Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Ordinary

Chapter Ten: Déjà Vu

It took Kagome most of the day to write the story and by that time, Officer Minori's dead body had already been found. Asuka came as she always did to the scene, and grimly, she removed the body. She told Menomaru and Sesshomaru that she would be up for the preliminary the next morning, and that she would work all night to make sure everything was ready for them. She was aware of Minori's officer status, and did everything that she said she'd do.

It was Saturday now, almost a full twenty-four hours since Kagome had started writing Minori Kobayashi's death, and she stood painfully as she watched Menomaru and Sesshomaru talk to Nobunga.

He was crying. The pain and torture that he was feeling was evident on his features. They had told him before, with Tsuya by his side, but then Sesshomaru asked to speak with him quietly. About what, Kagome wasn't sure.

Inuyasha was out getting coffee and food for everyone, and he told her to stay back and stay safe. She wondered briefly what he meant by that, but figured it was because of the threat that was against her. He was overprotective and overbearing sometimes when men looked at her in what he called "the wrong way". But now, he wouldn't let her move without holding him to reassure that she was going to be okay. Since the killer had yet to change his M.O. to non-engaged women, she wasn't too worried.

Yet.

"So you're psychic?"

The question surprised Kagome, and she whipped around to see Tsuya Atsuko beside her, giving her a shaky smile. It was obvious that she knew and cared for Minori too. Her hair was short and in a bob sort of style. She looked like a porcelain doll to Kagome.

Kagome stuttered for a moment before answering truthfully. "Yes, I am."

"What can you do?"

"I hear voices of the dead, and sometimes I see them too," Kagome whispered, trying not to make eye contact. This was usually the part where people freaked out and ran away from her like she was a mutant. This was usually the part where she got hurt.

"The dead aren't always quiet, are they?" the woman mused beside her and Kagome stared at her, shocked.

Tsuya must have realized because she smiled. "Oh, I'm not freaked out. I'm psychic too. I'm an empath. I can read emotions and the whole she-bang. So if you lie to me, I'll know it." She was quiet for a moment, lost in some sort of memory. "I can object read too. You know, psychometry?"

"I've heard of it," Kagome replied. "So you got a double-whammy."

"And you've got a connection with your boyfriend."

The thought of Inuyasha made Kagome grimace, remembering how difficult he was when he left to get food. Tsuya laughed and gave a small, mysterious smile. "He means well, you know. He's trying to protect you, with good reason."

When Tsuya said it, Kagome felt almost...reassured. She felt like Inuyasha was protecting her not because of his overactive imagination and fears, but because... She couldn't put a finger on it. Tsuya seemed so certain that Kagome didn't doubt anything. "I'm a potential target," Kagome told her, feeling a connection with the psychic. She never met another psychic besides Kaede and Ami, from when Tsubaki tried to kill her.

"Yeah, I know. I can read it all over our little killing fiend," she said, shrugging. "Nobunga would do the same if I told him though."

The sad look on her face made Kagome think twice. "Wait," she urged, turning to face Tsuya. "You're a target too?"

"What number is she?" Tsuya asked. Suddenly, her voice was very tight and very strange. Kagome wished she was an empath, so she could understand what the woman was feeling.

"What do you mean, what number?"

"What number victim is she?" Tsuya pressed.

Kagome bit her lower lip and sighed. "The ninth."

"Ah." Her voice had become quite small. "Well, maybe I'll see you around. Do you think Special Agent Taisho is finished right now?"

Kagome nodded and watched as the mysterious woman made her way over to her boyfriend.

"Kagome!"

Again she turned, only this time to face Inuyasha who held two large bags of food. He looked her up and down, as if to make sure she wasn't hurt in any way, and then smiled. "You're okay, I see."

"Of course I'm okay," Kagome assured him, pointedly giving him a look. But then she remembered what Tsuya said and softened up a bit. "You need help?"

"Maybe a little," Inuyasha admitted, handing her one of the bags. Kagome grabbed it and tossed it to one arm while she encircled him with the other.

"Inuyasha?" she asked quietly, looking up to his face.

He looked down at her, worry clouding his eyes. "Yes Kagome?"

"I love you."

Inuyasha smiled and lowered himself to kiss her forehead. "I love you too. Always will."

They were left alone in the conference room and Kagome was going out of her mind.

"Can we at least go for a walk?" she asked, groaning. "I can't be in here any longer."

Inuyasha sighed. "It's dangerous out there."

"Oh don't start that again," Kagome shot back, irritated. "I'm fine and I have you right here to protect me."

"I turned my back last time for an hour Kagome, and look what happened."

"Yeah," Kagome rolled her eyes while her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I ended up here with you."

"Ouch."

"It was a good thing!" Kagome shouted, relentless.

Inuyasha smirked at her. "Fine, let's go for a walk."

Sneaking past everyone, Kagome and Inuyasha escaped to the outside, breathing in the fresh air.

"Thank goodness," Kagome murmured, grabbing his hand. "See? Not so dangerous."

Inuyasha chose not to comment. Instead, he looked at the scenery around them. There wasn't much. The police department was located on the main road. A highway was not far by, and Inuyasha could hear the sounds of cars buzzing by, trucks honking and people screaming. Where they were, however, there was still a sidewalk with gardens that trailed along it.

Kagome dragged him and started walking to the right of the building. "So let's have this talk," she started, giving him a sly smile.

"You just wanted to talk outside so if I decided to kill you, you'd be able to run," Inuyasha sighed, exasperated. "Women."

"Wouldn't it be safer in a room near cops?" Kagome pointed out. "Look, we need to talk."

"The dreaded words," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Oh shut up," she said playfully. "Seriously, can you get into my head?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment, tightening his grip on her hand. "Well I can see the door but I'm not in it. I'm not in your head."

"But can you talk to me without going in?"

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.

"Very funny Inuyasha," Kagome scoffed.

He smirked slightly. "It worked."

"So what does that mean? Along with the voices of the dead, you're in there too?" Kagome laughed. "Gee, awesome."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to him, hugging her. "Stop complaining. This can't be that bad. Now I can always know what you're thinking."

Kagome turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She grinned wickedly before kissing him lightly on the lips. "What am I thinking now?"

Inuyasha searched her eyes for a moment and then he grinned too. "Well, there's grass over there."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome smacked him playfully. "Save the outdoors for our backyard," she hissed with a smile. "I was thinking more along the lines of..."

She pushed the thought into his head and watched as his smile grew wider. "The Palace is about ten minutes away." And Miroku's not even there to keep quiet for.

Opening her arms and letting Inuyasha pick her up, she wrapped her legs around his torso and kissed him passionately. She could feel him harden beneath her as his one hand toyed with her shirt while the other held her up.

And then, she could feel him vibrate.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Inuyasha growled between Kagome's kisses.

Kagome sighed. "You should answer it."

"Um, no. How about we continue with what we were doing?" He sounded hopeful.

"We're in the middle of a murder investigation."

Inuyasha growled again and opened his phone. "What the fuck do you want, Sesshomaru?"

"Actually it's Sheriff Menomaru. I'm using his phone."

Inuyasha covered the bottom of the phone and burst out laughing, watching Kagome's confused expression. Then, knowing he had to speak quickly, stifled his laughter and spoke. "Well, what?"

"Sergeants Ruri and Hari found an abandoned shack not too far from the ninth victim's – Minori's – house. We think it could be it. Sesshomaru said that Kagome would be able to tell one-hundred percent for us."

"Okay, where is it?"

When the conversation ended, Kagome looked at Inuyasha with wide eyes. "Menomaru Seki?"

"The one and only," Inuyasha said, grinning again. "They need you to go into a building and see if it's the killer's. You up for it, or no?"

Nodding, Kagome said, "I'll do whatever I can. I can't believe Minori was next. She didn't even fit the profile – she's not engaged." Kagome realized that she had to start worrying about her own safety. Maybe Inuyasha's overbearing protection was needed. She sighed. "Let's go."

Inuyasha picked Kagome up again, this time throwing her on his back. He raced towards the police department and opened the passenger door of his Tahoe. Since he had driven up all the way from Trite, he decided that his truck needed more than just one long run. Kagome's car was low on gas, so she agreed. Finally getting to the driver's seat, Inuyasha took his keys out and started the car.

"Remember when I stole those from you?" Kagome asked suddenly, when they were already on the way.

Inuyasha smiled. "You mean the first time we kissed?"

"No, the first time I stole your keys." But she was smiling anyways.

The building wasn't too far from them and in no time, Inuyasha pulled up his truck behind Sesshomaru's federal vehicle, still cursing the interruption.

"Oh Inuyasha, we still have tonight," Kagome muttered before getting out of the truck.

Inuyasha grumbled all the same.

Sesshomaru stood not too far away from them, with Menomaru at his side. Kagura was talking to an old man at the edge of the road, probably trying to gain information on the abandoned shack.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked as they neared the team.

"Blood," Menomaru answered, glancing quickly at the desolate building. "It's a fucking bloodbath in there. Something has definitely died there."

"There are tools in there too," Sesshomaru added. "Some of them are ancient torture machines. Forensics hasn't gone in there yet. There's a path that you can walk, but you can't stray from it. I wanted Kagome to look through it first."

"Great," Kagome sighed under her breath. A lot of blood usually meant a lot of excruciating pain.

"Didn't we do this before?" Inuyasha asked, staring up at the old building. "This seems very familiar."

"When we were on the case together, five years ago," Kagome replied, looking at it too. "As I recall, it was your first real encounter with me and the voices in my head."

"Oh yeah. Pleasant memories," Inuyasha coughed. "You okay to do this?"

"Am I ever?" Kagome asked dryly.

Together, they started up the driveway. It was a bit of a climb, but once they finally made it to the doors, Kagome stared at the new-looking bolt that had been broken. Gently, as if it would hurt her, Kagome touched it, listening to the voices in her head.

They were screaming at her, wailing in their desperate rage. They wanted out and they wanted to use her to do it. She let her mind open, let the voices engulf her like a raging river, feeling the blood in her veins work for them. It wasn't painful physically, but mentally, Kagome felt like she was dying. It felt like that every time. She thought it was similar to drowning. You just kept sinking and sinking, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. The water covered over you, your vision blurred and you struggled to get air as you sunk further and further down...

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice helped to stabilize her, but she didn't touch him. He would just go in with her, and she had learned that when it came to excruciating memories and emotions – like dying or being tortured – it was best not to include him.

"I'm fine," Kagome said, trying to sound brave. She wasn't fine, but it didn't matter.

The voices' screams were taking over and she could feel her loss in control, her very essence slipping away from her. Kagome closed her eyes, wincing as they shocked her system. Their sound was barely tolerable and Kagome had to use every ounce of power she had not to cry out herself. Her knees shook, but she didn't fall. Instead, she leaned on the doors, feeling the weight of the dead bury her further and further into the ground, into the ocean of the dead.

"Oh god," Kagome gasped, gripping the door. Inuyasha reached out to touch her, but she swatted him away. "Don't touch me," she ordered, staring at him with dilating eyes. "Promise me."

Kagome's body jerked and suddenly, she stood up straight, no longer feeling any sort of weight. Her head tilted to the side eerily and when she spoke, it wasn't her voice.

"You should make them come," Kagome ordered, though the dead were speaking for her. "Make them come."

Inuyasha watched her closely, making sure that nothing stupid happened. The moment she started breaking down, he was going to get a grasp on her and save her, just like he always did. He waved the others over and within a minute, Sesshomaru, Menomaru, Kagura and the sergeants Ruri and Hari stood around Kagome in a semi-circle.

"What's she doing?" Ruri whispered to Hari, who shrugged.

"She deserved to die, fucking bitch," Kagome spat, moving her body stiffly through the door. She looked down at the roped off floor and smirked. "As if."

"Kagome, don't," Inuyasha warned. "Don't go past the rope."

She pretended not to hear him. Instead, she walked to the very edge and crouched down, gingerly running her fingers over the dried oval of blood that crusted the floor. "She's a fucking bitch...You've been a bad, bad girl...Why can't I be the man that...Oh god, please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! My kids, I have to...You deserve to die. Do you know why you're dying?...Help me. My god help me!...Because of who you are." Kagome's voice echoed around the abandoned shack, escalating voices of horror ringing.

Ruri and Hari stared at Menomaru in absolute revulsion. "What the fuck is she on?" Hari snapped. "What's she doing here?"

"Shut up," Sesshomaru ordered, not even bothering to look at them. "Take note of what she's saying.

Suddenly, Kagome sprang up, taking slow, even steps backwards. She almost crashed into Kagura had she not moved. "Oh no. Please, don't do this!" Kagome shrieked, as if something was trying to hurt her.

But something wasn't. Kagome stared at the nine ghosts in front of her, terrified beyond reason. Mari Kan, Sasara Fumito, Momiji Kikuchi, Minori Kobayashi, and five more filled the room, advancing towards her.

We're not alone, Sasara said to her. He's coming. He's going to kill us. All of us.

And then immediately, a dozen more ghosts filled the room, all of them female. They all had slit throats, and all of them held the same haunted look in their eyes.

He killed them all. That bastard killed them all.

"He's killed over twenty," Kagome whispered, her voice returning to normal. She felt the strength slowly leave her body as the voices backed off, though the screaming still continued. "The victims, they're here. They're..." And then Kagome's eyes dilated once more, and her voice filled with thousands of others. "And when I see you again, it'll be with arms wide full of love. And I'll see you again; it'll be the day I live for, even when I'm dead. With arms full of love, I'll hold you and kiss you. Love you forever until death do us part, and death will do us part, for I am long, long dead. I am the dead. And you, the living. Breathe me back my soul and I will take you to a faraway place called home."

And then, with a terrifying, heart-wrenching, gut-churning scream, Kagome passed out, Inuyasha rushing to her to catch her falling body just on time.

"This is fucking déjà vu," Inuyasha cursed. "Fuck, Kagome!"

Mariya Mashina wanted to go. And not in a few hours.

Now.

Ever since late last night she had felt sick to her stomach. Her body ached, her head pounded and this smell... It was all around her, surrounding her thoughts and actions. She couldn't get away from it, regardless of the three showers she had taken.

She had only been working at the Palace Hotel until fairly recently. She, along with disjointed family, moved quite a few months ago, and with her degree in human resources she got a quick part-time job as a receptionist. Her husband worked hard enough that they never had to worry about money, but she always wanted a little bit of cash just for herself. So when she saw that two-hundred dollar pair of shoes, she could buy them without listening to him complain.

But right now, her family wasn't on her mind. All she wanted to do was go home and curl up in a ball, in her bed, in the dark. She stared at the clock and realized she had less than an hour.

That hour felt like a lifetime as she drudged through it.

Twenty more minutes, she thought to herself, feeling her head pound at the thought. She just had to wait a bit longer and she would be home, in her bed, and asleep. She hoped anyways.

"Mariya, are you okay?"

Her co-worker stared at her, her head tilted as if a loyal puppy dog awaiting a pat. The thought made her sick.

"I'm just not feeling too good," Mariya answered with a sigh.

"Another headache?"

Why did everyone know her damn business? Mariya hissed inside of her head, but plastered a smile and nodded slightly so not to make her head pound anymore. The one good thing about being in human resources: you learned to put on a fake smile. And you learned how to fake a laugh at all the dirty, disgusting old men.

"Do you want any Tylenol?" the receptionist asked, trying to be friendly. Mariya realized that she had never worked with this one before. She was probably new, which again, lead to the question as to how she knew about the headaches.

"No, I'm off in fifteen," Mariya said through gritted teeth.

Only about seven people came up in those fifteen minutes, and most of them were just questions about the location of the washrooms. When those minutes of eternity finally ended, Mariya ran out of the Palace Hotel so fast, she crashed into a large gentleman with a dark coat and grisly features.

"Sorry," she grumbled, grabbing onto her head.

"You should be more careful." The voice was deep and slightly menacing. Instantly, Mariya looked up into cool grey eyes. He was in his late thirties probably, but he looked much older. His face was hacked with scars, as if he had been in a war or something.

"I know. Sorry. Have a good day," Mariya said quickly and then ran off, trying desperately to get to her car.

She could feel the man's gaze follow her.

When she finally reached the car, it was like heaven. The car started at the push of a button, and she listened to it purr for a moment before pulling out of the staff parking and onto the street. It took her just short of fifteen minutes to get home and when she did, Mariya thanked the heavens for letting her live.

She stumbled into the doorway, grasping her head in pain. The pounding was getting worse and worse. Her vision was starting blur and she was no longer sure if the stairs to her room counted to ten or thirty. Maybe twenty?

"Mrs–"

Mariya flagged a hand at the flustered help and took off, climbing the flight of stairs with both hands gripping at the railing. By the time she reached the top, she was out of breath, and every breath she took was like a knife to her skull.

What was happening to her? Should she call a medic?

No.

Mariya groaned in pain and slammed into the doors of her bedroom. She didn't turn the lights on but instead shut the door and fumbled her way to the bed. When she collapsed, she couldn't have felt better. It was like her headache was melting away...

Mariya had one last thought before falling into a deep, unrelenting sleep: the man she crashed into.

He looked like someone that could hurt a person really bad.

Mariya sighed and tucked herself under the covers. She would go to sleep and when she woke up, the headache would be gone and another day would occur.

The sun would rise and she would go to work, as per usual.

You've been a bad, bad girl.

Or maybe not.

Don't kill me. Anyhoo.

To njclaws: I don't really know how it goes in my own head. To make it horror-like creepy, I think of it as a lullaby, but it's more of something else (I will not spoil).

To IrishIndy: Good question! Are we almost there? Yup. We have THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT! Woo.

My decision on the twisted ending has been finalized. I will end the story as lovey-dovey, happy-sun-shining as I always do. But, right after I post the final chapter, I will post another that will be titled "Additional Ending". The ending won't be different, but there will be an added twist. Will I continue this series? Doubt it, but my reasons why would spoil the ending.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I adore you all.