AN: First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who's been following the story (whether you followed it on or you're just reading it as I post it on tumblr), everyone who's favorited the story, and everyone who has left reviews! I really appreciate everything you guys have done, it really means a lot to me and I hope you're enjoying the story! This chapter will get a little violent, so I just wanted to warn the readers before hand, even though it is M for violence and disturbing subject matter.

Also, I don't own Inuyasha.

"Everyone comes with baggage. Find someone who loves you enough to help you unpack."

-Unknown

Cuts Like a Knife

Breakfast was uncomfortably silent, Kagura still shaken by the notion that she could've been taken back, tortured, and killed probably; Sesshomaru was silent as to imply that nothing had occurred earlier so that his daughter would be at peace; and Rin remained silent since the tension in the room nourished a brooding aura. The slight thud of Rin's foot hitting the edge of the table in its rhythm seeming to cause Jaken to jump with each bump: it was the only sound in the room. Sesshomaru looked up from his bowl to eye his daughter's face, which was distraught as she sucked on a piece of tofu that remained in her chopsticks: the behavior meant she was uncomfortable, which Sesshomaru hated to see.

"Rin," Sesshomaru started, the little girl peaked up, a mouthful of soup causing her cheeks to puff out, "Would you please stop kicking the table?" she gulped down the soup and nodded her head somberly. "What do you want to do today?" he questioned as he lifted his bowl nearer to his face to make eating the breakfast easier.

"Can we go to the park?" Rin requested eagerly, immediately lifting her head out of her shoulders and up towards her father with a large smile on her face. The young girl's whole body leaned forward, practically falling over onto the table. The man returned a soft smile to the young girl, repressing a chuckle at her eagerness.

"Didn't you go to the park yesterday?"

"It's a realllyyyyy nice park, Papa, I really like it there, and I can bring A-Un and he can play with the other doggies and it's a lot of fun," Rin rambled as she began to fidget with her chopsticks in her soup, picking up ingredients and dropping them back in. Sesshomaru gave her the slightest look of disapproval so that she ate again rather than play with her food. Kagura remained silent, even as she ate, the quiet that came from her end of the table was so stilling and Sesshomaru didn't know whether he should break it or not. Rin, however, did not contain the uncertainty that comes with age, addressed the woman with a disregard for what was polite or not.

"Are you going to the park with us, Ms. Kagura?" Rin inquired, Sesshomaru took a deep breath and did his best to not appear annoyed or flustered with the question. The whole purpose of letting Kagura eat with them was only out of kindness, the intention was not to have her stay another day, in fact, he would prefer it if the familiar woman would leave and he could continue with his life as it had been, just him and his daughter, without the nonsense that having Kagura with them brought. Caught off guard by the statement, Kagura nervously fluttered her eyes to Sesshomaru and then back to Rin, who seemed to be insistent in the notion that Kagura go with them to the park.

"I suppose I can go, if your father doesn't mind," Kagura's eyes flashed up to Sesshomaru when she finished addressing his daughter and that wave of familiarity dawned over him again. Something about the concerned and confused look in her eyes brought his attention instantly to her face, there was a level of uncertainty that she carried alongside her confidence. Overall, her posture suggested she was a proud woman, standing tall, ignoring the misdeeds occurring around her, but the flash in her eyes made Sesshomaru question how high her self-esteem truly was.

"No! Absolutely not!" Jaken squawked in disapproval, "That is outrageous, how could you be so selfish? As to impose yourself upon the man of this good house. He has done enough for you."

"Jaken," Sesshomaru interrupted with a low voice, "She can come if she wants."

Jaken stuttered in confusion, unsure of how to react to his employer's contradiction, "B-b-but, sir-!" Sesshomaru raised a hand to silence him, and Jaken's eye brows furrowed in frustration as he went back down to finish his breakfast. Kagura gawked at Sesshomaru with her mouth slightly agape, just as in much shock as the housekeeper. Rin grinned gleefully and continued to eat as well. Kagura remained the only one at the table still in awe at what she considered a drastic change of events.

"Finish eating," Sesshomaru pointed towards her bowl with his own utensils and Kagura did, still unsure as to why he was keen on helping her when he seemed to continuously remind her that she needed to vacate the premises as soon as possible, as if he was pushing back the time line. He had already saved her twice, did he just pity her? She couldn't help but notice the softness of his features, such as the almond shape of his eyes and his petite nose that seemed to be mixed in with sharp edges of his cheekbones and the hardness in his hands. Overall, he was cold, in all the actions that had taken place his seemed to have this ice that covered his skin like a wall. The only time it seemed to melt away was when he was speaking with his daughter, which was an admirable feature as a parent, but as a person, it made him hard to understand. Kagura always figured she was a "people" person; she had to be if she wanted to make money, but whatever it was about Sesshomaru, she couldn't quite figure him out and it was bothersome.

"Listen, you've helped me plenty," Kagura began, but the statement was met with a glare. The man quickly flashed his eyes towards his daughter and back at her, implicating that the matter would be remain silent as long as Rin was in their presence. Kagura's eyes shifted away, her mouth held open, still, as if she were preparing another protest, with eyes widened in disapproval. "I—" Sesshomaru's brows furrowed, the light brown color seeming aflame with distaste in her probable statement.

Kagura eyed Rin, who was peering up at the two adults with a cofounded look on her face; her mouth drooped into a delicate state of unhappiness and eyes twinkling with the same emotion. The woman sighed, her chopsticks smacking softly against the edge of the bowl as she dropped her arms and shoulders in defeat, of course he didn't want her to speak about his help in front of his daughter. The man was concerned with the morbidity of the story she recalled to him the night before and what effect it would have on the four year olds sheltered, innocent ears. The young woman was unsure as how to take the action though, that of a protective father, or as an insult as to how she behaved around children?

"Rin, I'd love to go to the park with you, thank you for asking me," she gave a shy smile to the little girl, who's concern waned and she entranced herself in the remainder of her meal. Kagura pondered on her previous thought; did Sesshomaru really believe she would bring up the topics that were in play with her life around a four year old? They hadn't known each other for long, no, just those few hours earlier that day, but certainly he couldn't believe that anyone would discuss those topics around children? The young woman finished the rest of her soup with shoulders hoisted up; stretching the rest of her body up as she slouched over, her posture was the epitome of annoyance.

"Such a rude woman!" Jaken's opinionated tone was met with both casts of eyes from Kagura and Sesshomaru. Kagura, who was simply trying to keep from imposing on her helpers, felt like reaching across the table and choking out the shriveled old man, and Sesshomaru for having to put up with the housekeepers cross comments on a daily basis.

Once the four patrons had finished breakfast, the tension in the room seemed break off. Kagura's arms crossed in front of her chest, legs out stretched in front of her. She was still wearing the dress from the previous night, and it was hard to deny the fact that it was becoming uncomfortable; snug in all the right places to cater to her body, but at the same time, wound too tight and squeezing her, as if she were stuffing in an ill fitting shell. Dragging the heels of her feet along the carpeting, she pressed her toes into the floor, relishing the feeling of it as if she were an animal that finally could frolic through the grass after a long winter. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Sesshomaru knelt next to his daughter, struggled to put Rin's shoes on, the little girl kept pulling her feet away from her father's hands, grumbling about wanting to be bare footed.

"Well, you can't not wear shoes in the city, Rin. You can take your shoes off once we get to the park, but I don't want you stepping on glass," he reasoned. Kagura scoffed, the calm manner of addressing such a non-complacent child seemed to be logical, but at the same time, children were difficult to reason with: they weren't selfless creatures. The little girl held out her pinky, her whole body leaning forward trying to reach up toward her father, the small arm outstretched as if she were reaching for the moon.

"You have to pinky promise!"

The young man held out his hand, his pinky finger enveloping the little girl's, who let out a small laugh in victory, and Kagura felt her heart warm up the slightest amount at the sight. Sesshomaru slapped his hands against his thighs and bent forward at the waist.

"Now you have to keep your end of the promise." He held out his hand and patiently waited until a tiny foot's heel found its way to his finger tips; the socks on her feet were just too big so that it hung off the edge of her toes. Sesshomaru grabbed hold of the end of the sock and hoisted it up so that it fit properly; the ruffles that marked the end of the sock now rose past her ankles. Sesshomaru handed the Mary-Jane styled yellow shoe over to the young girl, who he promptly assisted in putting it on the first foot. Initially, the daughter had placed her left foot into the right footed shoe, which caused several small "No's", to come from Sesshomaru, but he didn't shake his head, he just grabbed the shoe back and returned it to her. The little girl proceeded in the same manner as she had before. Kagura giggled, it wasn't that he was squirming; it was more that he had an endless task that wouldn't change unless his manner of approaching it changed soon. Sesshomaru glanced over at Kagura, and she immediately raised her hand up to cover her mouth, laughing even harder now that he seemed aggravated.

"What do you find amusing?" Sesshomaru pressed, and Kagura bit her lip, a smile still on her face. She leaned forward with a half-hearted chuckle.

"She's so young, she needs to be shown how to do stuff, still," Kagura explained. Sesshomaru's face fell back into the constant emotionless expression he generally carried, and turned to look at his daughter.

"Rin, how do your shoes feel when you put them on like that?" Sesshomaru asked, still holding the yellow shoe in his hand. Rin twiddled her feet, looking down at her toes.

"Not nice," she whispered. "That's why I don't wanna wear them."

"They don't feel nice because you're putting them on the wrong feet, Rin," he taught, he gave the shoe back to his daughter. Rin took it and placed the shoe on the correct foot with the help of Sesshomaru holding the back of the shoe, stretching the elastic, making it easier for her. He promptly looked over at Kagura, the same expression on his face, but she couldn't help but feel that he was showing her up. It was hard not to smile at him; he was amusing in a strange sense: a brooding, quiet, sweetheart, who pretended he was anything but the last thing. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her ankles in front of her, leaning back on her hands.

"Do you want something else to wear?" Sesshomaru asked, he was standing beside her now; her body jumped, unsuspecting of the man next to her—she hadn't seen him rise up.

"I mean, do you really have something else for me to wear?" Kagura raised her eye brows, noticing that he stretched out his fingers and relaxed them when she asked.

"I have some t-shirts," Sesshomaru suggested.

"Just a t-shirt. That sounds like a solid outfit right there," she grinned up at him, baring all teeth, but he kept the same vacant, far off look on his face, clearly not amused by Kagura's attempt at humor. Kagura looked down at her feet, the smile draining away as she bit her lip. "I think I'll be fine," she hummed.

"Fine." He left her sitting as he went back to put on his own coat, and the corners of his lips rose as he reached down for his daughter's hand, whispering something to her about the adventures for that day.

Kagura stood up, her knees wobbling as she did so. Her hair was a disaster from sleeping the night before, ends standing up on the left side where her head had laid down; she could feel the make-up smeared on her face, the oil in her pores from where her foundation had sunk in. Honestly, she was afraid to look at herself in the mirror, and nothing would've said "I don't belong with this family" more than her appearance in the current situation.

"Do you mind if I wash up, though?" Kagura asked, running her hands through her hair, feeling the grease from the night before. At least she had items to help put her hair up, she had worn them the night before, her bobby-pins and hair ties were probably somewhere on the couch.

"The bathroom is at the end of the hall," Sesshomaru stated, not bothering to look up at the young woman. Kagura nodded her head and past the three of them, practically all set to go out to the park. As she walked toward the end of the hallway, she could hear Jaken complaining about her rudeness once again, discussing the fact that she waited until the last second to ask to use the facilities. The young woman suppressed an audible groan, but rolled her eyes—she was getting sick of the old housekeeper.

The bathroom smelled like bleach and disinfectant the second she walked in, the scent was overwhelming, she didn't expect much else from a doctor, to be honest. The bathroom was a pristine white; everything in the room seemed to flicker with a shine that only meant that it was cleaned on a daily basis. The mirror didn't have a single speck on it, so she received a clear image of her face looking at—she disgusted herself, but then again, the self hate was always there: ever since her "work" began, she felt nothing but spite and remorse when it came to her body. She wasn't a person, but a tool, a means to an end, nothing but a doll for men to use as they pleased so that more men could get money to do with as they pleased. After a long look at her own gaze, distorted by the surreal notion that she was looking at herself for what she was, knelt over and turned on the faucet in order to remove the grime of her face from the previous night. It felt like being renewed, every time she looked up, another layer had been worn away, getting closer to the core of who she was and not who she had been forced to be. It was safe to say she felt free, but also terrified for her life. The boss was looking for her, she wasn't sure how long she could hide, but living in the city would make it impossible. The first route she would take would be out to the country, rename herself, work, and at least then she'd have a chance. Whereas in the city, the eyes of the yakuza were everywhere, and while they may not all specifically be looking for her, she knew that some were. Opening up the door connected to the mirror, she reached in for a brush and found one to slowly detangle her hair. Passing the brush along the delicate strands softly, the knots wore away just in the same manner, layer by layer, she cleaned herself.

"You're taking a long time."

"Fuck!" Kagura breathed as she slammed the cabinet door shut to see Sesshomaru's reflection. She twisted around, her hands up against the sink as she leaned back, one reaching up to her heart as if covering it would slow its spiked rate. "You keep doing that! Can't you be even the slightest bit more…"

The surgeon raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for the final part of her sentence.

"I don't know, less invisible or something?" With the brush in her hand, she returned to the previous task, looking at Sesshomaru in the mirror as he studied her movements. Kagura slowed the pace at which the brush moved through her hair, the sure stare began to concern her. Generally, when men stared at her, it was because she was objectified, and she couldn't help but feel the sensation overcome her now. Nothing on his face implied lust, but men could be statues that expect without giving, and Sesshomaru had given a lot. Perhaps he was expecting some sort of payment after she explained what she had done for work. "What is it?"

"You're wasting my daughter's time, hurry up," Sesshomaru stated, remaining in the doorway.

"No, why are you staring at me like that?" Kagura put the brush down on the sink, turning around to face the man, his eyes piercing through her as if he were searching for something.

"I'm not, you're wasting my time," the lie came off his lips with ease, but not enough for Kagura not to catch it. She walked slowly towards him, putting a hand on his chest, dropping a hip so that she could accentuate her curves. All the familiar habits of her job returning with ease: he wanted something. From what she had been told her whole life, she owed it to him.

"Something's the matter, huh?" Kagura grinned. "You are just a man, aren't you?"

"You look familiar, that's all," Sesshomaru explained while locking his eyes with hers. The young woman searched his eyes for the truth, but the phrase hadn't been a lie. Sesshomaru reached up with both his hands and removed hers from his chest, pushing her away slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the advance. Kagura looked him up and down, unsure as to how to feel by his behavior. "I don't want anything from you, is that clear?" Sesshomaru growled under his breath. Kagura swallowed hard and nodded, her respiration had spiked now—she wasn't fearful, but rather embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "It's just… The only way I've—"

"You don't have to say anything," Sesshomaru lifted his hand, closing his eyes and tilting his head, the other arm crossing his chest as he closed his posture to her. "Please don't do it again. I have a coat for you, if you're not comfortable going out in that," Sesshomaru eyed her outfit, not meant to be seen in daylight. Kagura placed her hands on her stomach, letting them lead down the curves of her body, biting her lip, and she sharply inhaled and breathed out erratically.

"This is the most anyone's done for me, before," Kagura whispered. "And you don't want anything for it…" Sesshomaru's gaze turned from emotionless to confused, his eyes focusing in on her and furrowing his brows before returning to the sullen emotionless look he carried. "No one's done anything for me without expecting sex in return. It's all I've been worth." She took a second deep breath as to regain her composure, smacking a hand against her forward, hoping that the pressure would relieve the pain that bore in her head and heart. When she looked up into the calm eyes, she couldn't help but notice the reflection of pity that hid behind the twinkle that they gave off. "If you said I seem familiar, I… worked in a gentlemen's club downtown—"

"That's not where it's from," Sesshomaru interrupted, turning around, his back tensed up and his arms crossed in front of his chest in aggravation. "Never been interested in those," he explained as he walked away. "Please, come along, I don't have much time to spend with my daughter, and I like to make the most of it. We can talk when we're at the park."

"So you haven't found her yet," a hoarse voice called out from the shadows. The two men looming with cigarettes in their mouth, startled by the sudden sound, immediately tossed their smokes to the ground and stomped them out. The skinnier man was the first to walk forward, a smile on his face and hands in his pockets while the larger one cowered behind him, continuing to stomp on the cigarette that refused to go out.

"Ay, boss!" the first one, "We weren't expecting you so early! What's happening?" the cheery smile immediately disappeared the second he was pressed up against the alley wall, a fingernails digging into his shirt and piercing his chest with an intense ferocity that made him cry out and as the bony man reached up to remove the hand, a second hand reached up to his throat, practically burying the man's neck into the wall. The pressure of the fingertips dug into his throat, constricting his airway immediately, and found it impossible to breathe immediately. His lungs cried out for air, but all he managed were the chortling sounds of struggle as his weakly slapped his hands against the attacker's. The skinny henchman struggled, kicking his feet and fighting for air as his boss lifted him off the ground. Deep brown eyes met his, black, greasy hair trickling down the sides of his face with a plain white shirt that contained blood stains from whatever work he had beforehand. A knife way buried into his belt, brown blood dried upon it so that it appeared rusty.

"I gave you one damn task, you were supposed to collect Kagura, and neither of you Neanderthals can do it," the boss hissed, face inches away from his victim's, gritting his jumbled teeth. "And what do I find, but the two of you taking a damn break? She could be getting on a plane right now, and you're here having a smoke—"

"Sir, we were just—"

"I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth, you stupid giant!" the boss reached into his belt and pointed it at the larger servant, "All bronze, but no brains for sure! You're too cowardly for the first part of that either, what's the point to you? Really? What's the point of having you around if you're worth shit?" The towering man stumbled forward, leaning in on himself, bowing his head in shame. "Damn right, that's what I thought."

The boss brought the knife up to the skinnier man's throat, loosening the grip around his windpipe. The man choked on the sudden intake in air, but the feeling of the rusty knife to his throat immediately caused him to cry out in fear, he could feel as it braced his skin, the smallest amounts of blood trickling out as his boss threatened his jugular. The longer he struggled, the weaker he felt, his hands wrapped around his boss'.

"Naraku… Please, give us another chance, it wasn't even the deadline yet, we can still find her," he chortled out. The boss gave him a smile, his eyes filled with bloodlust, the grip around the man's neck tightened so he couldn't breathe once again.

"Another chance?"

Legs were squirming, feet kicking up against the wall, and it shortly turned to heels bouncing against the brick as his energy depleted.

"You were supposed to be watching her last night, anyways, weren't you?" The man struggled for air, eyes rolling back into his head, fingertips weakly slapping at Naraku's wrist. The finger tips dived deeper into the throat, some tendon moved against Naraku's finger tips, and he watched at the man slowly lost blood flow to the head. "But she got away, because you morons drank too much," he seethed through gritted teeth. "Now my number one girl is gone and the flow of money that comes with her is gone, too. I've had it up to here with second chances, I gave you that chance when you told me you'd get her again, but what do you know? You fail at tracking items, too." The boss chuckled as he spoke, knowing that the victim could do nothing to prevent his fate.

"Naraku," the man choked, "I'm sorry, we'll… We'll get her back, I swear—"

"How am I supposed to pay people if I'm not making the same amount of money?" Naraku spat as he lowered the man to the ground, his fingers still taut around his employee's neck. "Guess that means I'm going to have to cut someone's payroll."

"Take whatever you want from our checks, Naraku, I swear, we'll find her," the larger man boomed. Naraku glared in his direction for a moment as the booming voice echoed in the alley, but he returned his focus to the brains of the team.

"Oh, no, I was thinking something far more permanent," Naraku sneered as his lips curled up into a smirk, he chuckled as his victim's eyes widened, his heels scuffled against the concrete of the ground, digging holes into the heels of his shoes, his finger tips tightening along Naraku's grip as he turned his head away.

"No! No, Naraku, please! Don't—!" the edge of the blade sliced against the flesh with the sound of air being sucked out as the two surfaces pressed against one another. Blood began to pour out of the man's neck, with mouth agape as he attempted to get air into his lungs, his hands rising up to his neck to cover the wound that was now there, except that it poured through and around his fingers, his eyes rolled back into his head, his feet stilled as the blood loss became too great for the sickly appearing man to handle, his hands cascaded down his body, smearing the blood against his white shirt as he did so until they plopped down until his lap in a lifeless form. The man's eyes rolled back into his head as he slouched up against the wall, and a death rattle escaped his lips, Naraku kneeling in to hear that final chance of life, and he inhaled it as if it were the scent that came from a field of flowers, taking pleasure in the scent of the now lifeless man. An eerie grin spread across his face, and he contorted his body to focus on the lumbering fool who had been scared stiff as he watched Naraku murder his partner.

"What a stupid ass you are, aren't you?" Naraku remarked, wiping the blood off his blade onto his un-tucked shirt, he was staring down at the ground as he strut forward, the large man backed against the wall, lifting his chin and shutting his eyes that were filled to the brim with tears. "You could've gotten away, why didn't you run?" Naraku ran the blade up from the man's hips to his neck, "You have anything you want to say?" he had the end of the blade pressed up against the second man's neck, preparing to drive it into his throat.

"I'm… I'm so sorry!" the man blubbered, hands pressed against the wall with finger nails scratching against the brick. His eyes opened wide at the sudden pressure that he felt against his neck. His hands wandered up to his throat to find the hilt of the blade, he made eye contact with his former boss, the devious look in his eyes only meant that he had derived pleasure from the murders, and the boss smirked at the look of shock that covered the man's face. He leaned forward, the smile disappearing into a hideous frown.

"Apology not accepted," Naraku hissed as he removed the knife and watched the man tumble over onto the ground. Stepping back as to avoid the larger man from falling onto his feet, he just as quickly stepped on top of the man and over him with complete disregard for the life lost in those moments. "No one loses money from me," Naraku grumbled as he cut the man's shirt open and carved out a spider into his back, being careful with the delicate flesh and avoided the burn that was placed upon the man's left shoulder. "That's the lesson to be learned from this." The thought flashed into Naraku's head, the burn meant that you were alive, living, there was a fire inside of you, but he made sure to mark his dead, too, so no one would treat him like a pushover.

When he was done with his work, he eyeballed the bloody knife, "I'll let this dry for you, Kagura," he whispered into the darkness. That way, you'll have the blood of the others who lost their lives on your account in your bloodstream when I find you, he thought maliciously, which drew a smile across his face.

No one escapes me.