a care in the world.

"Souta?" Turning his head at the sound of his name, Souta was faced with the girl who sat in front of him in class. He liked her clothes today, but he would never tell her. Her hair looked nice too. He shook his head at the thought. It wasn't cool to be nice to girls.

"Yeah?" The little girl suddenly looked shy.

"My sister told me to give these to you," quickly digging in her backpack Kaede produced two envelopes. "Your big sister is friends with my big sister, and she told me to give these to you. Will you give them to her?"

"Sure." His ten-year-old mind had a hard time comprehending why her smile made him feel shy. She turned away before he could say anything more.

The next time he saw Kaede was at her sister's funeral. He remembered going with Kagome and Inuyasha. He remembered not fully understanding why everyone was so sad. He also remembered how it made him feel to watch Kaede cry. He remembered how easy it had been to feel her pain.

"Kaede told me that her sister died. She told me that she has nightmares about it. How did...what happened?"

"Suicide." Mrs. Latocki answered somberly. Had Kaede witnessed Kikyou kill herself? Did she find her sister, lifeless? A gentle hand on his knee, slowed his racing thoughts to a crawl.

"Kaede was already living with me when she found out about her sister. Kikyou came to me and asked me to take care of Kaede in her stead. She said she was leaving. That there were parts of her that needed to be fixed, and she couldn't do it while raising Kaede. She told me that she would be back, even gave me a phone number to call so she could keep in touch with her sister. She was dead the next morning."

Souta took a sip of his cooling tea. It was a lot to take in. Why would Kikyou leave a way to be contacted, if she wanted to die? It was all so confusing, but he felt strangely closer to Kaede, and the thought sent his pulse racing.

"Do you know where Kaede lives now?"

"She wouldn't tell me, but she promised to call once a week to check in. Why don't I pass along her number to you? The girl changes it so much it's a wonder she's got any friends at all."

With Kaede's number in hand, Souta politely made his way to the door. He Thanked Mrs. Latocki for her hospitality. "If you hear from Kaede before I do, will you tell her I came by?"

"Of course." She gave Souta a warm smile and stepped forward to give an even warmer embrace.

"I know this might sound strange, but the number you had for Kikyou...could I write it down?" Mrs. Latocki didn't think twice before going into the kitchen and ruffling through a drawer.

"Here." Souta gently took the note from the woman's hands. "You know, I'm really happy Kaede has a friend like you in her corner. As tough as she is, she's lonely and she needs someone to look out for her."

Souta blushed while thanking the woman once more for her time and taking his leave. The sun was getting low, it was time to get home. He put his phone to his ear as he made a call on the way.

Kaede sighed when her ringtone interrupted her music. The number on her screen wasn't saved, and she didn't recognize it. Usually she didn't answer these kinds of calls. She had half a thought to decline.

"Hello?" She paused, giving the caller a chance to speak. "I can hear you breathing, you creep."

"Sorry," the voice said suddenly. "I wasn't expecting you to answer."

Kaede sat up. They sounded so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Who is this?"

"Souta. Sorry, I know this is random. Your aunt gave me your number, I think. I can't remember how she said you were related."

"My aunt?" Kaede questioned, confused before realization set in. "You mean Mrs. Latocki? You went to my apartment?" With every question her inflection rose; in panic or irritation she couldn't be sure.

"Uh...yes?" Souta said in uncertainty. He didn't even think about how strange and random it would feel to Kaede. Or how stalker-ish it seemed or how insane he looked. Looking up her address and going to her home? What was he thinking? "Look I wasn't trying to be weird; I was just-"

"Being nosey as hell?" She cut off. Kaede stood from her bed. Pacing her room in irritation. Who did this kid think he was? Just showing up in her life always trying to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

"I was just worried!" He snapped. Kaede froze. Souta's sigh rang loudly in her ears. "Sorry," he said calmly. "You just... you haven't been at school, so I haven't seen you since..."

'You slept in my arms and then disappeared.' He wanted to say, but he let the thought fade.

"I know." Kaede said, her tone subdued, like she knew exactly what he didn't say. She always forgot how much Souta cared. She was constantly trying to forget how he made her feel. Not because it didn't feel good, but because it did. It felt so good she just wanted to swim in it all day. It felt safe and warm, like nothing bad could get her, but she didn't have the privilege to indulge. Souta was a distraction right now.

"Souta..." The teen boy hated when she said his name like that. The syllables coated in a slimy, disgusting feeling he couldn't describe. It was always followed by a million bullshit reasons for why she didn't deserve to be his friend, like his attention was some kind of reward she hadn't earned. He didn't know how to make her understand she didn't need to earn it. He wanted to give it freely, he just wanted to make her happy.

"Don't. Whatever you're going to say just don't." Kaede chewed on her lip. "Will you...tell me where you are?" Kaede bit down so hard she almost drew blood. Souta could feel her anxiety pour into the silence.

"Will you come to school tomorrow?" He lessened. Her sigh undid the knot twisting in his belly.

"Yeah, I'll see you at school." He was glad she couldn't see his stupid grin.

"Cool, goodnight Kaede."

" 'Night Souta."

As she hung up the phone Kaede flopped face first onto her bed. The new queen-sized bed she was still getting used to. The bed was comfy, but sometimes it felt too big. Or maybe, sleeping alone just didn't feel the same. Kaede could feel her cheeks reddening at the thought. Before Souta, Kaede had never slept next to a boy who wasn't Jace, Mrs. Latocki's son. She remembered falling asleep looking at his face. His eyes gently shut and his mouth slightly agape. He didn't snore, but his breathing was slow and heavy.

She remembered waking up, warm and more comfortable than she ever remembered being. She remembered trying to roll over and Souta's arms stopping her. Her back to his front, one arm under her pillow and the other over her waist. Their fingers entangled on her stomach and his face buried in her hair. It had felt so good to have him there. Sometimes she wished she had been brave enough to wait until he woke up. To see him first thing in the morning after a good night's sleep. She left the note because she was scared. She left the note because she had to leave and didn't know how. She was scared to tell Souta where she was, what she was doing. She was scared about what he might think. She was scared about what he might do to try and stop her.

'He can't keep trying to save me.'

A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts. She regretted saying come in, when Naraku stepped through the threshold. His hair was down, his suit pristine.

"Come downstairs. We have some business to attend to." She nodded quickly, keeping her head down as she made to pass him in the doorway. His sudden grip on her bicep made her gasp. She looked up at him, his eyes making her go cold.

"Who were you talking to?" He questioned, his tone commanding, but not harsh.

"A friend from school." It wasn't a lie, but Kaede knew she would never tell Naraku the whole truth. She'd heard about the things he'd done to people, the things he had the potential to do. She would die before putting Souta on Naraku's radar.

He searched her face before letting her go and stepping in front of her. "If your friends are calling, then you will return to school tomorrow. Things can get complicated when people ask too many questions. Let's go."

Kaede followed silently.

There was a comfortable silence stretching over the room as Sango and Miroku ate their dinner. After a long day of shopping and wedding planning, it was nice to come home to a home cooked meal. Her fiancé had outdone himself with the steak and potato dinner, a nice salad and red wine for starters.

"Everything go alright today? You called me in a bit of a huff." Miroku smirked to himself as he remembered the livid phone call he received. He thanked his lucky stars to finally not be on the receiving end of one of Sango's tongue lashings.

"Yeah, everything worked out in the end. Finally got things sorted out with the catering and the venue called back, everything's secured." Sango pushed around the potatoes and broccoli on her plate.

"That sounds like good news, but you don't look very happy." Miroku commented, before putting a piece of steak in his mouth.

Sango looked from her plate to Miroku several times, before sighing and putting down her utensils. "It's Kohaku. You remember how I was upset he was late for the fitting a few days ago? I thought I was going to have to reschedule, and the boy waltzes in, pulls out a Benjamin and bribes the sales associate to see us. Then, he paid for his tux in cash, in full."

"And you're bothered?" Miroku questioned, confused.

"Not bothered...suspicious. He's a sophomore in high school, working a minimum wage part time job. You expect me to believe he has the money to pay for a six-hundred-dollar tux?" Sango scoffed.

"Maybe he's been saving, we've been planning this wedding for over a year now. You know Kohaku. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to be independent. If saving for the tux makes him feel that way, I say let him."

Sango sipped her wine as she contemplated Miroku's words. He wasn't wrong and everything he said made perfect sense, but Sango just couldn't shake the feeling in her gut. For now, there was no reason to worry so she wouldn't.

"You know my dear, I did something quite unexpected today." He paused to gauge his fiancé's reaction. When she met his eyes in curiosity, he continued. "I went to the police station. Kouga Lang, you remember him from high school, is one of the head detectives at the department. He's going to put me in touch with someone to help me look for Mushin."

Miroku wasn't sure why the touch of Sango's hand almost brought a tear to his eye. "Really? Are you sure?" She asked.

"No, but I don't think I'll ever be sure. There're so many possibilities of where, or what, he could be. There's nothing to be sure of. All I know is...I'm tired of not knowing."

"I support you, in any and every way I can." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and he smiled. His heart was warm with all the love he had for this woman, but there was still another bomb to drop.

"Have you talked to Kagome recently?" Miroku started casually, digging back into his steak and potatoes. Sango shook her head in the negative.

"Probably been a few days now, maybe closer to a week, why?" He paused, trying to gather some tact to help frame his words. He could see why Kagome struggled telling Inuyasha. He now understood how telling someone you loved such devastating news, was so hard. You didn't want to shatter them. You never want to be the one who takes the light from someone's eyes.

"Miroku you're worrying me."

"Kikyou was murdered." So much for tact. If it wasn't such a serious matter, Miroku would've laughed at the way Sango's mouth dropped open. "Kouga first told Kagome months ago, after getting an anonymous 911 tip. Apparently Kikyou was running drugs for Naraku, back when we were in high school. He's the primary suspect in the investigation."

As Miroku finished the tale, that only seemed to get worse, Sango thanked her lucky stars they were already sitting. She could feel herself swaying, like she'd fall from her chair any minute. She didn't think it was possible for air to be sucked out of her lungs, but this news had left her breathless. Her friend, murdered.

It wasn't until she felt Miroku's arms come around her that she crumbled. It wasn't until she'd had a moment to sit with the news, that the guilt hit her. They had all been going through shit in high school, every single one of her friends had a cross to bear, but the thought of missing something important with Kikyou just didn't sit right with her. The thought, that maybe had she been paying a little more attention, she could've saved her friend.

"I don't understand. Why was Kikyou even selling drugs?"

"Inuyasha told Kouga that Kikyou was raising her little sister. She was using the drug money to support them."

Another crushing blow. How could she not have realized Kikyou was playing mom? Sango remembered when Kikyou's grandmother died, that's why she had originally moved back to town. She had always assumed they came to live with more family members, but maybe they had run away. She never fully understood the burden Kikyou clearly carried. Now it made sense why Kikyou was friends with Kagura. Sango had never got why they were so close.

"What the fuck." She stated as she rubbed her face. "What's the deal then? Are they going to arrest Naraku? The fucking bastard." She growled.

"Not enough evidence yet. Kouga's working on it though." Miroku continued to rub soothing circles on Sango's back. "Maybe soon we can go over to Inuyasha's. Maybe he or Kagome can help us get our heads on straight with all of this."

Sango nodded and was rewarded with a comforting kiss from her fiancé.

Kagome had just finished setting the table when Souta walked through the door. Her mom had called her, asking her if she'd be able to make a dinner for Souta, while she worked a double. Kagome agreed as she couldn't stand the thought of her brother eating one of the disgusting frozen tv dinners.

"Mm... smells good in here." Souta said as he dropped everything and followed his nose into the kitchen.

"Just some ramen, nothing special. Sit it's almost ready." Souta didn't need to be told twice as he made himself comfortable. He'd gotten used to taking care of himself while Kagome had been away at college. It was nice to get a bit of that homey feel back now that she'd relocated back to Sacred City.

"Jeez have you eaten today?" The young adolescent stopped mid slurp to stare at his sister. "You're sucking that down like it's the last thing you'll ever eat."

Souta slowed down his chewing and took care with swallowing, mostly because he didn't want his sister asking too many more questions. He was starving because he'd left school before lunch and walked all the way to Kaede's apartment and back.

"You know, when I used to skip school, I put my cell down as the home number. That way the messages, that say you weren't in class, don't end up on the answering machine." Kagome wasn't mad by any means; she knew what it was like to be a teenager. Her brother just hadn't seemed like the type, so she was surprised to check the voicemail and be notified that Souta had missed three of his classes.

"I don't usually ditch!" He defended quickly. "It was just a bit of a weird day. My head was kinda all over the place...I wasn't paying attention anyway." He ended softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Souta was a bit embarrassed, but he knew his sister wouldn't lead him wrong. He knew he could trust, and she was pretty good at giving advice as much as he didn't want to admit it.

"You remember my friend? The girl from school who came over a little while ago? I went to her house today because she hadn't been to school in a while. She's been going through things, and I want to help her. She's always pushing me away though and trying to do things on her own."

"You really like this girl, huh?" Souta blushed hotly. It was confirmation enough. Young love, Kagome loved to see it. "What kind of things are you trying to help her through? She may need things you can't give Souta."

"She just always looks down on herself, and she has trouble sleeping. She has nightmares about her sister...Kikyou." If Kagome had been drinking anything, she surely would've spit it out. How had she not realized the girl from the shrine, and her little brother's crush, was Kaede?

"Nightmares?"

Souta nodded gravely, "She dreams about a man with crimson eyes, killing Kikyou. She's afraid to sleep a lot of the time."

Kagome placed her hand lovingly on her brother's head, "Do you think you'll see her at school tomorrow?" Souta nodded dumbly. "I'll come back here after work, bring Kaede with you and maybe I can help you all get everything sorted."

Her brother smiled and gave her a warm hug. She could feel the trust and love in every fiber of his embrace. "Thanks sis." He said gently. Kagome watched him flee upstairs with sad eyes. It was a few hours later, after the kitchen was cleaned and Kagome had lounged, that she went to inform her brother of her departure.

She'd felt a little bad leaving Hojo waiting at home. She'd went to work all day then came straight to the shrine. Even when she wasn't working, she was thinking about work, and she was thinking about Kikyou's case. They were still waiting for approval of the exhumation order. Kagome wasn't sure if the amount of time it was taking was standard or a bad sign.

She spent of a lot her free time looking at the copy of Kikyou's medical file she'd kept for herself. Hojo thought it was a little weird and morbid, but it was clearly something he just didn't understand. It was hard for her to understand sometimes too, so she couldn't really blame him. How many people actively were trying to solve their best friend's murder?

Almost every day she poured over the file. Tonight, would be no different. She went upstairs to find Hojo watching some movie. She greeted him with a quick kiss, before grabbing a shower. She crawled into bed, her nightly routine complete, before turning on her small lamp and opening her friend's file. It was nice that Hojo didn't comment tonight. She didn't feel like arguing. As she read Kikyou's file for what felt like the thousandth time, she noticed something.

The small cuts over Kikyou's body. Her thighs, her stomach, her breasts. The medical examiner had made it clear he thought they were self-inflicted, but Kagome couldn't help but stare at them. They seemed so…familiar. Kagome snapped the file closed with a gasp, as the thought slammed into her mind like a train.

Ayame. The injuries were similar the young girl she had treated, the one who had made her want to find Kikyou's medical file. Was Ayame connected to Naraku? How? Why? Was Naraku raping her too?

"Kagome what's wrong?" Hojo said with a voice full of concern.

"Kikyou's case, I have to find someone, and talk to Kouga." She explained, though her mind was still reeling. She continued on autopilot, "I might know another girl who might be connected to Naraku. She may have some information that's valuable."

Kagome barely noticed when Hojo slipped the manila folder from her hands. He laid her down and brought her close, his hands gently exploring and soothing.

"Just relax. We can take care of it later, okay?"

Kagome nodded slowly as she melted into her fiancé. He was too good for this world, and too good for her. As her anxiety began to ease, the sick feeling of adultery began to creep its way in. Hojo had no idea about any of her tryst with Inuyasha. He had no clue about the swirling conflict growing inside her. Every day she thought about coming clean, about admitting to her fiancé that she was in love with another man. The hard part was, she loved Hojo too. Her feelings for him were real and she knew she would be happy being his wife, but there was something with her and Inuyasha that she couldn't stay away from. Hojo would be leaving soon and she didn't want them to depart on a lie, but she was a coward.

She didn't want to lose him, knowing he would have every right to walk away. Kagome gripped him tighter and he continued his gentle ministrations. She fell into slumber with the thought she would tell him in the morning.

Hello one year later! So sorry, but happy holidays and please enjoy leave a review to let me know what you think. Guess where you think the mystery is headed!