Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine...

A/N: I apologize for the long wait...I went to visit my friend, and I didn't have computer access for a few days. Yeah, I've said this before, but get over it. I'm so tired right now...Then again, when am I not? Too bad tomorrow's Monday...which means I have to go to school...Maybe I could play sick...Whatever. I'm done.

Special Thanks To...

Sienna-shirou


Chapter 18 - Here and Now: Will You Spare a Life?

Kagome slapped her hand over the kit's mouth, attempting to cease his mindless chatter. "Shippou, if you really want to get out of here, you have to shut up. Okay?" When he nodded, she removed her hand, repeatedly glancing up and down the hallway from behind her door, opened just enough to see.

She had forced Inuyasha and Sango to find her street clothes while Miroku distracted the receptionists...which wasn't too hard, considering the fact that they were both female. Kagome just hoped he didn't get himself into trouble. Knowing Sango, she would probably get to him before the security guards did.

Now, Kagome had shed her hospital gown, 'Thank God,' and had Shippou sitting on her shoulder. Shippou had been shed of the horrible outfit as well, and managed to find a pair of small jeans and a green t-shirt from who-knows-where. It wouldn't surprise Kagome in the least if he had stolen them from some other little kid. Shippou, however, didn't know how to just keep quiet. She was trying to figure out how he had ever stopped talking...it just didn't seem possible.

Finally...she thought the coast was clear. Sango was positioned at one end of the hall, Inuyasha at the other. Kagome had made sure to get rid of the hospital bracelets...meaning that she used Inuyasha to rip them off. The doctor had said something about wanting her to stay the night until they knew more. 'Yeah, right. There's no way in hell I'm going to stay in some damned hospital overnight.' Which is why they were going to hightail it out of there, taking Shippou with them, of course.

Sango turned and waved discreetly to Kagome, feigning casualness. Her forest green vest layered a maroon turtleneck, dark brown cargo jeans reaching to the floor, hands shoved precariously inside the pockets. She didn't smile, but instead, frowned, probably still nervous about escaping from the hospital. It sounded ludicrous in the first place, but actually doing it was something entirely different.

Kagome held a signaling finger to her lips, telling Shippou to keep quiet, and started towards Sango's end of the hall. It was the quickest way to an exit, one that they desperately needed. She shuddered involuntarily, more from the fact that she was about to see Naraku again rather than from the baleful chill in the air.

Sango didn't say a word as the four of them met up, Shippou remaining still on Kagome's shoulder. Miroku, from this angle, could be seen at the receptionists' desk, one elbow propped on the granite counter, appearing as if he was flirting with the twenty-some year old sitting on a chair. Kagome made sure to slow her pace when she noticed Sango's eyebrows twitching murderously. Inuyasha merely scooted closer to the far wall, sticking his tongue out at Shippou when the kit smirked.

SMACK.

Kagome flinched when Sango finally made it to the desk and grabbed Miroku's hand, twisting his wrist almost completely around, and making some excuse to the nurse about having to leave.

"Come on, pervert, we have to get going, now. You better be out the door before I count to five," Sango threatened, sure to kick him in the shins on the way out the sliding door.

Kagome rolled her eyes, sparing a glance Inuyasha's way, who only shrugged in return. Shippou leaned in close to her ear, trying to be as quiet as possible so Miroku and Sango would hear. It was doubtful - they were still arguing. "Are they always like this?" he whispered cautiously, balancing on her shoulder with one hand.

Kagome nodded, tilting her head backwards slightly. "Yeah. You better get used to it now."

Shippou gulped.


"Naraku, sir, you do realize that she's going to come back here, don't you?"

Kagura stood in the doorway of Naraku's office, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed carelessly. Her blood red eyes were perceptive, staring at and through things with absolutely no interest at all. Yet she hardly ever left Naraku's side.

He spun around in his leather chair and propped his feet on top of the mahogany desk. His black blazer was unbuttoned, pants wrinkled, and shoes kicked on to the floor. Black, greasy hair was spilling messily around his shoulders, half of it thrown into a sloppy ponytail near the crown of his head. Instead of frowning, as Kagura thought he would, he smirked.

"That's exactly what I want her to do," he responded airily, waving one hand in the air. Kagura refrained from lashing out at his face, imagining the worst possible damage she could do - something about scratching out his maroon eyes and completely disfiguring his nose.

Kagura blinked twice, bowing her head slightly before she turned around. "A message will be sent when she gets here." She didn't bother asking what he was planning to do, or how - instead, she made a quiet exit. She began storming down the hall, her heels clacking on the tiled floor. Damn, she was going to have to get new shoes. These ones were nowhere near comfortable.


"Are we almost there?" Shippou whined for the umpteenth time, bouncing impatiently on Kagome's now sore shoulder. If he wasn't a little kid who probably hadn't been out of the hospital for a descent amount of time, she would have personally clamped his mouth shut.

Sango shoved her hands restlessly inside her vest pockets, her brown ponytail dancing behind her. Ever since they had left the hospital, Shippou had resumed his talking, and hadn't shut up since. A few minutes ago, he was talking about getting his revenge on Naraku for ever killing his parents. The subject had been dropped only moments afterwards.

Inuyasha glanced at Miroku from the corner of his eyes, the violet-eyed teen staring straight ahead, focused on nothing in particular. Inuyasha shook his head soundlessly before stuffing his hands in his back pocket. The Yokoshima Records building wasn't too far away, and he knew that Kagome was tensing.

Sango's breath hitched in her throat once she spotted the tall building - it's outside appeared new and modern, but she was doubtful. 'We should have been able to find something on him, right? It doesn't make any damn sense...'

Kagome kicked at a random rock, ignoring Shippou's shrill voice. He seemed marveled by the world outside of the hospital - there was only a problem when he couldn't stop talking. So, instead of trying to hush him up, she mentally went over their plan...which wasn't really a plan at all. Yet she had nothing to lose, so there wasn't a point in holding back. That doesn't mean she wouldn't have held back anyway - Naraku deserved whatever was coming to him.

Around ten minutes passed before they were standing before the door to Yokoshima Records. Kagome and Sango would be going in first, while Inuyasha and Miroku followed them upstairs and tried to dig up any dirt about Naraku. Shippou had already jumped onto Miroku's shoulder and made himself comfortable - from the looks of it, he wasn't about to move anytime soon, and the person whom's shoulder he was sitting on didn't seem very happy about the situation. Well, that was too bad.

Sango nodded to Miroku before walking inside, Kagome following behind her. It was airy inside, a little too cool for Kagome's taste, and too brightly lit. The girl sitting behind the counter was a different one than who she had seen. 'One of Naraku's workers. How I'd love to extract every one of her perfectly manicured fingernails...' Her thoughts trailed off when the brown-haired receptionist glanced up at her, and then back down at her papers. She seemed bored stiff. 'Perhaps I could force some information out of her...Nah. It'd probably be a waste of time...'

Kagome grabbed onto Sango's arm and began leading her towards the elevator. She realized Sango had never been inside before...It was well furnished, the lobby set up with assorted chairs and tables, a counter with coffee machines and other luxuries lining one of the walls. The walls themselves were painted a deep red with dark brown molding and fixtures. Doors with glass windows covered in blinds lined the hallway, names written on certificates and such next to the doorframe. All in all, it looked like an essential building, but Kagome wasn't so sure. Not anymore.

As soon as they hit the elevator, the strong scent of furnished wood and a pine air freshener. Sango sighed heavily as the platform slowly began to climb its way to the tenth floor. It didn't seem like it could get any slower, and when it finally pinged, Sango was hesitant to get off. The hall on the tenth floor looked the same as any other, except for the lack of doors. There were only a few, and not as many people were bustling around. It appeared practically empty compared to the rest of the building.

Too soon, they were standing before Naraku Yokoshima's office door, Sango fiddling subconsciously with the zipper on her vest. Kagome stood still, trying to peer inside through the blurry glass, but it was impossible. She was wishing that behind the door, Naraku wouldn't be there, but whether it was instinct or a gut feeling, she knew that he was. And she dreaded seeing his face again.

"You know, Kagome, your father's death wasn't an accident. It was, in fact, plotted out, to every last detail." He laughed his cruel, bestial laugh, one that made Kagome feel the need to slam a fist into his mouth.

She shifted uncomfortable in the chair, wanting to be anywhere than this place, this darkened room. It was too small, too cold - and she felt about ready to scream, was filled with a dreadful anticipation of what was about to come.

"I knew who your father was - a man of business, importance. If I ever wanted to get to you, your band, then he would have to be eliminated. It's simple, really, if you'd try hard enough to understand."

That was the only problem. She couldn't understand.

"Well, are we going to stand here all day or are you going to go inside?" Sango's sharp voice snapped Kagome out of her reverie, and she reached her hand towards the door. 'Now or never. I'd prefer never, but it's better to get it over with. Besides, he won't be able to do anything - not with Inuyasha and Miroku are around here, somewhere...'

Kagome swung open the door, allowing herself a couple of moments to scan the room. She saw his figure behind the mahogany desk, staring out the large window, the one that she had almost fallen out of.

'Fallen. Yeah, right - shoved is more like it.'

Naraku didn't even bother to face them, not until they stepped inside and Sango sat in one of the plush chairs. Kagome decided to stand next to her, watching with a sick feeling as Naraku's feet fell away from the window sill.

"I knew you would be back, Kagome, and I see you brought Sango with you." No greeting, no warmth whatsoever. He was smirking, the corners of his mouth turned upwards. Sango figured that was as close to an introduction as she was going to get. Though, as she thought about it, she hadn't exactly been expecting any more.

Kagome crossed her arms, furrowing her brow when he leaned forward, his smirk turning into a malicious sneer. "As I suspected," he continued, his voice lowered to a drawl, "you have failed to surprise me, Kagome."

While she rolled her eyes, Sango leaned forward in her chair as well, searching for something more. Something different in his face, a dead give-away that he was up to something vicious. It didn't take very much - a child would cower at his glare, if there ever was one who had the sentence see it.

Kagome began rocking on her heels, trying to appear as casual as possible, even though this was the last place she wanted to be. She could've been having supper at home, with her mom and Souta, maybe even Sango, Inuyasha, or Miroku. Spending a day with Shippou chattering constantly would be better than staying here - at least the runt was entertaining.

"You're bluffing," Kagome responded airily, bringing her hands behind her back. She pretended to examine the scene outside the window instead. "I know it. You know it. So why do you even try? It's a waste, Naraku, and a big one at that."

Sango would have said something, but she couldn't get her mouth to work. Her lips were glued together, it seemed; she wasn't able to utter a word. Yet she didn't need to, because Kagome was still talking.

Kagome turned her glare to Naraku, staring him straight in his maroon eyes, and smirked. Her smirk spoke more than her words. "And if you did kill my dad, Naraku, you can expect payback. For him and for anyone else you murdered. Like Shippou's parents, for instance; was there a reason for that?"

When he stood up and started towards her, a slow, deliberate pace, Kagome didn't move. She cast a sideways glance towards Sango, who had stood up as well, and had balled her hands into fists. "Sick bastard," the girl raved, her dark brown ponytail swishing behind her, mouth no longer stuck. "And you expect us to do something for you, after all this? Don't count on it, buddy; you'd have better luck trying to con candy from a two year old."

'Good one, Sango - way to tell him off,' Kagome mused, feeling that she was being entertained rather than confronted by Naraku. He was standing before Sango now, glowering down at her, and Kagome's amusement disappeared. It was replaced with an icy coldness, washing over her like a fifty foot wave of ocean water.

Naraku closed his eyes for a moment, but not once did his sneer disappear from his face. Kagome didn't even realize it when he pulled his hand back, and in one fluid motion, struck Sango across the cheek. She, unsuspecting, stumbled to the carpeted floor, one hand instantly drawn to her face. There was now a thin rivulet of blood running down her pale cheek - one of the rings on Naraku's hand had managed to make a thin split, reaching from her nose to her cheekbone.

"You should learn to hold your tongue, Sango, before you suffer from the consequences your words bring," Naraku chuckled, straightening himself and squaring his shoulders. He stared at Kagome momentarily, sizing her up, daring her to say something. She didn't. Instead, she kneeled down by Sango, using the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe away the trail of blood.

Kagome helped Sango sit up, who appeared pretty venomous right then. She attempted to stand, but couldn't, because Kagome's hand was holding tight to one of her shoulders. "Bastard," she heard the raven-haired girl mutter, watching silently as Kagome rose to her feet. "You, Naraku, are a prime example of that. Of all the nerve..."

Kagome shook her head bitterly and closed her eyes, hear a ruffle of movement as Sango used his desk as a base of support so she could stand. "If you think, Naraku, that we'd ever actually agree one of your ludicrous deals, you're dead wrong." She turned to face Sango and motioned discreetly towards the door. "Forget we ever came here, because it's not happening."

A cool chuckle filled their ears just as they made it to the door. "I wouldn't be so sure - not when I have some hit-men watching over your families."

Kagome and Sango both froze instantaneously, the room falling completely silent. "He's bluffing," Sango whispered, her whole body now trembling, face more than pale. 'Mother and father...Kohaku, Kirara...He's not telling the truth...he wouldn't actually go as far as to kill our families...would he?'

Kagome pulled her hand away from the doorknob as if it was on fire. She felt sick suddenly, and knew it wasn't because of her earlier fainting incident. 'That goddamn sonofabitch...' she screamed in her head, mentally shouting words that she would have never even dreamed of saying out loud.

No...she knew Naraku was serious. More than serious. He wasn't one to make up something like that...ever. Not after he told her the story of how he'd personally killed her father. She turned, stone-faced, and refused to let the tears fall. The last thing she wanted to do was show weakness to anyone - although she already had, more than once. She was falling apart, and she knew it. Naraku probably knew it to.

So all she did was nod her head, knowing full well that Sango was watching her in mute horror. Kagome ignored it.


Kagome: ::slaps Inuyasha across the face:: JERK! I HATE YOU!

Inuyasha: What did I do?!

Sango: :grabs a metal folding chair and whacks it across the side of his head:: ASS!

Inuyasha: WHAT THE HELL IS IT?

Miroku: Uh...did I miss something here?

A/N: Wow...short chapter...I must be losing it too. Don't kill me, please...perhaps this is what you get for only sending me in ONE review! Actually, no...I'm exhausted, and my parents have been fighting all day, and my mom signed up for some stupid survey money-making thing that I know is a scam. She was on the computer for five hours straight today.

This is quite a turn...even for me. But also completely necessary. Don't hate me...and if you do, well, I think I'll live. I'm expecting at least three reviews before I update again, so get your ass in gear and press the purple button!! Uh...please?

(I usually don't swear like this. What I type in my story is solely for the characters...but I guess you caught me in a bad mood.)


Yeah, well...this isn't my fault. I'm doing the best I possibly can right now.