"Glad to see you joining the land of the living my friend," spoke an exuberant Miroku as the black haired man watch his friend walk in the room.
Inuyasha smirked at his long time friend, "Yes well, what can I say; the dead tend to be rather boring."
Sesshomaru glared at his younger brother who was a little to…bouncy for his own good, "That was irresponsible Inuyasha. How can you ever learn to live up to our father's name when you are pulling off antics like that?"
Inuyasha smoothly sat down in the nearest office chair, completely disregarding his elder brother's comments, "Perhaps one day I'll grow up, but right now I'm too young to think about being like the old man."
Miroku's left eyebrow rose…what? Inuyasha had aspired to be like his deceased father for the better portion of his life, why the sudden change? Before Miroku could ask what the hell had happened after he crashed through that gate, the doors that Inuyasha had just walked through were burst open.
"Mutt, you're dead. How dare you take my woman like that!" screamed Kouga.
Inuyasha closed his eyes as he relished in the previous day, "I guess I just don't see her as your woman you wanna-be canine."
"Not now Kouga, my brother needs to learn discipline," said Sesshomaru in his anger at being ignored.
Before Kouga could retaliate to either one of their comments Inuyasha cut him off, the boy eagerly trying to hold in the arrogant grin he had as he turned to Sesshomaru. "Hey, I know what will make Sesshomaru shut up for at least a good couple of hours. Cause I don't think I can stand you much longer."
Inuyasha reached down below him in order to grab the two boxes full of completed paper work he had finished over the week. Luckily he knew his brother, so Inuyasha knew that Sesshomaru would nail him to the fence for being lazy if given the chance. It was for this very reason Inuyasha had ordered his driver to haul the boxes to the office and stash them under the table.
Inuyasha almost carelessly threw the two boxes onto the table in his brother's direction, "Will this get your panties out of their knot?"
Ignoring his younger brother's comment Sesshomaru briefly glanced through the boxes in order to see what the younger had accomplished. After a few grueling seconds the elder businessman put the files down and carefully organized the other documents. Inuyasha, knowing that his brother would spend a good couple of minutes leafing through the rest of the files turned back towards Kouga.
"And as for that 'your woman' comment…I don't see your name written on her," he said smugly.
Miroku suppressed the urge to smack his forehead, oh, that was mature.
"Well then I'll fucking write it on her then, but you stay away!" yelled the more than irate Kouga.
"This is adequate Inuyasha, you are excused," spoke Sesshomaru suddenly as he placed the two boxes on the floor.
Inuyasha grumbled slightly, "Glad to know I have your blessing."
Kouga began his rant once again but Sesshomaru cut him off, "You on the other hand are beginning to get on this Sesshomaru's nerves. I find your complaining irritating."
Kouga silenced himself once he saw the stare Sesshomaru was giving him, perhaps it was best to save this argument for later.
"We have a guest, his name is Naraku and he is here for less…conventional services," said Sesshomaru once he had everyone's attention.
"God Sesshomaru, didn't know you swung that way," smirked Inuyasha.
"Quiet whelp or I'll rip out our tongue," demanded Sesshomaru.
"Been threatening that for years and I still have the ability to speak so I'm think I can say whatever the hell I want."
Miroku decided to be the sane one of the group, since no one else was, and asked the inevitable question, "Who is he? This Naraku guy?"
Sesshomaru, knowing that the man would be here any minute decided to hold off the fight with his younger sibling, "He has information on the Black Widows."
"We already have info on the Black Widows, how could there be anything that he could tell us that the cops couldn't?" asked Kouga arrogantly.
"Because the cops are idiots who are blind as well as stupid," came a smooth voice from behind them.
Sesshomaru looked up towards the now open door where a man with long black hair stood. He wore a completely black pinstriped suit that was matched with a blood red undershirt and tie. His hair fell freely around his shoulders as the man glanced from each company owner. His eye's though, there was something malicious about them as they landed on Inuyasha.
"I am Naraku and according to my informants, you have a spider problem."
Inuyasha stared skeptically at the man, "Your informants? Right…so what makes you any different than the cops?"
Naraku smirked and shut the door with his foot, "As I said, the police are buffoons that criminals of the Black Widow's caliber run around in circles for amusement. If you want to catch someone like them than you must hire someone of their own level."
"And you are?" asked Miroku.
"I am someone who has been poisoned by the Widow's as well," smirked the red eyed man dangerously.
"If you couldn't catch them when they robbed you, what makes you think you can help us?" asked Kouga.
"Perhaps you were not listening. I was never robbed by them, they just interrupt my…trade. All I wish is for them to no longer scare away my clients or interfere with my work. You are providing me with such a way to see that that happens," spoke the man calmly.
"You aren't legal…are you?" asked Inuyasha.
"No, I am not, which is the only reason I will be able to help you. The police don't know the rules of criminal society, while I on the other hand, live and breathe by them. They have no idea who they are truly dealing with and it would be foolish to think they did."
"What can you tell us?" asked Sesshomaru.
Naraku smiled, "Everything."
Kagome smiled carelessly as she and Shippo planted a couple of rose bushes in the garden. She didn't know why but today suddenly felt…invigorating.
"Where to start," began Naraku as he scanned the room.
Sesshomaru growled, "How about from the beginning, that is where most things start is it not?"
Naraku smirked sinisterly, "But there are so many beginnings, so many to tell. A story never has just one character or one simple plot, a true story has a multitude of information to look at. There is so much. I am sure you want to deal with your current issue but, you cannot deal with that unless you deal with what came before it."
"What do you mean? What came before it?" asked a now very interested Kouga.
Naraku smirked, "Haven't you wondered how the Black Widow's came into existence? Why they are the way that they are? How is it that such smart and conniving women aren't working for the government, or NASA? I promise you, people like this is what companies like those pray for."
"Start where it is relevant," said Sesshomaru more calmly than he thought he would. This Naraku was getting on his nerves. When the man approached him he was skeptical, but now he was just annoyed.
"It is all relevant, but I guess for your current purposes, I will start with Shadow," he said mockingly, like there was something they were missing.
"You know about Shadow's past?" came Inuyasha as he suddenly realized he wanted to know what Naraku knew.
"I am, one of the very few. There are probably only a handful of us left."
"Get started," growled Inuyasha.
Naraku walked over to a projector and pulled out what looked to be a high tech jump drive from his pocket. "I'll need the screen to get the full effect."
Ayame watched the screen before her as she surveyed the room. There was no way this man knew about Kagome's past. She barely knew, this had to be some type of hoax.
The screen suddenly appeared black on the giant projection board.
"Shadow grew up normal...per say. One mother, one father, one older sister and one unborn brother. It wasn't until she was five that the criminal life became known to her. Her sister, ten at the time, decided that the civilian life wasn't for her. So, on Shadow's fifth birthday party her sister let her true nature out. She slaughtered everyone, the visiting children for instance…"
The screen suddenly came to life as a mangled and bloody picture of a five year old little boy came on the screen. It looked like his hair was originally black, but you could no longer tell because of the blood that was matted in it. The kitchen knife that was imbedded in his gut was nothing compared to the mortified look of horror on the young boys face.
"Then there was the father of course," the picture changed and what appeared to once be a grown man, was pinned to the counter, two kitchen knives were imbedded in his back, another in his thigh. Obviously the sister didn't want him getting away. The face had been hacked repeatedly though, leaving nothing but blood and slashes.
"I would show you the mother and unborn child, but, I don't think that is a sight you wish to see," spoke Naraku calmly.
"So this was her childhood? How did she get away?" asked Miroku as he tried to keep down his breakfast.
Inuyasha thought he saw a slight look of annoyance on this Naraku characters face, but he passed it off as a trick of the lights. What would he have to be annoyed about?
"I couldn't say. Supposedly she hid long enough or ran hard enough. In the end the case was passed off as a mass murderer on the loose and they pinned it on some local thug. Who after all is going to question one of the missing daughters for the slaughter," said Naraku arrogantly.
"In the end, Shadow ended up on the street, terrified that her sister would find her. For about two years she wandered, learning how to steal and cheat her way into survival. It wasn't until a year or two later that it happened…she stole from the wrong woman. It is quite funny once you think about it, a little girl was able to pick pocket the legendary Black Widow. A little girl went unnoticed. It should tell you how good your adversary truly is."
"She stole from Black Widow? And the woman didn't kill her?" asked Sesshomaru.
"I assure you, if given the chance the child would have been dead on the spot. Black Widow had something she deemed very important in her pocket and was ready to rip the throat out of the person who took it. Unfortunately for Widow, Shadow had been taken two days later by an…organization. They were rounding up orphans for a little experiment. They knew that the brats wouldn't be missed by anyone and they were collecting children from all around the world."
"What was the experiment?" asked Inuyasha.
"Assassination," smirked Naraku as another picture came up. Here was where a group of children were lined up, each wearing a set of black sweats. Their hair was cut down almost to a buzz as the children stood there, looking at the man with a gun who stood before them. "The children were going to be trained on how to kill. The children were subjected to all sorts of torture, from anthrax injections to build up their immunity to bone breaking beatings where they would be forced to set their own bones back in place to prevent deformity. In the beginning there were over 400 children, by the end of the two and a half years there was only about thirty left. But these were the worthy ones."
Naraku turned to look at the men before him, watching as they digested the information. "All the others were dead by one method or another. Take one of Shadow's old cell mates for example."
He pressed a button and the screen changed once again. Though this time instead of a picture an actual clip was presented. There was a cell, though it seemed worse than any cell Inuyasha had ever seen. There were no windows, no bars, no nothing. All that was there were two blankets and a cemented in metal bench. Inside the room were two children who curled up next to the walls, huddling in their blankets.
Suddenly, six guards stepped into the tiny room. In a language Inuyasha didn't know the first man pushed the gun up to each of the children's heads and lead them out the electronic door. The camera followed them for a good few twists and turns until they were led to a room with a large empty fish tank. It wasn't until the children were thrown into the glass container that the chains at the bottom of the tank were seen. Guards jumped in and strapped the children to the bottom on the glass floor.
The girl on the left, at least Inuyasha thought it was a girl, it was hard to tell with their hair cropped the way it was, made a shift in her stance. Almost immediately the gun fire started, the bullets being imbedded into the ground where her foot had rested. A different guard spoke this time, and luckily he spoke English.
"No moving scum," came the voice.
As soon as the guards were out of the glass case the water came. The tubes that connected to the case began pumping in water. Slowly the glass case filled, the girls still trapped to the bottom.
The guards voice came back, "We are going to work on our underwater exercises now. Your time will be three minutes."
The bright red digital clock then started its countdown.
Inuyasha watched as the two girls tried their hardest to stay conscious in the water. He could see the other girl, the one on the right, as she tried to swim upward but she was immediately pulled back down by the chain. He watched as the timer slowly ticked away, revealing at least another minute of this torture.
The girl who couldn't have been much older than Rin suddenly lost her breath, bubbles made their way from her mouth. The girl who had almost been shot earlier turned to her companion and yanked on her chains, trying to get to her friend. The girl yanked and pulled, kicking the glass to try and make a crack to lower the water level.
"Sir, the girl isn't going to make it," came another voice.
"Keep it going!" he yelled.
The girl on the left turned towards her friend and swam over to her, placing her small mouth on the other girls, trying to give her the air in her lungs.
Suddenly the timer rang and the water drained. Both girls lay there panting on the ground as soon as they were able to get their head above water.
The main English speaking officer took the gun from one of the surrounding men and aimed it at the poor girl who could hold her breath, "Onigumo doesn't tolerate weakness."
A sounding shot went off and the girl flew backwards, her eyes open and bloodshot as liquid red ran down her chest.
The scene on the screen went back to black, "The girl who made it was our very own Shadow, she had tried to save her friend but I guess it didn't matter."
After the initial shock of what he had just seen set in, that no, he was not watching a horror movie, Inuyasha turned towards Naraku, "Who is Onigumo."
"The man who funded the operation. Don't fret, he is long dead. Black Widow took care of him years ago," came Naraku's reply.
"What happened next?" asked Miroku.
Naraku snickered, "After a couple of years like that Black Widow finally got her lead and tracked down the facility. She released most of the children and took Shadow with her."
"Most of the children?" asked Kouga.
Naraku smiled, "A little less than half were not deemed worthy for society. They had become absolutely mad throughout the training, killing anything they could get their hands on. I saw pictures as well as heard stories, from what I could tell these children were absolutely feral. They were un-savable."
"And Shadow?" asked Inuyasha.
"Almost killed Widow the first time she saw the woman. You have to realize that adults were a large source of fear for the girl at the time. She couldn't remember the last time one of them hadn't tried to hurt her. She ran from Widow for a good two weeks, somehow evading the woman. Finally Widow caught up to her and forced her to reveal the location of everything she had stolen before the initial capture," finished Naraku like the rest of the story was not important.
"And then Shadow and Widow joined forces right? The other two came later?" asked Miroku.
"More or less, there were of course insignificant details that I will not elaborate on but yes, that is virtually the end," said Naraku calmly.
"Damn, you have to wonder what Widow wanted to badly that she would hunt down an orphan pick pocket for over two years for. That must have been some type of overpriced bling," spoke Kouga with a low whistle.
Naraku smiled, "I assure you, it wasn't something Shadow could have pawned, or she would have sold it for food. No, this particular object had more of a sentimental value for Widow than anything else."
Inuyasha stopped to look at the man in question, "Wait, you know what it was?"
"Yes, I actually have a copy of the very elusive object. Mind you, I had to break into your house to get it."
Inuyasha stared angrily at the red eyed man, "My house? What would I have that Widow wanted?"
Naraku shook his head as he smiled, "No one ever told you? I'm surprised; I guess I figured it would have been leaked to you somehow. Apparently I was wrong." Slowly Naraku pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket. "You see Inuyasha; you and your father were what Widow was so dead set on getting back from Shadow."
Naraku turned the piece of paper around only to reveal not a black piece of parchment, or something with writing on it, but instead a picture. On it was a very happy three person family. A little boy who was standing between his two parents, smiling happily. On his right was a tall handsome man who looked lovingly at his wife and child. On the left of the boy was a beautiful woman with midnight black hair and violet colored eyes.
Inuyasha stuttered as he looked at the picture, "That's impossible."
"No actually, it isn't. While Widow was undercover she made the mistake of falling in love with her target. Soon Widow became known as the wife of your father, and the mother to you. I suppose she was happy with that life, from what I know you kept her busy enough. She gave up everything, her title, her skill, her life's work. It wasn't until you were older and attacked by an old adversary of hers that your father told her to leave. Apparently he thought that your mother's old life was affecting yours, which by all reality it was. There had been numerous attacks on you, this was just the first she was unable to keep from him," Naraku looked around the room carefully surveying the faces of those around him.
"She never left you though. She kept constant tabs on you. The longest she went without seeing you was a month, not that you or your father knew of course. After your father threw her out she became a walking zombie, all she did was kill those that had threatened you throughout the years. You were officially off limits, which is why I find it odd that the women that she trained and hired are after you. They have no reason, especially Shadow. After being recruited the first thing she was trained on was your protection. It is rather intriguing," he finished, more so to himself than anyone else.
He walked over to the window, "I've gone over it a thousand times in my head but it makes no sense! They have no reason to be here. That sword is nothing to them!"
Inuyasha was still staring at the picture Naraku had laid down on the counter. His mother was Widow? His caring, loving mother was a killer? "My-my mother is Widow?"
Naraku turned back towards his audience, "Was your mother, she died some years ago. Protecting you actually."
Inuyasha stood up in his seat furiously, "What?"
"She died. Killed. Blown to pieces most likely. Do you not remember? It was about three and a half weeks after your graduation. You and your father were kidnapped; no one knew what had happened. Your plane went out of radar and mysteriously vanished. It was all over the news so of course Widow saw it. She knew it was a trap, she knew that you and your father were just bait for her but she foolishly went anyways. Mothers are irrational and illogical that way," mocked Naraku.
"Shadow immediately tracked your mother down when she saw the broadcasting. In fact, Shadow was the one who got you out of the complex. Widow took your father, and Shadow grabbed the unconscious you. Though with all the men stationed throughout the building Shadow and Widow were immediately separated. They knew they had to hurry, the man who had kidnapped you had set a bomb and they had to get out of the building before it went off. Shadow jumped through a widow with you in her arms, Widow was not so lucky. She was furious about what had happened and went after the kidnapper herself, thinking she had time before the bomb went off. She had obviously miscalculated," finished Naraku while staring at Inuyasha.
"So now you know what I know. Mind telling me what I want to know?" asked Naraku.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know why the Black Widows are here. There is some reason, the sword isn't enough. They would never betray Widow's memory like that. So what exactly has Shadow told you?" asked a now very demanding informant.
"…She said she was here for the sword," said Inuyasha angrily.
"Anything else?" he asked.
Inuyasha quickly remembered the conversation that he and Shadow had. Yes, there was something else. She had said that she was here for revenge, but Inuyasha was starting to think that the revenge was not against him. Then who could it be against? "No, she didn't say anything else. I wish I could tell you more," Inuyasha finished.
"Fine then," said Naraku with newfound composure, "Sesshomaru has my number if you remember anything else."
Ayame tapped into the wire she made that was placed in Sango's earring as she revealed what this Naraku character had just said. Perhaps it was time for another group meeting.
Inuyasha and the others were calmly eating dinner when it happened. All four of them had been repeatedly going over the story Naraku had told them. It was inconceivable that Inuyasha's mother had been Widow. The woman had always been so gentle, so forgiving…so motherly. Was it true? The timing fit, the story did as well, but could that had really of been what had happened?
If that was true then why were the three of them there? Sure, Inuyasha had been the only one to meet Shadow and her two accomplices had yet to show their faces but everyone knew they were watching. Did the women know about Naraku? About what he had said?
"Holy shit that was close," came a panting voice to the right as a door closed.
Rin immediately perked up, "Auntie Kagome said a bad word!"
Kagome turned around to face the owners of the house, "Sometimes it's appropriate," she said calmly while glancing through all the windows.
"You do know you are interrupting our dinner woman," said Sesshomaru while taking another sip of his soup.
Kagome's eye's narrowed, "The girl I had help me with today's dinner spit in your soup."
The soup in the overconfident mans mouth was immediately spit back into the bowl as Rin giggled at her father's funny face, "Daddy, don't worry, I didn't spit in the soup. It was just a bit a drool."
Sesshomaru looked at his daughter and then back at dish before him. He loved his daughter, but not that much. Sesshomaru very discretely pushed the bowl away.
Rin started to giggle again and then looked at her Aunt, "You were right Aunt Kagome, he did believe me!"
Kagome absentmindedly nodded her head while looking out the various windows.
"Oh Kagome!" came a voice from the kitchen.
The others watched as Kagome swung around to face the kitchen door, her skin as pale as any old fashion ghost from the horror films. Without a moment's notice the woman lifted the table cloth and ducked under the wooden table. It wasn't even a few seconds later that Sango stepped through the doorway. She immediately turned a bright shade of red when she saw who was in the room.
"Umm…I'm sorry, just looking for Kagome," came her smooth response.
"Why?" asked Kouga. Even he was getting the hint that Kagome did not want to be found. She was a grown woman hiding under the dinner table; he was thinking that spoke for itself.
"Her friend is here from college, something about catching up since they haven't seen each other," smirked Sango.
Inuyasha didn't know why but he had the distinct impression that he was missing something.
Before anyone could say another word something extraordinary happened. Sesshomaru smiled. It was never good when Sesshomaru smiled. That usually promised death, or a loss of limb. Almost immediately he reached down underneath the table cloth and pulled out a hysterical beauty.
"It seems this Sesshomaru has magically found her," he spoke calmly while taking a sip of his water with his other hand.
Kagome looked at the firm hand that was still holding onto her upper arm. She glared at it fiercely like it would somehow make a difference and time would reverse itself. She then turned her attention to the owner of said hand, "Did the great and almightily Sesshomaru just start a war with me?"
Sesshomaru smirked, "So you admit my superiority?"
Kagome looked at him again, sizing him up like one would a fellow warrior. After a few seconds she nodded her head absentmindedly, "I like you. Rin, I approve of your choice for a father."
Rin clapped her hands enthusiastically, "Oh me too, I think I made a very good choice. The other day he even played Barbie's with me!"
Kagome pulled her arm out of Sesshomaru's grasp as she looked at him, "I'm still going to get you back though. You have no idea what you have just unleashed."
Sesshomaru scoffed, "She is an old friend is she not?"
"Kaggie baby!" screamed a voice to the left.
From the other doorway came a tall six foot three man in dark blue jeans and a bright red and pink T-shirt. Was that pink eye shadow?
"We are going to have so much fun tonight, we are going to all the best clubs and you are getting laid if I have drug you," came the man's very bouncy voice.
Kagome had to resist the urge to smack her forehead, "Hello Jankotsu."
"Forget the hello's and go get dressed, I haven't seen you since we broke into that old warehouse for our graduation party. Get something sexy on or I do a makeshift change with what you have on. I'm thinking naked down main street!" he said enthusiastically.
"As great as that sounds…I have work in the morning," came her not so confident reply.
"Take it off, Kaede will have it covered," came Sesshomaru's same emotionless voice.
Kagome swung in her boss's brother's direction, "Rin, has daddy every told you where babies come from?"
If Sesshomaru's seat wouldn't have had arm chairs Kagome was positive the man would have fallen out of his chair.
"No, daddy has never told Rin that," came her reply, the young girl turned towards her Aunt, "Where do they come from?"
Kagome smirked as she saw Sesshomaru attempt to get out of his chair in time in order to stop her, "Why, they come from sex Rin."
The great and almighty Sesshomaru had officially fallen out of his chair.
"What's sex?" she asked just as innocently.
Jankotsu cut in, "Sex is the most wonderful thing to ever reach mind kind little girl. It is marvelous!"
"But what is it?" she probed.
"I think you should ask your daddy that one," Kagome turned her attention to the silver haired man who was looking at her in a petrified manor, all the while sitting on the floor.
"Did your daddy tell you about it?" asked Rin.
Jankotsu once again cut in, "No, Kagome's parents never really spoke to her about it. Magazines and movies helped with that explanation though I'm sure. Then by the time she was having it, and they would have had the guts to talk to her about it, well they weren't exactly around."
Kagome didn't hesitate in sending a glare in Jankotsu's direction. Was that what he was here about? He wanted to talk to her about her parents? Why the sudden desire? Then it clicked, Naraku had stopped by hadn't he? Ayame must have over heard and called Jankotsu. Well, Naraku certainly didn't take his time now did he? She had been expecting at least another couple of weeks before he managed the nerve to show his face.
"Aunt Kagome doesn't have any parents?" asked a now flabbergasted Rin. It seemed she didn't understand how that was possible.
"No, our sexy little girl here has been taking care of herself for way to long. All the more reason to find some rich bastard to marry her off to," spoke the flamboyant man before them.
Then he frowned, "Then again, you never were one to go after someone for their money. That was more along the lines of your sister. Speaking of the she-devil, what number is she on now?"
Kagome frowned, "I wouldn't know. I don't exactly talk to her you know," Kagome then turned to Rin, knowing Jank wouldn't hold his tongue when it came to language just because a little kid was around. It seemed like he was hell bent on having this conversation in front of Inuyasha as well. Just great, her identity was going to be blown for sure if this continued. "There is a new batch of snicker doodles in your Uncle's office. I put them in there for desert but you finished before he did, so I'm thinking you should get them."
Rin immediately jumped out of her chair and ran through the door, intent on eating every last cookie.
Kagome turned back to her friend, "Do we have to do this here? Inuyasha is kind of my boss."
"Good, he should know how screwed up his employee's and their families are. And you aren't any help with your sister either. I have a pool going with how many husbands she'll end up having before someone catches her and I can't win it if her own baby sister doesn't even keep tabs on her now can I? Anyways, I'm just making sure we aren't in the same town as the Wicked Witch of the Waste. Sometimes I have to wonder though, how you two are related," he walked over to Inuyasha's side of the table and picked up his glass of wine, effectively taking a sip, "it's just, she is such a whore. And then of course there is you, you who breaks up with a guy when he buys her expensive things because she takes it as him saying she can't take care of herself."
Kagome rubbed her temples, "What do you really want Jankotsu? Do you need money or something? Loose another bet? God knows you have gambling issues."
"Actually…I'm here for a little family reunion if you must know," he said while rolling his eye's, as if he would rather have his teeth pulled.
Kagome stopped mid rub as she took in what he had just said…family reunion? Kagome's eyes went wide as the situation dawned on her. They didn't!
"Ayame! Get your stupid ass over here!" she suddenly screamed.
Suddenly a vibrant and very familiar red head came bouncing through the door, "Hey Kagome."
Kagome glared at her friend while she spoke to Jankotsu, "Get in the car Jank, I'll be there in a minute."
The man in hot pink quickly walked over to the furious maid and pecked her on the cheek with a kiss, but a serious undertone laced his words, "Seriously Kag's, she was just worried." With that said he gracefully took another sip of wine, put the glass down and walked out the door.
Kagome immediately turned to her comrade, "That was low, even for you."
The girl, whom everyone was guessing was Ayame, narrowed her eyes, "You need to talk to someone about this."
"No really, I don't," growled the woman. With that said Kagome stomped out of the dinning room and into the kitchen, Ayame quickly on her heals. As soon as the door shut, two other maids who had entered the room, aside from Sango, immediately grabbed the remote and switched the television that was hidden behind the large cabinet doors on. Once they were set up the two immediately switched the channel to the security system, eventually finding the right room.
Soon Ayame and a furious Kagome were on the screen.
"I don't want to hear it Ayame," said Kagome as she tried to leave the room again but Ayame dashed in front of her effectively blocking the exit.
"I looked up the records, this week is the anniversary of your parent's death. If anyone can understand that it is Jank and Bank. God knows those two are like older brothers to you," argued Ayame.
"Shut it. You went behind my back Ayame and that is just wrong," said Kagome in a strangely even tone.
"What was I supposed to do? Let you go through this week alone? Forgive me for calling the two people in the world who understand what it's like to go through…well, what you have been through," she countered.
"What? Jank who thinks the nearest guy is my solution or Bank, who thinks I should join a nunnery? Oh, I'm loving my options. You had no right to do what you did and now I'm officially angry. In case you haven't noticed I'm fine. I haven't cried over it for a very long time and I don't plan on starting now," said Kagome again, in the same tone.
Ayame shrieked, "How can you be so calm? How can you stand your life?"
Kagome took in a long breath before she managed to speak again, "You accept it and move on. Nothing changes by sitting around and crying about it. Besides, it wasn't like I lost them when I was young okay? I was practically an adult when the accident happened so it's not like I didn't understand the situation alright?"
It looked like the red head was about to counter that point when she suddenly stopped and looked around the room a few times.
"Look, I'll go out with the boys tonight okay? You did go to all the trouble of bringing them here after all. I'll dance with a few guys to appease Jank and then I'll let Bank beat them up at the end of the night. It's a win-win situation," sighed Kagome as she attempted to rub her head again, "but never do this again alright. I'm a big girl and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Ayame nodded, "Fine, but you can't blame me for being worried."
Kagome sent another glare, "Yes I can."
With that she turned around and headed back towards what everyone supposed was her room.
The first maid immediately turned off the screen when they saw Ayame's figure walking back towards the door, "Shit, she's really mad at me," they heard her say as she walked into the door.
Sango walked up to the red head, "She'll get over it, it sounds like you were just trying to be a good friend."
"Thanks, and sorry about ruining dinner for everyone. I should have known not to interfere, Kagome is always really…quiet when it comes to her family," said Ayame as she looked around the room in an apologetic manner, "I still stand by what I did though."
Her eye's met with Kouga, "How's that roommate of yours doing?" she smirked.
"Shut up bitch!" he yelled, almost immediately forgetting the current situation.
"You know to the dog breed that is a term of endearment," she said while her smile grew even larger.
"You fuc-" but he was cut off at the sound of Rin's melodious voice.
"I saved you one Uncle Inuyasha!" and then she came, running into the dining area with a very large cookie in hand. She ran over to her uncle, handed him the cookie, turned around and then frowned. She looked back at her dad, "Aunt Kagome is gone, where is she?"
Ayame quickly caught the attention of the little girl, "Kagome is spending the night with her brothers. It has been a wile since they hung out."
Rin's face made a large 'o' like face, "That's good, I would be really lonely without a daddy. When did they go away?" she asked quietly, like there was something wrong with what she was asking.
Ayame's face made a strained smile as she paused a bit, contemplating, "Right before the beginning of school, sophomore year of high school. There was some lunatic driver, hit and run."
The same disbelieving face was made by the little girl.
Ayame turned back towards the three maids in the room, "Are you sure that she has the morning off tomorrow?"
Sango stepped up, "I'll cover for it, don't worry."
Ayame smiled, "Thanks, I'll have her back in the morning some time. That is if Bank lets her come back. He was furious when he found out she was working, he just loves taking care of her. He will probably spend the whole night trying to talk her into quitting, moving in with him and having her treated like a princess. I swear, he takes 'older protective brother' to a whole new level."
With that said Ayame winked at Kouga, who growled back at her, and she walked out the door.
As awkward as it was, the host of the dinner, that being Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kouga and Miroku all felt rather thankful for their interruption. It was somewhat refreshing hearing a story about Kagome's life, the woman whom had made her way into each of their hearts. Hell, even Sesshomaru felt comfortable enough to banter with her. As horrible as it was to lose parents, as they all knew, it was nice for some insight.
At least she hadn't lost her sister in the car crash, and at least she hadn't lost them in the brutal type of manner as Shadow had.