"So, how'd it go?" Inuyasha asked shutting the front door behind Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru hung up his jacket in the closet to his right then turned to his half brother, "Don't tell me that is why you wanted to see me."
"Part of it. So, what do you think of her?"
"What is there to think? She is a nice girl." He walked into the kitchen at the end of the hall to the right and poured himself a cup of tea.
Inuyasha followed him with his arms crossed his gold eyes watching his brother with a hint of anger building up in their pools. How could he brush her off like that? As if she was nothing. Kagome had told him everything that Jessica had said before she left and now, ten minutes later, he was standing across from his brother sitting on a bar stool set next to the island.
The demon lord took a sip of the tea looking at his brother from over the rim before setting the cup down sighing, "What is it now?"
"You talk about her like she means nothing to you! If that is the case then why are you still planning on dating her? She is very sensitive, okay? If you don't love her then leave her be!"
Sesshomaru let go of the handle of the white china before clenching his fists on the table glaring daggers into his younger brothers matching gold eyes, "Or what, Little brother?"
"Or you will have to answer to me." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed before he turned to the now ringing telephone hanging on the wall next to the entrance of the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Inuyasha, you should've heard how terrified Sango and I made Jessica!" Miroku laughed on the other line.
"What did you do this time?" Inuyasha leaned against the wall the cordless against his right human ear while he stared at Sesshomaru who was staring into the liquid in his cup blankly.
"We called her house and she answered and then I told her that I knew where she was in an evil voice and then hung up before she could say anything. Then Sango called her and she was having a panic attack about somebody named Darien calling her and threatening her." Inuyasha tensed at the mention of Luna's father, but didn't say anything as Miroku continued, "When we told her it was me she totally bit my head off. I was so glad I was talking to her over the phone and not in person otherwise I'd be in the hospital!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Miroku? Jessica doesn't like it when people do that." Sesshomaru looked up at the mention of her name and listened to Miroku through the phone thanks to his very good hearing.
"It's so harmless though. It's just a joke she doesn't need to get all defensive either. It was funny though."
"Miroku, she is scared out of her mind of Darien calling her and saying the same thing. You had better-"
"I know. I know. I know. Hey, I gotta go. Talk to you at the office!"
"Sure. Bye."
"Later!" Click!
Inuyasha hung up the phone turning to his brother, "Anyway, I don't want to see her get hurt, okay?"
"Hn. As if I'd care about what you want." He took another sip of the sweet tea.
"Sesshomaru, I am warning you…"
"Why do you care for her so much anyway?"
"Because she is one of Kagome's close friends. I've seen her get hurt. And once you do you'll understand. It's pathetic how humans hurt each other so much. She was almost sent into a coma thanks to that bastard!"
"Who?" Sesshomaru gave him a confused look.
"Darien, her daughter's father, her ex-boyfriend. I really shouldn't be the one telling you this because I don't know what exactly happened, but I do know that that guy is extremely dangerous."
"Hn. If that was the case then why did she even want to get involved with him?"
"Ask her. I don't think he was all that bad when we had met him. Kagome said that he had changed when Jessica had became pregnant."
Sesshomaru kept his face emotionless, but inside he was experiencing feelings he had never encountered before. He felt like finding this guy and killing him. And he still didn't know what he had done to almost send the woman he… no. He wouldn't go there. Not yet. It was too soon to be falling for her.
"Kagome thinks that Darien went insane when he found out about Luna. But what he did to her was horrible and uncalled for." Inuyasha paused to collect himself and push back the anger and pain he felt about the whole situation. Just thinking about her lying in that hospital bed, broken and torn like Kagome had described last night made him feel like killing something. Or in this case someone. He had no right to do it to her. Especially when she was pregnant. He could've killed Luna before she even was born. 'Thinking about it now… Maybe that was his plan all along.'
Sesshomaru sighed breaking Inuyasha's thoughts, "What did he do to her, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha almost took a step back from Sesshomaru. His voice was more deadly than Inuyasha ever remembered hearing it. It was obvious he cared for her. The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, which had softened and showed more emotion ever since he had started living in this era, proved it all. His older brother had found love and Inuyasha knew he would never admit it to anyone.
It was Inuyasha's turn to sigh as he began, "Darien abused her. Not just physically or sexually, but emotionally too. God, she was never the same after that. No one knows if he had been doing it for the eight months she'd been gone before they found her or if it had just happened, but she looked horrible. There was not one part of her body he had left untouched by pain. Kagome was surprised she didn't fall into a coma or was able to give birth to Luna about thirty days later. Hell, I'm fathomed by the fact she is able to walk and looks as good as she does!"
"How bad was it?"
"Kagome says it was severe. She said there was a long list of things that was wrong with her. Like broken ribs, shattered bones, she was covered in cuts, bruises, and scars. Jessica won't tell us what happened. But it is obvious She, and even Kagome, is terrified that the next time he gets a hold of her will be her last. That's why she hates it when Miroku, who is oblivious to this most of this thing, does those stupid phone pranks."
Sesshomaru averted his eyes back to the tea. When he had seen her the night before she looked perfectly fine. She must've somewhat healed emotionlessly since that night. But… there was no evidence that anything happened to her. No scars at all. He suddenly got up and headed for the closet to grab his jacket.
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"She isn't home! She works at the hospital."
Sesshomaru paused in the doorway, "Who said I was going to see her?"
Inuyasha shrugged, "You didn't."
"Then don't make such ridiculous assumptions." With that he left slamming the door behind him. He was planning on seeing her, but now... maybe a visit to the hospital wouldn't hurt any.
--
"This is gonna hurt a little." Jessica took a syringe from where it was on a metal tray then took the little girl's left arm. The little six year old screwed her eyes shut as the needle went into her skin. A second later Jessica placed a Band-Aid over where the needle had been then pulled away and went over to throw away the needle, "All done!"
The girl opened her brown eyes confused, "That's it?"
"Yelp! I'm gonna go get the doctor, okay?"
"Okay! That didn't hurt at all, Mommy!" The girl jumped off the bed and into her mother's lap while the girl's nurse left.
Jessica smiled as she reached the desk at the end of the hall where several people were seated at computers, looking through files, or chatting with other doctors or nurses waiting for their patents to arrive. She went up to a black haired female doctor and tapped her on the shoulder. The woman turned with a folder in hands. She quickly looked the blonde in front of her over then smiled.
"All done with the vaccine?"
"Yelp! Karina is all ready for you, Dr. Motozaki!"
"Thanks. I think your boyfriend is here at the front desk."
"Boyfriend?"
"Long white hair, weird shade of brown eyes, very tall-"
"Okay, I know who you are talking about now." She laughed, "See you guys later! Oh, and FYI he isn't my boyfriend… yet." She began walking down another hall to her right towards a double door exit that lead into the main lobby.
"You go girl!" One of the doctors, Alan, cheered.
She waved taking off her white jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack on the wall on the right of the door then went out into the quiet room. She immediately spotted him sitting in a chair beside a large window straight across the room away from everyone else. People were looking up from their magazines or newspapers as she passed then went back to reading. Some of the workers glanced at her with a knowing smile on their faces before they continued their work. It was amazing how fast news flies around a place like this.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She took a seat next to him, "Did you break something, need a shot, or found out you had cancer? Don't tell me you came out of your way to see me?"
He put the newspaper down then turned to her, "I did actually. Are you on your lunch-break yet?"
"Technically I'm supposed to be in five minutes. Why?"
"Because I thought we could pick up something and go to the park for a while."
"Sounds great! Let me go tell Mary-Lynn. I'm leaving early. Be right back." She kissed his cheek and then darted off.
'What the hell did I do that for?' She blushed covering her mouth with her fingertips making her way to the back offices.
"Jessica, where are you going?" A brunette popped her head out the open office door just as her employee ran into the wall that made up the dead end. She stifled a laugh as Jessica turned around groaning in pain with a hand covering her forehead.
"Stupid, fucking, piece of shit wall!" She mumbled angrily and Mary-Lynn went into a laughing storm.
A chuckle made her blush even redder as she turned towards the lobby. Sesshomaru stood in front of her, arms crossed, an elegant eyebrow raised, and smirking at her, "I would never have thought somebody like you could be stupid enough to run into a wall."
She glared at him, "I'm not stupid!"
"That was hilarious!" Mary-Lynn laughed supporting herself with the doorframe.
Jessica crossed her arms then glared at her boss, "No it wasn't. I came to tell you I'm taking my lunch-break now."
"Take the rest of the day off while you're at it. You could use it. Oh! Before I forget, here." She disappeared into her office and came back handing an envelope to her then pointed at the outfit Jessica was wearing. "Cute outfit."
"Uh… thanks." She took the envelope then straightened her white Roxy sweater that she wore white caprice pants and white sandals. Then she turned to Sesshomaru, "I gotta go get my purse and then we can go." He nodded then followed her through the door she had come out of not too long ago. She grabbed her white purse that had gold butterflies in the corners and then they headed out of the hospital.
"Did you drive here? We could meet-"
"I walked."
She stopped and turned to him surprised, "The hospital is thirty minutes away from my house by car! Forty from yours and you are telling me you walked?"
He shrugged and continued walking towards her red Apalla parked in front. He waited for her to unlock the door before getting into the passenger seat. "An hour walk never killed anybody. Besides, I've walked longer than that by far."
"Still… walking all that way… just to see me…?"
She pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the park ten minutes away. He relaxed in the seat, one arm on the armrest of the door and the other on the compartment in-between the seats. He watched her hands on the steering wheel. They grip it loosely and every time she turned her hand would glide over the leather like hard material that made it up. He bit back a groan turning to look out the window. What Inuyasha told him was running through his head like a dog chasing its tail.
'Kagome says it was severe. She said there was a long list of things that was wrong with her. Like broken ribs, shattered bones, she was covered in cuts, bruises, and scars. Jessica won't tell us what happened. But it is obvious She, and even Kagome, is terrified that the next time he gets a hold of her will be her last.'
He looked back over at the woman driving the car. She looked normal. But he knew far too well that looks could be deceiving. Her aura proved it all. It was faint, but he could sense fear in her. He didn't really understand much of human emotions only that they were fragile and easily manipulated. A part of him wanted to reach out to her and comfort her. He hated the fear mixed in with the sweet feeling of her aura. It didn't suit her. He could see the park now. But the light in front of them turned red so she stopped.
"Stupid red lights." She mumbled.
Sesshomaru smirked then looked over to the group of people waiting to cross in front of them. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the same guy from last night who had ran into Jessica and was the reason they had first held hands was standing in front of the crowd watching. The man was wearing a black outfit and a black cowboy hat that shadowed his eyes and most of his face. The man gave Sesshomaru an uneasy feeling, which was very rare to the demon Lord.
"…Hot dogs or nachos?" Jessica snapped him out of his trance like state causing him to turn to her.
"Nachos are fine." He didn't hear her whole question, but from what he heard he could easily assume what she had asked.
"Okay, so we'll both have nachos." The light turned green and she started off again. Sesshomaru looked towards the crowd of people again and the dark man was gone.
