Chapter 15

The next two weeks were fairly enjoyable for Kagome. While she was limited in her movement due to her injured knee and sprained ankle, it was nice to be pampered. Aside from entertaining her few regulars, Kagome periodically got the "host club treatment" from her fellow hosts.

The next day, seeing as they had gone to the indoor waterpark on a school night, Kyoya had a car waiting at the train station. He had tried to take her home the night before, but Kagome had refused; she didn't want the hosts having access to her address, not wanting them to invade her privacy or drop by whenever they felt like it. And then waiting at the school gates would be Haruhi, Hikaru, and Kaoru. Kaoru would take her bag, and they would continue into the school. Throughout the day, Hikaru and Kaoru would do their best to help her, usually taking her bag or pulling out her chair.

When class was over, Tamaki burst into the classroom and whisked Kagome away to the club room, trailed closely behind by the twins, with Kaoru loudly protesting. Once they arrived, Kagome was greeted by Mitsukuni and Takashi, who presented her with a salve that they then constantly nagged her to use.

And, of course, her guest fawned over her, and even they started catering to her. Feeding her and insisting she places her head in their laps.

Kagome loved the attention everyone lavished upon her and the feeling of being taken care of, but deep down, it made her feel somewhat guilty. There never seemed to be the right time to talk to them, so she kept her thoughts bottled up, feeling her chest getting heavier with guilt with each day that passed by.

Now that her knee was healed, Kagome would finally have the chance to open up to her friends without being bombarded by their incessant worrying whenever she moved.

Walking into the host club, Kagome was greeted by an odd sight.

"Kagome!~" Tamaki cheered, racing to her with outstretched arms. Though stiff, Kagome was able to sidestep the blond, sending him soaring into the door.

Dozens of mannequins dotted the club room; each one posed differently in a way that showed off different styled swimsuits. She immediately had a flashback to the Jungle pool, remembering how the twins had thrown both Haruhi and her into a room where they tried on nearly a dozen different styles before being allowed to leave.

Each of the members seemed to weave in and out of the maze of mannequins, carefully regarding each design before moving on to the next.

Haruhi gasped in surprise, having to squeeze in from the door since Tamaki was blocking the way. "What's going on here?" she asked, just as curious as Kagome.

"We're going to the beach!" Tamaki piped up, jumping up behind Haruhi and looping an arm around her shoulders.

"The beach? But why?"

"You said it before!-" Hikaru started

"That you wouldn't mind going to a real beach." And Kaoru finished.

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did. And so-" They stepped aside, spreading their arms out to the numerous mannequins and the swimsuits they wore. "-we've prepared swimsuits for you and Kagome!"

"They're cute, aren't they?" Hikaru beamed.

"Seriously?" Kagome asked the twins dumbly. Haruhi also looking at the swimsuit with suspension.

Standing next to Kyoya, Kagome watched as the twins, with the assistance of Takashi and Mitsukuni, searched for the perfect swimsuit for Haruhi; Tamaki got in the way more often than not with his shenanigans. "So what's the catch?" She asked, looking at the taller host from the corner of her eye.

The corner of his lip twitched, it was a wicked smirk, one she'd only seen because she was watching. He didn't answer, and to her, that was answer enough.

~o.O~O.o~

"So why did we choose Okinawa again?" Once again, the twins bemoaned why they had chosen Okinawa.

"Kyoya's family has a private beach here," Tamaki explained gently.

"But we could've gone too," the twins started before breaking off.

"-the Caribbean-"

"-or Fiji."

"And do you think Haruhi or Kagome has a passport?"

The twins nodded thoughtfully as if it never occurred to them, and on top of that, it had never occurred to them to ask either, as Kagome did, in fact, have a passport- not that she was going to tell them now.

It was only when a fleet of cars pulled up behind them pulled in behind them that Kagome smiled, finally understanding Kyoya's scheme.

~o.O~O.o~

They had been on the beach for a couple of hours, and the host took to the situation with ease, switching from vacation mode to host mode.

"We've been completely had!" Hikaru groaned.

"I didn't think we'd actually bring customers with us." Kaoru sighed.

Kyoya paused in his calculation to regard the twins with a disinterested look. "You were invited on this all-expenses paid vacation for a reason. And that was to keep our guests happy and entertained."

"I thought coming to the beach would mean a day off!"

"Not only that but with the ladies here-" the twins continued in unison though what they said was slightly different.

"Kagome can't wear her swimsuit."

"Haruhi can't wear her swimsuit."

"Like I would let my angels around you perverts while in their swimsuits!" Tamaki chided. "Besides, I have a plan!" Whatever plan it was, it left the blond blushing and giggling.

"Do I even want to know?" Kagome asked as she came up to the small group. She could already tell that whatever conversation they were having, she didn't want to be a part of it.

"Awe come on, Kagome; you can't tell me you wouldn't like to go swimming!" Kaoru pushed.

Kagome shrugged. "It might be nice, but playing in the sand is just as enjoyable." She smiled. Kagome only had a couple of ladies who came on the trip who'd asked for her, so much like Haruhi, she had a lot more time to just relax or help the others. And it's not like she wasn't enjoying herself; in fact, she had just gotten done building sand castles with a guest. "Besides, we can always swim later, or some other time!"

Kagome grabbed water from the cooler and then was off, deciding that exploring the rest of the beach would be more interesting than whatever schemes the boys' concoction next.

~o.O~O.o~

Kagome had been given many abilities when her reiryoku awakened, but premonitions weren't one, but she did have her instincts. In a mere twenty minutes, it was clear that the hosts were planning something involving Haruhi and her.

The trigger of their suspicious activities was when Haruhi fearlessly chucked a bug over the ridge. She herself was a bit squeamish around bugs, but this fear was derived more from her battles against a certain spider hanyou for so many years than regular insects.

Haruhi and Haruna, along with Kozue, had been tricked by the twins to follow them into a dark and dreary cave. The entrance of the cave seemed to go on forever, but they followed the twins despite the ominous atmosphere.

Hikaru and Kaoru had a plan - to take Haruhi, Kagome, Haruna, and Kozue (the latter two being regular customers of the twins) deep into a nearby cave. The entrance of the cave seemed to go on forever, but they followed the twins despite the ominous atmosphere. Upon arriving, the twins began a creepy, spine-tingling tale of people drowning here. Much to the surprise of the twins, their story only spooked Haruna and Kozue - Haruhi and Kagome seemed unfazed and bored.

Next, Mitsukuni ushered Haruhi and Kagome into the dark truck sent by Kyoya's family's special forces unit. With a yell, the door shut, and they were enveloped in darkness. Instantly, Kagome was aware of a strange, invisible barrier that blocked her powers, making her body tense. In a panicked voice, Mitsukuni shouted for the truck's door to be opened. Haruhi and Kagome felt no fear, while Mitsukuni found himself thoroughly rattled by the sudden darkness. Though Kagome suspected it had more to do with the power-canceling barrier.

Finally, Mori confronted the two female hosts, brandishing a harpoon, which was more laughable than menacing with his blank expression.

Once they were alone, Kagome turned to Haruhi. "I think they're playing a game," she said.

"Oh, that makes sense," Haruhi replied.

Kagome leaned in, curiosity in her voice. "So, what are you scared of?"

Haruhi tapped her chin thoughtfully as she stared up at the sky. Finally, she met Kagome's gaze again and said, "Thunder."

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, that can be terrifying when you're by yourself." She smiled encouragingly.

"What about you? What are you scared of?"

Kagome's thoughts drifted to the time when fear had really taken hold of her. "Nothingness," she answered, eventually.

"But you were in the truck, and that didn't seem to bother you," Haruhi commented.

"No," Kagome replied, shaking her head. "That was close, but being in the dark and being alone within nothingness are two different things." She stood up and brushed the sand from her shorts. "I'm going to take a walk down the beach, okay?"

"Sure," Haruhi said, smiling. "Just be safe."

~o.O~O.o~

The sunset was breathtaking, glittering waves gently lapping at the sand, the setting sun bathing the sky in serene shades of gold and pink. It was beautiful, for lack of a better word.

Kagome looked out with a content smile, a gentle breeze cooling her sunbathed skin. This had to be the best way to end the short trip.

"Hi Kagome." A soft voice sang.

Turning around, Kagome smiled kindly to the three girls that had stumbled upon her. Not that it would have been hard to find her, seeing as she had sat down atop the largest (and only) cliff on the beach. If she remembered right, these girls were regulars of Haruhi's; she'd only been their host on a few occasions; their names were Momoka, Kimiko, and Ruri.

"Hello, ladies!" She greeted. "Please be careful."

"We will!" the three chimed back. They moved closer to the edge, the breeze picking up to play with their loose hair. Below, waves crashed, a spray of water filling the air with its salty scent. "Oh look, there's Haruhi!" Ruri beamed. They giggled excitedly before calling down to the brunette. "Haruhi! Look up here!" The leader of the trio, Momoka, called.

The brunette stood immediately, her brown eyes concerned. "Hey, be careful! It's dangerous up there." Catching sight of Kagome, she visibly relaxed. They offered each other a kind wave.

"Oh wow, the breeze feels amazing!" Kimiko sighed, leaning into the wind, small droplets of water from the crashing waves offering a refreshing reprieve from the warm air.

The four of them shared a blissful moment before Kagome heard heavy footfalls dragging along the gravel path. Her heart raced, and for some reason, the atmosphere seemed to change; what had been a silent moment now felt dangerous.

Standing, Kagome walked to the other side of the girls, and there, blocking the path, staggered three visibly drunk men. She immediately spread her arms out, ushering the girls behind her.

"Hey!' The first slurred. "There's chicks up here!"

"Aren't we lucky!"

The third crept close, his hands inching towards Ruri, who was on Kagome's left side. "You ladies wanna hang with a couple of locals?"

"No thanks, please leave us alone." Momoka protested, seeming to be the leader and braver of the trio.

The third guy moved just as the other two moved toward Kagome. He grabbed at the girl's wrist, pulling her towards him. "Awe, c'mon, we just wanna show you girls, how to have a good time!"

Kagome slammed her elbow into the guy closest to her before charging at the handsy guy (as she dubbed him). Her fist made contact with his cheek making him let go of the girl. "Run!" Kagome shouted, startling the girls into action.

The girls took off with a scream.

The guy she punched turned to her with a sneer, blood trickling from a newly formed slit in his lip. "You're going to pay for that, you bastard!"

He charged at her simultaneously as the other two moved to either side of her, grabbing at her arms. She fought against them, kicking and hitting them as best she could, given the limited space. And then one of them caught her arm, the other grabbing at her torso. She visibly stiffened before she began thrashing twice as hard.

"Oh-Ho!" One laughed, a sloppy grin pulling at his flushed face. His hands wandered to her chest, palming at her concealed breast. "He ain't a dude!" He cheered drunkenly.

"Get your hands off of me!" Kagome screamed, thrusting her head back and hitting him square in the nose. He let go of her with a shout, and Kagome swung her fist into the other's jaw. He, like the other, let go with a shout, stumbling back from her.

Then she was back to facing the first. He grinned. "You're going to regret that, missy!." He charged at her, fist ready but stopped short with a shout; behind him, Haruhi appeared, throwing her bucket full of sea urchins at his back.

"Get away from Kagome!" The brunette screamed.

Kagame pushed at one of the guys, kicking him in between his legs, effectively keeping him on the ground.

The one closest to Haruhi growled lowly. "You little runt!" He turned, grabbing her by the wrist, a wicked grin pulling at his lips. "Hope you can swim!'

"Haruhi!" While it all happened quickly, it felt like time stood still, her body having moved beyond her own human limitations. Kagome moved instantly, pushing past the drunk guy and catching Haruhi by her hand. Kagome pulled, using her body and momentum to throw her in the opposite direction and away from the cliff's edge, but in doing so, they switched places. Her body was thrown back, falling off the cliff while Haruhi went flying, her body falling into a frantic Tamaki who was racing to catch her. Haruhi was still reaching for her, her large doe eyes filled with fear, their eyes locked for one final moment.

"Kagome!" Her name was a jumble of voices as the world raced passed her, a harsh wind at her back before she slammed into the water. The force knocked the very breath out of her lungs, the edges of her vision shrouded by darkness. She struggled to move, her body aching against the currents that continuously pushed and pulled at her body in different directions. Her surroundings were growing darker and darker, her lungs burning.

And then she felt warmth; it snaked across her body, a sharp contrast against the cold current.

The darkness had almost consumed her entire vision when a sudden pressure, both foreign and comforting, fell upon her lips, pushing past them with a burst of air that filled her aching lungs. She leaned in greedily, her arms curling around the warmth and holding on for dear life.

wolfYLady: This chapter is going to be broken into 2 parts, just like the previous one, simply because it's very long and a lot happens in these chapters.

Now I do have a question: who jumped off the cliff?

Did Mori save Kagome?

Did Kyoya save Kagome?

Did Kaoru save Kagome?

So please be kind and comment/review- it really means a lot to me.

UNTIL NEXT TIME~