A/N
I just want to make something clear...
I understand that two wrongs do not make a right, and that sleeping with another person/demon is not going to erase anything. However, this is a story and in this story, Kagome has already slept with another being in order to erase an ex -coughs- Inuyasha.
Iunderstand that some of you got angry, but please try to remember that this is a story and may go agaisnt some of our likes at some point, but I only did that scene to let you see what Kagome is thinking. To her, solving her problem through sex is only natural, cause she's done it before...
I am sorry once again if I offended anything, and I hope you give my story another shot if you think about not reading it.
Please Enjoy.
~Smo
Disclaimer:IdonotownorclaimtoownanycharactersassociatedwithInuYasha.
Chapter 8
"Hand me another sample," Kagome instructed, not daring to take her eyes away from the microscope. There was something odd about the way these biopsies, taken from a hanyou cadaver, were right.
"What do you see?" Koga asked, leaning over her shoulder and trying to ignore the chocolate, raspberries, and rum he smelled in the crook of her neck. He tried to catch a glimpse through the scope, but she turned around, making him back up.
"It's almost like the cells self-destructed when he died. It's like they hid themselves so no one could discover them, naturally, like he knew it was... abnormal," Kagome explained, ranting out loud as she began to pace around the small counter. The humming from a machine, currently separating blood cells filled the room as they both began to think.
"We need to find a hanyou that will give us consent to run some more tests, to see where the messages are sent and for how long. Are they constantly being sent back and forth, or is it only sent twice, one to change and then another to change back?" Kagome returned, nodding her head to add some sort of finality to her idea.
"Should we give Inuyasha a call?" Koga asked, although he hated mentioning even one of those Taishos. They were all dogs, every last one of them. Even though Inuyasha helped them get this show on the road, he still had yet to stand up for Kagome. In fact, his father had ordered him to stop coming to the lab and listened. "Fucking dog obeying his master's orders," Koga grumbled under his breath.
"What?" Kagome asked, before shaking her head. "No, Inuyasha is no longer in the picture. I knew a few hanyou at the last hospital I worked at, but I would never want to test on kids, especially orphans."
The mere thought of taking advantage of an orphaned child made Kagome want to gag. She knew that some demon researcher's basked in it. It was much easier to get consent from a child who had no one, but the child was often traumatized or dependent on the studies. It was their new way of life behind trapped doors. Kagome knew that to test on a human child was illegal, but demons had yet to pass the same laws.
A knock on the door caused them both to turn. The receptionist was tapping her foot impatiently, snapping her gum loudly around her mouth and waving the phone back and forth. "Doctor, you got a call," she shouted through the wooden door.
"Which one?" Koga asked in irritation, trying not to give in to the temptation to rub a hand over his face.
She whispered back into the phone a few times, nodding her head and muttering a few affirmatives. "Dr. Higurashi," she called back. Kagome straightened her back, her shoes clicking against the tiled floor as she opened the door and took the phone from the manicured hand of the woman.
"Thanks, can you also get Dr. Jinenji on the line?" Kagome asked, earning a curious glance from Koga. She had told him about Daitaro sabotaging their deal with the rich doctor. Kagome wouldn't stand for such tricks.
She cradled the phone between her head and shoulder, clearing her throat once more before greeting the caller. "Hello?" She asked, peering back into the microscope. The sample was still there, dead and useless.
"Kagome!" Christopher cheered happily into the receiver. The demon sure knew how to sound positive. Kagome wondered if he was really nervous, considering the challenges she was pushing against him. The poor demon was going against the entire country with this power trip she was on. "Did you get my message? I left it with the receptionist."
Kagome raised an eyebrow as her mind drew a blank. "I apologize, I haven't gotten any messages," she murmured sheepishly. Her eyes glanced to where the receptionist used to be. She and Koga would need to have a nice chat with her about communicating.
"What?" The deadly tone made Kagome's priestess powers spike. It sounded as if the man was turning into a full-fledged demon. She heard him sigh, an obvious sign that he was regaining his momentary loss of composure. "An extremely important sponsor is on his way over to your lab to meet with Koga and yourself. I believe he is scheduled to arrive around now. He is going to want to see your work. Do you have time to prepare?" He asked.
Kagome chewed on her lip, glimpsing at her brown, turtle neck sweater, black slacks, and slip on shoes covered with scrubs. "Yes," she answered, beginning to run from the room. "I appreciate this call. I will speak to my receptionist about her lack of communication. Good-bye, Christopher," she finished, hanging up the phone and slamming it on the receptionist's desk.
She jumped, staring at Kagome with wide-eyes. The ebony priestess pointed an angry finger at her. "Do not leave until I speak with you," she growled out, running for her private office and beginning to gather things.
Koga wandered in afterward. "What's going on?" He asked, digging his hands into his vest pocket. Kagome winced. The demon didn't look a bit presentable. He was wearing a polyester vest and sweats. His white lab coat buttoned mid-way. His hair was pulled up into a top knot and the poor shoes looked as if they were struggling to hang on his feet.
"Christopher sent someone to meet with us. He should be here any minute!" Kagome shouted nervously, feeling her fingers begin to shake as she tried to file the paperwork on her hanyou transformation research.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Koga grumbled, waving his hand as if to dismiss her worries with a simple gesture. Kagome rolled her eyes. The last two days had been hard to keep going with her research threatening to slip through her fingers. It was hard to find a hanyou specimen, even in this day. Hanyous were usually hidden in the demon realm.
The receptionist, looking much more professional this time, knocked on the opened door. "A man named Hajime is here asking for you," she informed them. Kagome felt her nerves spike through the roof. She gripped the folder to her chest and shut her eyes, taking a breath to calm herself.
This was a necessary to step to climb the ranks. She needed this demon on her side and could not risk making a fool of herself simply because she was nervous. She opened her eyes, showing the fierce determination that had gotten her this far. Nodding her head to increase her positivity, she passed Koga and entered the lobby, Koga sauntering lazily behind her.
"Ms. Higurashi, I presume?" He asked, bowing slightly.
Kagome nodded her head, bowing in return. "This way, sir," she ordered, turning around only to find Koga absent. The damn wolf had runaway again. He seemed only interested if the man had some sort of connection to his demonic tribe. Other than that, the wolf couldn't care less what happened. Kagome remembered not to cook for him later.
She led him to her private office, catching a glimpse of Koga back in the lab. At least the escapee was being productive, hopefully. Kagome could never be too sure. One time she had walked in on him making a chocolate flavored lubricant for cat demons, who had began to complain that reproducing with their mates was a painful experience. Koga had been covered her ice cream with it as a prank. Kagome had then purified him to the point where he turned red.
"Please, have a seat," Kagome suggested, sitting in her own office chair and offering him a gentle smile. He only returned a serious gaze upon her folder. Kagome nodded, opening her mouth to explain what she had done.
"Just give me the file," he barked out, reaching forward to take the file from her grip. Kagome raised an eyebrow at his attitude, but watched him scan her folder. Every now and then, he would nod his head, only to shake his head a second later.
"Is there anything I could explain?" Kagome asked, knowing that he was reading a medical folder, which was supposed to be read by a medical specialist. Kagome had no idea if he was even understanding any of it.
"No," he grumbled without even looking at her. Kagome took her time to access him. He was quick, to the point. Obviously, he had something in particular he was looking for. His brown eyes were scanning each page carefully, his fingers itching to turn the page as soon as he was finished. He blew a puff of hair every time a black lock of hair fell in his vision.
A loud crash, sounding as if something had just shuttered, caused Kagome to stand out of her chair. Her heart began to thump with worry at what it could have been. There were too many valuable things here. Vials, test tubes, expensive chemicals, jars holding fermenting parts of the brain, could have been ruined.
"Kagome!" Koga shouted from outside the room. Kagome winced, looking down at the man who was now giving her a skeptical look.
"Excuse me," she called over her shoulder as she ran from the room. She tried to figure out where the shout had come from. Koga was no longer in the lab. Kagome began to wander into the lobby at a fast walk, turning the corner only to slip in a puddle.
Her bottom collided with the hard tile, her weight falling on her arm. She winced, letting out a gasp at the impact. The water was everywhere and multiple fish from the lobby fish tank where now flopping around the ground in a desperate attempt for air. The receptionist and Koga were working hard to gather them and put them in glasses, but something else caught her eye.
A small girl was shouting at a less than thrilled demon. Her hand gestures made it seem as if she were yelling, and her voice backed the theory up. Kagome shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts as he pushed herself up, stepping carefully out of the puddle of water. She began to search the floor for any fish who hadn't been rescued yet.
"We got them," Koga grumbled. "Deal with that," he added throwing his head in the direction of Sesshomaru and the angry child. Kagome swallowed hard, trying to figure out how this all happened.
"Bring the guest some water," she added, referring to the male she had left in her office. She didn't want him to come out and see the chaos. The receptionist nodded, scurrying away with a few glasses of fish, Koga following close behind.
Kagome turned her eyes back to the demon, only to see him gripping the young girl's wrist. "What is going on!" She seethed, grabbing his wrist in an attempt to save the girl from an unpleasant lecture. When neither one of them talked, she sighed, reaching up to rub at her temple. "Come on," she growled, leaving no room for negotiation.
She turned on her heel, guiding them to the conference room down the hall. "She's scary," she heard the young girl whisper to Sesshoumaru. She only heard him hum, which was more or less his way of agreeing with someone.
She shut the door behind them when they entered, looking to Sesshoumaru for some answers. The demon was an ice cube. Her eyes went to the small girl who was instantly meandering around the room looking at the different photos around the room. Most of them were sister facilities or charity events. "I'm sorry about the tank," she whispered.
Releasing a sigh, Kagome folded her arms and leaned against the door, "It's alright." She wondered. This girl seemed well-mannered but had been shouting at Sesshoumaru earlier, something that interested her more. Sesshoumaru wasn't the type of being that hung around children, which meant he had come here for help. Kagome smirked, maybe she could turn this into an advantage. A demon in debt to her was always nice.
"This place shouldn't have a fish tank anyways," Rin returned. "You should have rats," she added, pulling a chair out to sit in it. "Isn't this a hospital?" She wondered, glaring at both of them. Kagome couldn't help the laugh that escaped as the child brought up the famous lab rat. Little did she know that they had progressed to using monkeys many decades ago.
Sesshoumaru released a sigh, telling Kagome that he had tried other things to get rid of the child. It meant that she was his last effort. "Evenbetter," she mused. Kagome watched as he reached into the inner-pocket of his jacket to pull out a piece of paper. Kagome took it from him, reading over the short note.
So, this demon child's mother had died. It was interesting. Still, as much as Kagome's heart went out to the young girl, she couldn't do anything about it. This was a research facility. Only test patients going through clinical trial were held here. "I don't understand what you want me to do about it, Sesshoumaru. We can't take her," Kagome mumbled, her tone softening as her own past began to sneak up on her.
She remembered her mother trying desperately to commit her to different facilities. Kagome was too much for her to handle. A child who could cause a power outage was hard to manage, and her mother had given up. Unfortunately, no facility would take her without a psychiatrist's diagnosis. That had been hard to do, considering she had no idea what to do at the time. Now, this young girl was in the same place. Sesshoumaru didn't want her in the human realm's services, knowing that a foster family had no idea how to raise a demon.
"Why don't you take her through your channels?" Kagome wondered, handing the note back to Sesshoumaru. He didn't answer, not that she was expecting the fool to actually speak. Cautiously, she approached Rin, kneeling beside her and trying to make some sort of eye contact. "Rin?" She called, referring to the name on the letter. "Where were you before this?"
"Does it matter?" The child retorted, obviously harboring sore feelings. "They didn't want me," she whispered, the memory of being rejected rising to the surface. Kagome gave her a sad smile, but wiped it off. She had been in Rin's shoes, and children like them didn't like seeing an adult look at them with such a face.
Rin turned away from her, catching the expression Kagome had quickly changed. In the movement, Kagome saw the chain wrapped around her neck. Her fingers shot out without her realizing it. She traced the chain and felt the magic coil against her touch. "H-Hanyou," she got out. The mother had probably been human. She stood up, turning back to Sesshoumaru who was giving her an odd smile, as if knowing she would be interested because of the child's breed.
"Did you find her father?" Kagome wondered. Her father had to be the demon. The mother had gone through a human legal system when she died, she remembered the stamp on the letter. Demons had a way of putting a small amount of energy to alert the reader that the seal was from a supernatural being. This one had been strictly ink and paper.
"Dead," Sesshoumaru answered quickly. His hazel, almost golden, eyes penetrated her. "I know you've always been good with children, Kagome. I also know that you understand her strange situation. A child that neither realm would want."
Rin suddenly looked at her in a new light. She saw the curiosity in the child's dark orbs. Kagome collapsed in the chair, trying not to fall into the honey trap his eyes always challenged her with. Taking in a child now would be less than easy. She was trying to climb the ladder, and although she would gain a favor and be able to hold it above Sesshoumaru's head, she didn't want to. Sesshoumaru was supposed to be something on the way out of her life.
"When?" Kagome asked, referring to the sudden turn of events.
"Couple nights ago," Sesshoumaru replied. "I was hoping to have my father take her in," he explained, suddenly scared about mentioning his father after the last encounter.
Kagome snorted, "Daitaro learned his lesson. He probably won't ever take in someone off the streets again." In a way, it made her happy to be able to save some other child from their family. Daitaro had treated her as his daughter, but only to some extent. As soon as she threatened his real family, those ties were cut. Something she was learning now.
Still, Rin would be a distraction. She needed to focus on her goal. Rin would be a thing in the way. Not to mention that the young girl was a hanyou. It would make it hard not to want to observe her like an experiment, something a child should never have to go through. Having a specimen around her would be like holding a desert out to an overweight human trying to lose weight. A temptation that could prove to be devastating.
"I apologize, Sesshoumaru, but I cannot take her," Kagome forced out, hating how she was becoming one of those people. She was rejecting an innocent girl because it would slow her down.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. Anger and disappointment showing through his orbs. "Kagome," he growled. "Don't lose the kindness that attracted me to you in the first place. You were different from everyone because of that selfless nature."
Kagome's eyes narrowed. Who was he to tell her that? Her priestess powers began to spike with her anger. "You have no right to talk to me like that," Kagome returned. "It wasn't lost, Sesshoumaru. It was taken by the reality you served me on a silver platter!" She exclaimed.
The door opened just then. The man who had surprised both of them had captured their two expressions after her outburst. Sesshoumaru looked tortured, as if he knew exactly what he had done but had been unable to stop himself. He had slaughtered the innocent sleep, taken the purity and corrupting it. Kagome was angered, her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.
"Mr. Taisho?" Hajime asked, startling both of them. "Why are you at such a facility?" He asked, showing a smile. Kagome hadn't gotten such a reaction from the man, proving that she had yet to achieve her goal.
Sesshoumaru turned to stare at the man. The familiar face instantly sparked the memory. This man had planned several of his father's events. He also liked to personally assist in things close to his beliefs and interests. "Hajime," he greeted, bowing to the man. Hajime instantly returned the greeting.
Sesshoumaru tried to hide the inner-smirk. He knew Kagome could have used Rin to her advantage, using her to get a favor out of him. Now, it was in his court. "What are you doing here?"
"I-I was looking into Ms. Higurashi's research, deciding whether I should sponsor or not. Do you know her?" Hajime wondered, glancing at said female. Kagome began to sweat, knowing Sesshoumaru could end this meeting in a heartbeat by saying she was trying to demolish their business.
Sesshoumaru eyed her for a moment. She understood the look perfectly. This would be a trade, even though both of them would probably regret it later. "Yes, I am fond of her work," Sesshoumaru returned. "You cannot go wrong if you sponsor a meeting in honor of her research."
Hajime's smile widened. He nodded quickly, turning to Kagome and bowing once more. This time as a way to say good-bye. "I will start organizing everything straight away!" He exclaimed. "Please, expect a few calls," he added before departing.
Kagome sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. The power Sesshoumaru had was unbelievable. Growling, she nodded her head to tell him she would honor the unspoken deal they had made. "Sign up the papers," she released. She looked to Rin, nodding her head to the child. "Do you have your stuff?" She asked.
Rin nodded, confusion apparent over her face over what had just happened. The poor girl was still a child, and hadn't picked up on the numerous cues that had gone on in the short time. "You're going to let me stay with you?" She asked. A look of contemplation shined through her orbs. "Do you actually want me?"
Maybe the girl had picked up on a few of the cues. Kagome sighed, setting a hand on the child's head and ruffling her hair a bit. "I'll learn to get used to you," she teased. Rin scoffed but said nothing in the end.
Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru, the silence filling the room. It was uncomfortable. Neither one of them wanted to say thank you for honoring the agreement. Kagome cleared her throat, "Where are her things?"
"Car," he returned. Kagome nodded, reaching for Rin's hand. The girl stood before Kagome could grasp it, running passed them and into the hall. Kagome and Sesshoumaru both exchanged a sigh.
"Did you know her parents?" Kagome asked, referring to how the letter addressed them personally.
"No," Sesshoumaru answered. "Her father was in my region though. It is only normal for them to seek the help of the taiyoukai," he explained. "Demons are closer than humans are."
They were able to walk through the building without saying another word. Although they both had thing they wanted to ask. Kagome wanted to know why he didn't take the child in. Surely, Kagura was a female and held some sort of compassion for the poor thing. Sesshoumaru finally voiced his question the same time he popped the trunk to his imported car open. "Have you and Koga continued your relationship?"
Kagome's step faltered. She set a hand on the side of the car to steady herself. To be honest, Koga and her had talked about it. Yet, they had both come to the conclusion that the sexual encounter they had both partaken in was more of a mutual understanding. It was not a passionate act of love. It was a way to vent out their emotions in a way that would make them more productive out of bed. Kagome would no longer sulk, and Koga would no longer need to hide his emotions. It was a way to comfort each other. Both were friends who came to the same solution, sex would help.
"Sesshoumaru, I don't need to discuss that aspect of my life with you," she answered tiredly, as if exhausted of thinking about the topic. She had already picked and prodded at the dang thing. "Koga and I are friends. I was hurt and needed comfort."
"There are different ways to comfort friends," Sesshoumaru argued, trying not to sound too interested or overbearing in the subject. He knew he had no right to control Kagome. Yet, he found himself wanting to protect her. Koga was in the same position he was in. Both of them had reputations to live up to, and Kagome wasn't apart of them.
"You comforted me after Inuyasha," Kagome argued. "Did you forget about that?" She asked. She saw the look he shot her. His eyes were narrowed, almost challenging her to ask the question again. She returned the same expression, "Koga comforted me after you."
She hated to admit the way she handled the problems. It was immature, and yet it seemed as if sex was the best way to let go of everything. It was a way to cleanse herself. "Can we have dinner?"
The question startled her. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, giving him a shocked expression. Dinner with him was not only a bad idea, but it was life-threatening. She remembered the state she fell into when dealing with Sesshoumaru back then. It was as if he were her Prince Charming, coming to her daily to erase the pain of simply being without him. She had depended on him like some sort of drug. "I don't think it's a good idea, Sesshoumaru," she got out, reaching over him and grabbing Rin's backpack from the trunk of his car.
She heard him huff when she turned away. "I will have the papers drawn up," he began, and she instantly knew the next sentence she would not like. "We will discuss them over dinner."
Kagome's fingers closed into tight fists. "I-Call me with the time and place," Kagome forced out, unable to turn to look at the man. It was just like him, the spoiled brat. No was not in hid dictionary. Kagome swallowed the lump of pain that it brought to the surface. No was what got her there in the first place. Sesshoumaru had never said, 'no, this has gone on far enough' or 'no, I shouldn't mate Kagura.'
She wandered back towards the building, Rin following closely behind. Kagome heard the trunk shut, but knew he was watching her every move. Kagome lifted her chin, added confidence in each step and walked through the doors of the building. She would teach Sesshoumaru what the word no meant.
"Will he visit me?" Rin asked. It snapped Kagome out of her thoughts. Kagome slammed her eyes tightly closed at the idea of Sesshoumaru frequently visiting her condo. "You two aren't friends, are you?" Rin asked, teetering on her feet every now and then.
"No," Kagome forced out loudly, hoping Sesshoumaru would hear. She needed to keep distancing herself from him. She walked up to the receptionist's desk. Her eyes sparked with fear and for a moment Kagome forgot about what had happened earlier. "I'm going home," Kagome got out tiredly. A nap sounded so good. "Tell Koga to come over after he's off and to bring the file."
The receptionist shot her a weird look, "I also called Dr. Jinenji. He said that he will call you over the weekend." Kagome said nothing as she departed once more. Sesshoumaru's car was no longer there. "Where's your car?" Rin asked.
"Don't have one," Kagome replied, beginning the trek towards the condominiums.
Unfortunately, her new child stopped behind her quickly upon realizing their only form of travel was through actual physical exertion. "Y-You don't have a car?" Rin clarified. Kagome responded with a shake of her head, counting down to when the fit would happen. Fortunately, the fit never came. Rin huffed, beginning to walk once more. "How far away is it?"
Kagome sighed, hoping this wouldn't turn into a repeated question. "Not too far," she answered, pointing to the complex across the street. "Be there in about five minutes, what do you want for dinner?" Kagome added.
"Do you have any steak? Sesshoumaru took me to a steakhouse, and it was so good," Rin drooled.
Kagome's eyes narrowed. Already, the demon had began to spoil her. She may be aspiring to become a powerful and wealthy researcher, but the money hadn't graced her yet. "What about pizza?"
Rin's eyes widened, her tongue ran over her lips as her stomach growled greedily. "T-That works too."