A/N:
Hello, hello!
And I'm back! I think this is the first time I've ever completed a chapter in such a short period of time! Thank my new beta, Lostxx!! She gives me a good kick in the rear every day and makes me desktops of my favorite anime/manga as rewards! I love her::loves::
We've got some more Souta angst, but you should expect that in every chapter from here on out… Sorry, I don't mean to torture the characters so (okay, maybe I do a little…)! But I promise this story has a happy ending!! …Maybe! XD
Also, from here on out, each and every chapter will be dedicated to the reviewer who gives me the most inspiration!
This chapter is dedicated to Ro0tin4Kagome, who was the first to post a review for chapter three, and who made me feel like an awesome writer for making her all emotional:loves: Thank you, R4K!!
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Reviews answered:
Keiko89: No problem! I loved how you replied to my message, it really helped out! And no worries about the headmistress getting kicked… I am an extremely revengeful person… It can sometimes show in my writing! XD
Tifa Sohma: Thank you, I'm glad you were able to understand things a bit more! It will only get clearer from here on out, although there might be a few crazy twists coming… O.O;
Lady KCanssandra: Misdirected hate is horrible, isn't it? But then again, so is what's happening to Souta! But Kagome is strong-willed and determined, and I honestly believe she'll reach her goal! XD
EM: Look! No more waiting:D
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On to the chapter!!
SugarRos
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Chapter 04: Prepped Deceit: Stage 01
.o0o0o0o0o.
…beep….
"Akane, what are you doing?!!"
…beep….
"Kagome! What are you doing here?"
…beep….
"…Is that… what I think it is?"
…beep…. …beep….
"It's just a little, I need it! It was hurting so bad!"
…beep…. …beep….
"Akane, that was our food money! Don't tell me you-"
…beep…. …beep…. …beep….
"Kagome, I needed it, I couldn't-"
…beep…. …beep…. …beep….
Tears. Hopelessness. Hunger pains… "Akane… What will we eat? …What will we eat?"
…beep…. …beep…. …beep….
"-Skittles?"
…Huh?
"No thanks."
…Where am I?
"But they're Skittles!"
…I'm warm.
"I know what they are, thank you, I just don't want any."
…Who is that?
"But they're supposed to melt in your mouth, not in your hand."
…What the-?
"Miroku. That's M&M's. Idiot."
It was as if Kagome had broken through the surface of dark water that had been pressing around her forever. The voices that had seemed so far away and muffled had suddenly become clear, and she became all too aware of her surroundings. Finally, she mustered enough strength to open her eyes, which felt as if they'd been glued together, and blinked excessively at the bright, florescent light that shone down from the bleached-out ceiling.
The pain hit her all at once, her body aching, her head throbbing, and she tentatively turned her head and looked up hazily at the IV drip hanging next to the bed. She followed the thin tube of fluid that ran from the drip to her hand, which was stuck with a needle, pumping her with nutrients. A heart monitor was keeping track of her heart rate, which had been the source of the constant beeping she'd heard as she came to. Why was she in a hospital?
Then, suddenly, a thought hit her that sent waves of relief flowing heatedly through her body.
She was alive.
She had been sure she was dead when she'd left her apartment with the mindset that she was never going back. Screw Akane. She couldn't deal with the drugs. She couldn't deal with Akane's lies.
"Are you sure? Skittles can melt too, can't they?"
That's when Kagome realized she was not alone. Turning her head to the side, she blinked, rather confused, at the two people only a few feet away from her bed. The man was sitting down in a chair while the woman leaned against the window sill, shaking her head the way an adult would to a child. "It's not chocolate, it's hard candy. Would you just shut up and eat them already?" She huffed.
Kagome watched them for a few minuets, not really understanding why she was in a hospital room with two complete strangers. She cleared her throat, which came out more like a gargled choke. Her throat was parched.
"Hey, she's awake!" The female exclaimed, her hair flipping over her shoulder as she spun around at Kagome's strangled noise. She darted for the hallway. "I'll get the doctor!"
Lifting her chin, Kagome looked up at the man who had immediately come to her bedside. It took a lot more strength then it should have, and it made her head spin, but a few seconds later she felt the uneasiness drift away, and she was able to look up at the rather handsome black-haired man staring down at her.
"Hello!" He said in an overly cheery voice, a charming smile spread across his face. "Feeling better, are we?" His teeth were really white.
She opened her mouth to speak, but only managed to croak out a few unpleasant sounds, surprised again at how raw her throat felt.
"Do you want some water?" The man asked. She nodded, and he hurriedly picked up a glass of water and tipped it to her lips gently. "Slowly now." His voice was deep and smooth.
…Who the hell was he?
She gulped down a few mouthfuls before signaling she'd had enough, and managed to wet her throat enough to utter a few words. "…Where am I?"
The man smiled again, and although she'd never met him, she felt more at ease than she probably should have. "You're in the hospital." He replied smoothly. "Me and my… coworker found you out on the sidewalk a few blocks from here." He cocked his head curiously. "What happened to you? You were half dead."
"I…uh…" Her mind was a little foggy. She didn't remember stopping or falling anywhere, just being so tired, and so hungry… no food for days…
…Wait.
"What day is it?" She croaked out, feeling as if she'd been asleep for hours.
"Saturday the twenty-seventh of June."
Assuming it was still the same year, it had been two weeks ago when she'd found Akane in their apartment snorting up another line of coke.
Tears sprang to Kagome's eyes, the memories of betrayal flooding back clearer than she'd have liked them to. "Two weeks…" She muttered to herself. She'd left the apartment in a rage after what she'd seen. Akane had promised to help her. Had promised to kick her disturbing, money-eating habit and help pay the rent. But it had all been lies. And the money that could have gone to wonderful, filling instant ramen went to cocaine instead.
It had left them utterly helpless. With no money coming in from Kagome's reluctance to work the streets, and Akane spending her earnings on powder, they had absolutely nothing to keep them going.
'Scratch that.' Kagome thought bitterly. 'Akane had enough of that junk to keep her going for a while. But I…'
"You were out there for two weeks?" The man asked, his eyes wide, still standing above her.
She'd almost forgotten he was there. "I don't know…" She said, her voice now working a bit better. "Maybe… I think so… Can I have some more water?"
He nodded, and placed the cup to her lips again. This time, she drank eagerly, emptying the cup. She could feel the cool liquid sliding down her throat into her very empty stomach.
Oh wow, was she ever hungry, and her insides seconded that thought with a low, rumbling growl. The man standing beside her bed let out a loud, hearty laugh, his grin spreading even wider across his face.
"Want me to grab you something from the cafeteria?" He asked, and she nodded her head vigorously.
"Not just yet, Mr. Houshi. We need to get Miss Kagome's stomach strong enough to handle solid foods." The doctor stood in the doorway, smiling a soft, kind smile, and walked over to the bedside, picking up a chart hanging off the steel bed handle. "And your female companion had an emergency call from her employer and had to rush off." He then turned to look down at Kagome. "You seem to be doing a little better, Miss. Do you remember what happened?"
"Sort of…" She rasped out. "I think it's been about two weeks since I left my apartment… It's all kind of fuzzy in my head."
"Two weeks?"
She nodded.
The doctor smiled. "Okay, well, a touch of amnesia due to malnourishment and dehydration, but you should regain your memory over the next few weeks." He held out his hand for her to shake. "My name is Dr. Hojou, I was the one that fixed you up. I've got your first name, Kagome, but can you give me your last?"
She took his hand and shook it limply, not having the strength to grip very hard. "Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi."
Nodding pleasantly, he checked off something on the clipboard. "Okay, and how old are you?"
"Seventeen. Eighteen in March."
"Blood type O, correct?"
She nodded again.
"Alright, Kagome, you'll be here for a few more days until I see a jump in weight-gain, but it shouldn't be too hard. You're rather healthy despite your lack of eating. I'll send some Jell-O in right away; your stomach should be able to handle that. Sound good?"
"Yes, thank you very much."
With a smile and a nod, the doctor departed, leaving her alone with the grinning man again. "I haven't introduced myself properly." He said. "My name is Miroku."
"Kagome."
"What do you do, Kagome?" He sat back in the chair and placed his hands casually behind his head, his grin never leaving his face.
"Ah, well, nothing, really. I used to work at the docks, but that was a bit ago. Finding work is… hard."
"Mmm." He replied in agreement, and she couldn't help but feel as if he was scoping her out for something. "You seem familiar to me."
"Do I? I don't recognize you at all." She realized how brusque that sounded and cleared her throat. "Forgive me, I'm not really feeling all that well. I'm not trying to be rude."
He laughed a pleasant sort of laugh and grinned even wider. "No worries, it seems like you've been through a lot."
"I've had my fair share of misfortune." She muttered, darker than she'd have liked to sound.
Miroku paused before he spoke again, and she could hear a softness in his voice that hadn't been there before. "Kagome, you're only seventeen? Where are your parents?"
She didn't answer him right away, but looked past him out the window. "I'd rather not talk about it. We've been on our own since I was very young, that's all that matters."
"We?"
"My younger brother and I."
"How old is your brother?"
Kagome cracked a small smile at the question. "He'll be thirteen in only a few months… A teenager already…"
"And where is he?"
She sighed before she answered, the face of her younger brother flashing through her mind. "I wasn't able to take him with me when I ran from the orphanage to find work. I couldn't support him. At least there he has a roof over his head." Miroku was silent, waiting for her to finish. "The plan was to make enough money to adopt him out myself. Of course, I was a fool to think it would work. I was too young to get any real work when I ran away, and I'm not even eighteen yet. I can't legally adopt anyone until at least then. …How foolish I was…"
The room was silent for a long while as Kagome's words sunk in. After a few moments, however, Miroku cleared his throat.
"Kagome, I have a proposition for you that you might want to consider."
.o0o0o0o0o.
"Wake up, little toy."
Souta's eyes snapped open wide, and his body went rigid. Immediately, hid arms tightened around Rin's small form, which was still asleep and cuddled next to him. He could feel her pressed against him, heart beating, alive, small. She'd given him a strange sense of comfort this night. He hadn't had any nightmares, which was extremely unusual. Normally, his dreams were filled with pain and giant hands that did horrible things to him. But not this night. Oh, how he'd give anything to stay asleep forever next to Rin.
He didn't really understand what had woken him up until he felt the warm breath on the back of his neck, making the hair on the back of his neck stand straight out. "Wake uup." The headmistress sang her words, making Souta shiver in disgust. What time was it? Was she still drunk?
The room was light, so it must have been morning. Which meant that the headmistress hadn't even been to bed. He was in for another horrible wake-up call.
Wanting to hold out until the last possible moment, Souta pretended to still be asleep. Maybe she'd leave him alone this time. Maybe she'd grow tired of trying to rise him and she'd play with someone else.
Of course, he should have known better than to hope. The headmistress didn't get the same amount of joy out of messing with anyone else. She had been focused on him and him alone since his sister had up and abandoned him.
"I know you're awake, you little fuck." She whispered harshly into his ear. "And if you don't get up, I'll make things much, much worse for you." She brushed her sharp nails along the base of his hairline, and he had to repress another shudder of revulsion. "You think you can escape me?" She hissed, the stench of whisky reaching his delicate nostrils. "Get dressed, I have a customer waiting."
'Go away, go away, go away, go away!' Souta screamed in his head. Maybe if he stopped breathing and just died...
The headmistress stayed the way she was for a few more moments as Souta tried to drag out his time. When he didn't move, she huffed in annoyance. "Fine." She said, and for a fraction of a second, Souta really believed she was giving up. His heart barely had enough time to soar, however, before it came crashing back down to earth. Before Souta knew what was going on, the headmistress had scooped little Rin up into her arms, who had immediately woken up and started to cry due to loss of warmth, and stomped towards the door, the small girl held captive under her arm.
"No!" Souta shouted, realization hitting him smack in the face. He jolted up and threw back his covers as he jumped out of bed. "No, wait!" He cried out, his heart pounding. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" He ran after the headmistress, desperate to get Rin away from her. He latched onto her ankles as if he were throwing a tantrum. "Please! Stop it!" Rin didn't deserve what the headmistress would be putting her through. Rin didn't deserve it.
"Too late." The headmistress seethed. "She's old enough now to take on business like you do." She bent her head low to the ground, her nose inches away from Souta and grasped onto his chin, ignoring Rin's frightened wails. She grinned and chuckled an evil sort of chuckle. "Besides, you shouldn't attach yourself to her. If this customer likes her, she'll probably be adopted." She sniggered. "If you know what I mean. Rin is rather pretty. She'll make some man extremely happy." She then detached herself from Souta with a swift kick to his chest, making him cry out in pain and curl into a ball on the floor. "She's not like you, you little pervert. I don't need her for business like I need you."
And with that, she slammed the bedroom door in his face, waking up all the other kids in the room who hadn't already been awakened by Rins' crying. Souta stood, shocked at what had just happened. He could hear Rins' high-pitched screams echoing down the hall.
No. No! Nonononono!!! Not Rin. NOT RIN!!
Before he could stop himself, he flung the door open and rushed down the wooden stairs two at a time, turning the corner into a hallway and launched himself up against the headmistress's office door.
It was locked. Bolted.
Souta let out a strangled, frustrated cry and he pounded against the door in a frenzy. He knew what was about to happen to Rin. He knew, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it! That fucking bitch would torture her, mess her up and kill her inside.
He could only listen as Rin cried out, begging whoever was in the room with her to stop. But they didn't stop. And her cries became louder, and louder, and louder until she was all but screaming.
Shaking his head, horror-struck, Souta slid down to the floor, defeated. "N-no..." He whispered to himself, as Rins' cries faded further and further away. "Oh God..." He choked out in sobs. "Rin... Nooo..." This was all too much. He couldn't stand it anymore. No more.
No more.
"FUCK YOU!!" He shouted out, through the door. He wasn't going to be pushed around anymore.
Souta knew what he had to do.
.o0o0o0o0o.
The frail-looking girl stared up into his face as she shoved another spoonful of Jell-O into her mouth. "…A job?"
"Yes," Miroku replied evenly, "a job. My employer has a rather appealing opening that I think you would be quite perfect for." He grinned. Wow, was he ever lying through his teeth. It was a good thing Inuyasha had called Sango back to the mansion. Otherwise she'd be blowing his cover. "He's willing to pay you an amount he believes to be fair for your..." he searched his brain for the right word, "…services."
A look crossed her face, and she pulled the spoon from her mouth and shook her head. "Sorry," she replied, her eyes narrowing, although she blushed a deep red, "I don't do that."
Miroku cocked his head to the side. "Don't do what?"
She glanced up at him and seemed annoyed. "You know," she said. "That."
"What, prostitution?"
She squeezed her eyes shut at the word, and he could swear she shivered a little. "Yeah, that."
"Oh, dear me, no. My employer is not looking for that kind of service." He couldn't help but chuckle at the miscommunication. "The service you will be doing will be a bit more professional."
Her nose crinkled. "What, then? Porn?" Her arms crossed over her chest and her bottom lip jutted out defiantly, her Jell-O momentarily forgotten. "Because I won't do that either, I'm not-"
"Goodness, no!" He outright laughed this time, much to her chagrin, and waved his hand in front of his face. "No, this job won't require you to take any of your clothing off." 'Yet.' He added to himself. "That is, unless you want to of course, there will be no objections, I'm sure." He moved on so she couldn't mule over that thought too long. He didn't' want to scare her off before his plan had a chance to work yet. "Anyway, you'll have to move into the mansion, and you'll be living there for a good six months, if not up to a year."
Her jaw went slack. "Mansion?"
Miroku couldn't help but grin again, continuing on before she could ask any questions. "Yes, mansion. This is a full-time job, will require much more than forty hours a week, and you'll be on beck-and-call to our employer. You'll also have to do quite a bit of lying, I'm sure that's not a problem, though?" He whipped out his PDA and slipped the little magnetic pen from it's holder, pressing it down onto the screen. He waited patiently for Kagome's confirmation.
It never came.
He looked up at her over his miniature computer and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her reply.
"Ah…" She said, slowly. "Well, I'm not that great of a liar…" She blushed again. "Akane says everything shows on my face."
He smiled. "Not to worry, Sango and I will be schooling you on how you'll act, talk, walk and, yes, even lie." He placed his PDA back into his pocket and straightened his jacket, continuing. "I can't give you anymore details at this moment, you'll have to agree to what I've told you so far, as well as the undisclosed amount my employee will soon decide on. I can guarantee, however, that the amount is well worth the job, and after you are done you will have more than enough to buy and own your own apartment."
"Wha-what?" Her eyes were wide as saucers, her mouth agape. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly." He grinned.
"I… Don't know what to say…" She paused, her eyebrows drawn together in internal conflict. "Can I have some time to think it over?"
Miroku raised his eyebrow, but nodded slowly. "You can think it over a day, but I'll need an answer after that, or the deal will be off." He stood to leave. "I have to take care of a few things for my employer, so if you decide before tomorrow, give me a call," he handed her a business card, "and I'll pick you up once you've been giving a clean bill of health and released."
She nodded, but said nothing.
Satisfied that Miroku had done all her could to reel the girl in, he left the room and walked out of the hospital and into the back seat of a black Mercedes, nodding to the driver.
"Everything good?" The driver asked.
"Yes." Miroku smiled and nodded, taking the stuffy jacket off and loosening his tie. Ugh, thank god he wasn't really Inuyasha's Lawyer. He'd hate to have to wear an outfit like that everyday. He reached down under the seat for his security uniform. "Inuyasha's fiancé should be ready to go home tomorrow."
"That's great." The driver replied, pulling out from the curb and into traffic, heading out of the city. "I was kinda surprised when you told me he asked a girl to marry him. I thought that after-"
"Yes, we all thought so." Miroku interrupted, his grin widening as he pulled the light-blue cotton top over his head. "But he just fell head-over-heels for this one, and she happily agreed to marry him." He flipped down the mirror and checked his hair. "She'll be good for him." Satisfied with his attire, he flipped the mirror back up and looked out the window, watching as the scenery changed from the busy, crowded streets to the quiet suburbs. "Very good." He added to himself.
.o0o0o0o0o.
Kagome was left alone to her own devises after Miroku left, which she was slightly relieved about.
'…What a strange situation…' She thought to herself, biting her cheek thoughtfully. There were good points and bad points about the whole thing.
There were many reasons why accepting such an offer was not a good idea.
First of all, it sounded too good to be true, which always seemed to be her case. This whole thing could very well be a sham, and they could be planning on just kidnapping her, or worse. This was, of course, unlikely, since it's not like they could hold her for ransom or anything. She had no money, or anything of value for that matter. But flashes of the attack swirled around in her head, and the thought that this could be another trap buried deep into her mind. Also, it was all happening a bit TOO fast. She had been half-dead in the gutter one moment, and was suddenly offered a job that paid enough for her to live in her own place?
Miroku had practically told her she'd be set for life. What could she possibly be doing for this mysterious employer that would pay such a high amount?
This brought her back to the beginning of her list, where it all just sounded too good to be true. And then there was the fact that…
Well, she couldn't think of any other bad reasons…
Okay, so now for the good.
She was homeless. It's not like she could go back to the apartment where Akane was. It wasn't hers anymore. She didn't feel safe there. And with no one willing to hire an underage girl, it's not like she could feed herself without turning to crime.
If she took this job, she'd never have to prostitute herself again. Miroku had said that by the end of the year she'd have enough money to buy herself an apartment, and she'd be eighteen by then, which meant she'd be able to legally adopt her brother! And she'd be able to eat real food and sleep on a real bed with pillows and comforters, and have clothes that were tasteful and expensive….
Well, maybe. All Miroku had told her was that she'd be living there. She didn't know what she'd been doing. It could be pure, forced labor….
But something about the way he'd explained the job made her think she'd be doing something other than scrubbing toilets for this guy….
So it seemed that the good outweighed the bad… Where else could she go? What else could she do? How else could she complete her goal of giving her brother a warm, safe place to live? It was all just too tempting.
…A thought in the back of her mind told her she was making the biggest mistake of her life. It was all just too shady. It didn't bode well at all.
But what choice did she have?
Ignoring the voice, she picked up the phone on the side of her bed and dialed nine to reach an outside line, then dialed the numbers on the business card Miroku had given her.
He picked up on the first ring. "This is Miroku."
"Hi…" She spoke out tentatively, more shyly than she would have liked to. This was a job, for God's sake; she had to sound sure and positive.
"Hello?" He hadn't heard her.
She cleared her throat and spoke louder. "Hi, Miroku? It's… It's Kagome."
"Ah! Kagome-chan!" He stated, more friendly than what she thought was necessary. "You've made up your mind already? It's only been a few hours since I left you."
"Yes." She bit her lip, and prayed that she was making the right choice. "You said you'll pick me up in a few days?"
He paused for a moment, long enough for Kagome to wonder if he'd hung up on her or not. "…Hello?"
"Ah, sorry. I was thinking… Anyway, yes, I'll bring you to the estate in a few days when you're released. I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning, however, to go over a few details and tell you want needs to be done when you meet your employer. See ya tomorrow!" He hung up before she could say goodbye.
She thought that she'd be nervous and uneasy about her decision, and she was absolutely right. But she also felt strangely light-hearted. She'd have a place to sleep tonight where no one would be doing drugs or shooting guns off. She'd be in a room and eat a good dinner. And soon she'd be living in an upscale place where she was getting paid to… well, not to prostitute herself, at least.
The thought led her off to sleep, light and dreamy and weightless.
And warm.
.o0o0o0o0o.
Kikyou tried to keep her facial features calm as the clinic's front desk receptionist laid out her belongings while naming them off.
"Lipstick… Keys… Gloss… Wallet containing seven credit cards and license, as well as member cards to three different country clubs…"
Argh! She wanted to reach through the plastic wall that separated the two of them and strangle her fat, ugly, bulbous neck! She shouldn't have been taken to this dump in the first place. Sesshoumaru always had a tendency to overreact. What could she have possibly done to him anyway? He was youkai, for hells' sake, there was no way she could physically harm him.
"Cellular phone… two pieces of gum… a condom…"
That last bit was said in a tone that made Kikyou's toes curl with absolute fury. She bit her tongue to keep her look passive.
"Silver watch… earrings… four bracelets… one ring… and one necklace." The woman pushed the items through the small opening at the counter without a smile. "Please sign here," she pointed to the dotted line of a sheet of paper next to Kikyou's hand, "that confirms that you're not missing any belongings and that they were in the same shape as they came in."
Oh, if she'd seen this woman elsewhere… She would surely have a few choice words of her own to share. Instead she signed her name in her overly loopy signature, and placed her belongings in her purse. Managing a "thank you," she turned and walked out the doors back to freedom.
A silver Bentley was waiting for her at the curb, and Sesshoumaru stood next to the open back door, waiting for her to climb in. "Have a nice stay, did you?"
She kept her face a blank slate as she slipped into the back seat and moved over to let him slide in next to her. "I always have a lovely time, you know this."
"Mmhmm." He replied, opening his date book and marking a few things down. "While we're on our way to your parent's house, would you like to discuss what happened during our last encounter?"
"Which encounter was that, dear?" The word dear was pronounced in a sickeningly sweet way. "I thought our last time was lovely."
"Yes, well," Sesshoumaru removed his slim glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "you had mentioned something about a baby."
Kikyou chose not to reply as she stared out into the light sky.
"You realize the reason we sent you to the asylum, don't you?"
She tasted a metallic liquid in her mouth, and realized that she had cut her tongue, she was biting so hard.
"Kikyou, you never had a baby. You had an abortion, remember?"
She wanted to rip her nails across his emotionless face. Why did it seem to be so effortless for him? It wasn't fair that he was able to control it so easily. It was always such a battle for her.
"You tricked my brother into conceiving a child. You-"
"I did nothing of the sort!" She whipped her head around and snarled into his face, an angry, reddish flush blotching across her features. "Inuyasha knew fully well what he was doing!"
"He was found drugged. You drugged him and raped him."
"It was no rape." Her demeanor had changed at the drop of a hat, and now she stared up at him with seductively steamy eyes. She could feel the change. Feel how her nerves stood on end as she remembered the many nights of pure passion she and Inuyasha had shared. "He moaned much louder than I. He initiated it. He was absolutely willing."
"You drugged him so he'd fuck you without protection, so that you'd have his child and be forced to marry into the family. It was proven in court, Kikyou. You've been proven insane."
For a moment she wanted to kill him. She wanted to rip his eyes out and squeeze until they popped. She wanted to gorge out his neck and crush his windpipe.
The single eyebrow Sesshoumaru raised in response was enough to inform her that her vicious thoughts had been showing on her face, and she quickly snapped her features back to calm and serene. "Don't worry, Sesshoumaru. I remember the court's ruling." She turned to look back out the window.
He stayed silent for a long while, and Kikyou began to think she's blown in again, and that he would order the driver to turn back around and take her back to the insane asylum. But after several minuets, all he said was: "See that you keep it that way."
Twenty minuets later they pulled up the extensive driveway to the Himonishi estate, and Kikyou opened the door without waiting for the driver and walked the front steps briskly. But before she'd made it safely inside, Sesshoumaru peeked his head out from the door and called out to her.
"One more thing."
She didn't turn to look at him, but she froze with her hand on the doorknob.
"Supposedly, Inuyasha has purposed to a young lady. I am giving you warning so this will not come as a shock to you when you see her attending the next few soiree's." With that, he shut the car door and was off down the driveway.
Kikyou stayed where she was, her face a mask. As soon as the car was out of sight, she tore the door open and slammed it as hard as she could, making the giant chandelier shake far above her head. Her features had become twisted, and her skin was a deep shade of purple rage. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed a number she'd memorized long ago; storing it away in her mind for the day she would need it.
"Kouga Yumoji's office, Attorney at Law. How may I direct your call?"
"Get Kouga on the phone, now. Tell him Kikyou is calling in her favor."
Today would be that day.
.o0o0o0o0o.
Kagome looked up into her mothers face, wonder in her small eyes, then looked down at the small bundle wrapped in her mother's arms. "Mama?"
"Yes dear?" Her mother asked quietly, motioning for Kagome to lower her voice as well.
"He's so tiny." She whispered, staring in awe at the baby wrapped in blankets.
Her mother smiled. "I know, dear."
"Why's he so small?"
She let out a small, tinkling laugh, making Kagome smile as well. "When you were born, you were this tiny, too."
Kagome's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes." They sat for a while, looking over the small infant, and her mother began to hum a soft tune.
Kagome was full of wonder. He was her baby brother. Hers. She was going to teach him how to throw tea parties and sneak cookies from the cupboard, and if anyone tried to push him around, she'd beat them up for him. She remembered something suddenly, and snapped her head up back to her mother. "Mama?" She asked determinedly.
"Yes, dear?"
"What's his name?"
Good question, honey. Her mother glanced up to the silhouette that stood next to the window, tall and strong and loving. "Well, Kagome, dear..." She replied, not looking away from the tall silhouette. "I think I'll name him... Souta."
The silhouette spoke. Kagome couldn't see a face, but she felt safe with whoever it was. "Souta?" His voice was deep and affectionate.
"Yes. Souta." Her mother nodded.
"Souta..." Kagome tried out the name, liking the way it sounded. "I like that..." She looked down at the bundle again and waved a finger over the infants face. Souta watched her finger move back and forth and made a gurgling noise with his tongue. "You hear that, Souta?" She asked. "I'm your new sister. I'm Kagome." She looked back up at her mother. "...Mama?"
"Yes, dear?"
"You think he'll like me?"
She laughed, louder this time, and the silhouette chimed in also. "Kagome," she answered, "you'll be the best big sister in the entire world. I know he'll love you. You'll take good care of him."
"Kagome and Souta." The silhouette said.
"Kagome and Souta." Her mother repeated. "Kagome and Souta."
"Mama..."
"Get up!"
Kagome opened her eyes, wonderfully warm, superbly comfortable, and to the faint smell of lavender…
"Are you awake?"
She rolled her head to the side to see a young woman standing over her, eyebrow raised, a look of impatience planted on her face.
"You need to get up, hon. I gotta change these sheets and you need a bath and a change of clothes."
Huh?
Kagome's mouth dropped open at her words. …Where the heck was she?
It took a second for her memory to catch up to her.
…Oh yeah…
A job. She'd been offered an actual job, with benefits and everything. And actual honest-to-goodness job! A slow grin spread widely across her face and she couldn't help but stretch out her back, popping her joints and feeling absolutely wonderful. She hadn't done such a simple thing in years.
The girl that had woken her up clapped her hands and pulled the satiny blankets back from Kagome's body. But she didn't mind. The room was a nice seventy-two degrees, a welcome change from her old freezing apartment.
"Come on, come on, I don't have all morning. Some of us have to actually work around here." The girl teased in a friendly sort of manor.
Kagome yawned and smiled back. "I'll be working here too, starting today."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't I know it. You don't remember me?" She pulled the top blankets and sheets off the bed entirely and stuffed them into a giant basket made from fabric.
"You look slightly familiar, but…"
She held out her hand. "Sango. I was with Miroku when we found you on the sidewalk. I was there when you woke up, remember?"
"Oh, yes!" Kagome smiled brightly. "That's right, I do remember. I'm Kagome. Miroku talks a lot about you."
A strange, dark look passed over her face. "I'll bet he does."
She was slightly taken aback by the girls' change in facial features, but continued on anyway. "How long have you two been together?"
Sango snorted as she shooed Kagome off the bed. "Together my butt, he's the biggest pervert in the world." She froze in the middle of yanking off the pillow coverings, then turned slowly to look at Kagome. "He didn't… try anything with you, did he?"
Kagome blinked and shook her head. "No, why?"
The relief was evident on her face, and she continued on with her task. "That's good, I didn't think he'd sink so low as to fondle a girl laying bedridden in the hospital." She muttered. "Just a warning, though," she yanked off the bottom sheet, "watch your backside around him. He's got wandering hands."
"Dually noted."
"Just let me finish changing the bed and I'll show you into the bathroom, okay?"
Kagome nodded and took the time to look around. She had been escorted last night into the giant estate, and barely had time to register anything before she was whisked off to her room, given a nightgown, and had flopped down on the bed, exhausted. She was asleep only second later.
Now, looking around the room, she noticed how bright and sunny it was. The floor was extremely comfortable, white, shaggy carpeting gracing the entire bedroom length, and giving her feel a nice, sinking feeling. She fiddled with the carpet with her toes as she glanced around at the walls. They were painted white, but had very Victorian decoration, with pillars and golden trim, a canopy bed hung with pale pink sheets and an old-style dresser that had a giant oval mirror.
The ceiling was by far the most magnificent of the room. Carved in intricate patterns and plated with golden paint. The designs made up a larger picture of a woman in a Victorian dress sitting down in a field, her giant skirt wrapped in layers around her legs.
"Come on now, let's get you cleaned up and ready for your meeting." Sango grabbed hold of her wrist and lead her towards an open door to the left.
The girl was dawned in a maid's outfit, one that seemed like it had been copied from a book. She wore it well, and it matched her dark, pretty eyes and long, straight hair. She seemed to be about Kagome's age, which she was thankful for. Maybe they'd become friends. Hopefully she was not a victim fallen prey to drugs.
Sango smiled as she led the way into the bathroom, which was only roughly half the size of the bedroom, but was still absolutely enormous. It was painted a pale blue color, almost while, and a giant bathtub was tucked in the far corner. It was one of those Jacuzzi tubs, and could easily fit three five hundred pound people inside comfortably.
The girl bent over and turned on the water, filling the tub with sudsy warmth. Kagome took the opportunity to look around a bit more.
Most of the bathroom was sectioned off by glass walls. Inside the floor was foamy, and squished under her feet, and there were benches set up against the walls. She guessed it was the shower, although there was no showerhead, but hundreds of tiny holes in the ceiling, from which the water must come out.
Absolutely amazing.
"Alright Kagome, get undressed, I'll wash your hair out for you." Sango called from the edge of the tub.
Kagome couldn't help but giggle at the motherly effect Sango was having on her. She lifted the nightgown over her head and pulled down her panties, stepping into the soothing, warm water. "Ahhhh." She let out. "This is the best bath I've ever had."
She laughed. "Well, many more of these to come, girl. With you're job, I'll practically be at your hand-and-foot!"
"Eh?" She asked as Sango poured water over her head and proceeded to squeeze out a hearty amount of shampoo. "What will I be doing that you'll have to be waiting on me?"
"Miroku didn't tell you?" Her voice was that of surprise.
"He didn't give me many details…" Her voice trailed off as she lost herself in Sango's massaging fingers.
She sighed. "Yeah, well, Miroku is known for being blunt unless he has something to hide. It's so stupid that he's tiptoeing around telling you about you job, though. It's not like you're going to hate it, Kagome. Believe me, most girls would kill to be in your position."
"And what position is that?"
Sango threw back her head and laughed at Kagome's attempt to get the information. "Don't think I'll be the one telling you! No way, I'll leave that pleasure up to Inuyasha."
Kagome's heart jumped into her throat. "I-Inuyasha?" She asked. "As in… Senator Kobun's son?" Her voice had gone from normal to squeaky in five seconds flat. "As in the guy that's on all those ads on TV? That Inuyasha?!!"
Sango groaned. "Oh, man! He didn't even tell you that?! What a friggin' jerk." She tilted Kagome's head back and dumped more water over her hair, then squeezed out a hearty amount of conditioner. "Don't worry, Kagome. Don't be intimidated. Inuyasha can be a jerk, but he really is a good guy… deep, deep down inside."
"Mmm." Was all Kagome could say. She felt that if she opened her mouth she'd puke all over the place.
"Really, I promise. He's a nice guy. Take you for example. When Miroku suggested you for the job, I was extremely hesitant. Inuyasha was actually downright against it until he saw you in the hospital. Then he caved like that." She snapped her fingers. "And then there was… well you remember when you ran into him, right?"
"Huh?"
"You know… when he and Miroku…"
Kagome had turned her head to look questioningly up at the maid, who suddenly flushed a deep scarlet. "Well, I probably wasn't supposed to mention that part. Forget about it."
"No, wait! When did we run into each other before? Inuyasha Kobun is pretty famous, I know I would have remembered seeing him on the street!"
"Now, now, Kagome. No more questions." Sango smiled nervously and stepped away from the tub. "I think you can finish washing yourself from here on out. Towels are handing on the rack, and when you're all nice and dry call me up by pushing the red button by the door, okay?" She was out of the bathroom before Kagome could protest any further.
Kagome sank back into the water and closed her eyes, her thoughts running a mile a minute. Something was extremely off. Was everyone in this place so keen on keeping weird secrets involving her?
Her curled her body into a ball underwater, her eyes breaking the surface edge, and closed her eyes, halfway expecting to wake up at any moment on the cold, hard ground in some random ally.
…But the warm water she was laying in was all too real. The smell of shampoo and the soap bubbles and the jets pressing into her back were all awesomely too real. It made all thoughts of unreality float from her mind, and she couldn't help but smile.
So what if everyone in this place was insane? She could care less as long as her goal could be completed.
Looking down at her body as the water swirled around her shoulders, white foam that spewed from the jets sticking to her skin and popping into thin air, she couldn't help but feel like everything just might work out okay.
…Except for that darn warning sign that would just not stop going off in the back of her mind.
Kagome dunked her head back underwater to wash out the remaining conditioner before she stood and wrapped a towel around her body.
She walked over to the door and pressed the red button. Then stepped into the shower and turned it on, just for the heck of it.
.o0o0o0o0o.
Taa-daa! Wow! I have to say that was the fastest I've ever whipped out a chapter! I'm so excited! THANK YOU, LOSTxx:lovelove: I want my Duo Wallpaper now, please!! XD
Anyway, what did you guys think? A little Souta angst, a little Kikyou drama, and a lot of Kagome. "What the heck?" you ask? "Where was Inuyasha?" Sorry! …I got to the end and was like: Crap! He didn't appear once in this chapter! How strange!!! Oh well, next chapter there will be lots of him, as Kagome and Inuyasha – drum roll, please – meet face-to-face without Kagome being knocked unconscious! XD Yay!
Next Chapter: Prepped Deceit: Stage 02
Are you excited?! I am! And oh! Leave me reviews so I can answer them in my chapters, and those of you who read and don't post reviews, please do! They keep me motivated! (other than my beta kicking my rump every now and again, that is)
SugarRos
