Lest the Past Haunts Me

by mauigurl808

The past can be a haunting memory or a terrifying reality. For Kagome, she just wanted to pursue her love for dancing while trying to hide from her past finding her. Inuyasha, Kikyo's choreographer, would be the only one who would break down her walls and find his way into her heart. But would it be too late? Can anyone run from their past?

30. C30- Save Me From Myself Pt1

Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm back! I won't tell you where I've been because I've been everywhere and nowhere :) Went Disneyland for my birthday in January. Broke my back in December and have been dealing with pain ever since, which has caused me setbacks with work. Been traveling for work and diving all over the creation. On a 4-month chiropractic plan that has really been helping to alleviate my pain and help my mobility. To top it all off... I've been trying to get back to "me" and finding the things I enjoy doing and doing the things I love to do for me. I'm taking this year to set my boundaries, to not be controlled by my emotions, and to take care of my health (physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally).

All that to say... I got super into writing this one once I found my passion again. And.. if you notice from the title, this is going to be a two parter because of how long it got while I was writing it. I'm still writing it (well the second part) and I want to be finished with it by the end of this month at the latest. I know I will be soon. You'll understand why I need to get part 2 up as fast as possible :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Read at your own discretion *slight lemon*

Update: After posting this chapter and re-reading some reviews, I realize that I haven't lost my mind. I haven't received any email notifications for reviews posted from January 2023 on. So when I went back to read reviews, I realized reviews were posted from January 6th through March 24th. But I just didn't get notified of any of them, which makes me sad. Here I thought a lot of you didn't care if the story was updated or not. LOL. But I see now a lot of you were frustrated that it's taking me so long, which I appreciate and well expected, I just didn't know you were reviewing because Fanfiction didn't let me know. I also was aware something was wrong because after I posted this chapter, I didn't receive a "story update" email notification. And if I didn't receive it, I can only assume that maybe all of you didn't receive an alert that the story was updated either? So... I just wanted to let you know that I had saw your reviews, read it, and am trying to change my account setting around to see if that works. If not, I'll reach out to Fanfiction by the next chapter update. Thanks everyone!

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R2R

I am not going to do a 'response to reviews' section for this chapter. It's been a while since I updated and there's been a lot of reviews, which I really appreciate. But I did re-read all of your Ch.29 reviews and some new ones that I haven't read yet, and I appreciate ALL of your reviews. They're what keeps me inspired and going, knowing that you enjoy this story and these characters. So thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter or are catching up and reviewing old chapters. Some of them really made me laugh. Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoy this "shorter" chapter :)

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The next morning came shining in, waking her with a groan. Kagome smiled, enveloped in Inuyasha's arms, his body tangled around hers. She lay on her side facing him, smiling at the peaceful expression on his face while he slept. He moaned and stirred when she moved to try and get out of his arms since the sunlight was streaming onto her face. She hadn't shut the curtains last night. They were too preoccupied with each other to remember something like that.

"Good morning, baby," Kagome said, kissing his forehead as he nuzzled into her chest.

"Not yet..."

She giggled, feeling his morning hard-on against her thigh. "I think after last night, I won't be able to walk, let alone dance." She frowned, pausing. "That is... if I still have a job."

Inuyasha chuckled but his eyes remained closed. "Of course you do. We're not losing a dancer a week before we have to leave for Vegas."

She frowned, thinking about how quickly time had flown by. A week from today, next Friday, was Inuyasha's birthday party at his parent's house. It was sure to be a huge party since he was turning two hundred and fifty years old. Izayoi sent out all the invitations and their group had planned to sleepover that night so that the next night everyone could go to the airport together. There was so much to do and so little time. And so much had happened in the past two days that could've changed everything.

She tightened her arms around his head, holding him against her chest. "I'm sorry..."

Inuyasha sighed. "Enough, Kagome. We're moving past this." He moved so that he could lie on his back with her lying on her side, her head on his chest.

"Why do you have your underwear on?" She doesn't remember falling asleep with him putting his clothes back on.

"Your bodyguard came by..."

"Jinenji?" she asked, shocked that the two of them talked.

"Yeah. We had a few words for each other," he said with a smile. "I like him. He takes no shit and he's straight-forward."

Kagome stared at him, gauging how well he liked Jinenji. "Jinenji was there the first night Onigumo saved me off the streets. Ever since then, he's been my bodyguard at the club. He's also a good friend. I trust him with my life. He's protected me from belligerent clients before, even taking a bottle to his face for me. That's how he got that scar above his eye."

"How did he scar?" Inuyasha asked, seeing the confusion on Kagome's face. "He's a half-demon. We don't scar. Demon blood has regenerative features that allows us to heal from any wound, inside and out. And for him to have scarred... I wonder why it never healed."

Kagome remained quiet, never really thinking about that. She's always known he was a half-demon. He even told her. But she never questioned his demonic powers or asked of them. And she definitely didn't think to ask as to why his scar never healed. That was her overlook, and it didn't really make her a good friend. And yet, she and Jinenji weren't really 'friends' in that sense, but he knew a lot about her that most people never knew, and that said a lot to her.

"He told me that if I hurt you again, I'll have to answer to him" Inuyasha said with a smirk, running a finger along her shoulder as he held her.

Kagome arched an eyebrow. "Jinenji can hold his own, Inuyasha."

He shrugged. "I hope so, if he's your bodyguard." He sobered, looking down at her as best he could in their position. "He knew about Koga."

She frowned, avoiding his eyes. "I needed to tell him... in case Koga ever found me. I needed Jinenji to know who to look for. And Onigumo wanted Jinenji to protect me from Koga if Koga ever found me. Jinenji is the only other one who works at the club who knows about my past. The girls don't know."

He didn't say anything but kept staring up at the ceiling, watching the light shine its way into her room. After a few minutes, Kagome moved, sitting up and brushing her hair out of the way. She quickly made do of her long hair, twisting it up into a messy bun. He turned to watch the way her breasts moved and bounced with every movement.

"We need to go," she said, looking over at her bedside dresser to see her phone. "We have to be at the academy in an hour."

Inuyasha stretched besides her, using his legs to kick some of the comforter off them. She looked at his lean body, the way his muscles rippled on his arms and abs. Every part of him was finely chiseled, like a masterpiece. And he was hers. He caught her staring at him with a feminine smile. He grabbed her and she squealed when he rolled her over and pinned her beneath him, straddling her.

"Or... we can just stay here all day," he proposed, moving his head down to her neck. She moaned and accommodated him, giving him better access.

"Inuyasha..." she moaned, running her hands along his back. "You know there's too much for us to do. We can't play hooky." But her hands and her body was saying the exact opposite as they fell under his spell.

"Mmmm... a man can dream," he said, kissing and licking her neck leisurely. He sighed, running his hands down her sides to her waist, sitting up on top of her, but careful not to give her all of his weight. She was naked beneath him, her beautiful body a feast for his eyes. "You gave me your word last night."

His reminder only made her frown. She knew what she'd done, and she didn't have any regrets. Even though he did use sex on her to get what he wanted, she also didn't fight him about it, and she wouldn't. Midoriko and Ayumi helped to talk some sense into her, helped her to see how unhealthy Midnite was for her. As much as she hated to admit it, Midnite wasn't what she needed. It was an unhealthy way for her to cope with what was done to her in the past. The power. The control. The men. She needed... time. She needed to heal. She left one toxic relationship with her parents only to be married into another toxic relationship and then thrusted into a toxic relationship with her job. She sighed, knowing her friends and Inuyasha was right, that she needed to get out. But for her... it was always too hard to escape her past. It always found a way to haunt her.

"Kagome..." There was a warning in his voice.

"I know, Yasha. I am going to quit... I just... need time."

He stared down at her, his face like stone. "How much time?"

"At least by Sunday," she tried. "I need to break it to my boss gently. And..."

"And?" he asked when she didn't finish.

"And I'm going to miss it." She knew he wouldn't be able to understand. But a part of her was going to miss working at Midnite. It had become her life for the past nine years. It was a place of refuge for her, her place of comfort. Midnite gave her control in her life during a time she had no control of it. It was a place for her to be seen and appreciated during a time when people passed by her on the streets without a second glance. It was a place for her to forget her reality during a time when she knew Koga still looked for her.

"What's there to miss?" he asked, his thumb moved to stroke the scar under her breast, the one that was put there from Koga? He needed to touch her and he loved touching her scar. It not only reminded him of the punishment that was coming for Koga but also of how she survived and was now his. He also knew that by him touching and loving her scars, he was telling her not to be ashamed of them. Kagome seemed to calm whenever he did, though he wasn't sure if she realized that he was stroking that scar.

"I love the control I have there. I love the control I have over the men and I love the attention I get from them. They make me feel seen, like I exist, like I matter to someone. That place and my apartment have been my source of comfort and escape from reality ever since I came to Tokyo."

Inuyasha frowned, moving off her to sit cross-legged, facing her. "Kagome... don't I give you all of that?"

She blinked, hearing the hurt in his voice. She looked at him and quickly sat up, bringing her knees up to her chest to hide her nudity. She felt vulnerable, exposed, more than just physically.

"Don't hide yourself from me," he said, his face a hard mask. Kagome frowned, moving to her knees, not wanting to get in a fight with him but finding it so hard to explain to him. It was exposing too much of what she didn't really understand herself, or maybe she didn't want to admit.

"Inuyasha... I can't really explain it, but working there is like a safe place for me."

He shook his head. "No, Kagome. I'm your safe place." He grabbed her hands and squeezed, holding her eyes with his. "I give you the attention you crave. I can't keep my hands and my eyes off you. You're beautiful to me, on the inside and out. You matter to me. I would do anything for you, give you anything you wanted, be anything you need. I've been your home... haven't I?"

The doubt in his voice made her feel so sad. She thought his words over and agreed with everything he said. She just hadn't seen it so clearly before until he pointed it out. Inuyasha was her Midnite. He was more than Midnite was to her, which was why she couldn't see that even though the two are different, Inuyasha still gave her what Midnite did and then some.

She moved forward, leaning closer to him. "Inuyasha... you're right. You are my safe place," she said, smiling when she saw the doubt. "You make me feel like I'm the only woman in the world, at least the only one that matters to you. I matter to you, and I've always wanted that in my life. I just... wanted to matter to someone," she said, holding back tears that obviously still wanted to come out after crying all day yesterday. "You give me so much more than my clients ever could. And you're the only one who matters to me."

He released a breath listening to her words. "And you do have control over me, Kagome. You just don't realize it."

She blinked. "Really?"

He chuckled and nodded at her blind innocence. "You don't see the power that you have over me? I already told you that I would do anything for you. I would kill for you. You don't even have to ask and I would give you anything to make you smile." His eyes roamed her body, stopping at her breasts before going back to her shockingly blue eyes. "Your body has control over mine. I think about your body all day long, whether consciously or not. I can't help it. I think about your smile, your laugh, your scent. You have me wrapped around your finger. You suppress my demon blood and it craves possession of you."

She didn't understand what he meant about that, but she loved everything he said. She smiled shyly and moved forward, kissing him while pushing him back to lie down so that she could straddle him. He moaned and ran his hands up her legs to rest on her hips, holding her there, just as his phone started ringing.

"I have you wrapped around my finger, hmm?" She kissed him briefly before she gave him a taste of his own medicine, kissing his neck. His hands went to her butt, squeezing and massaging her cheeks.

"You make my blood burn for you. I can't think of anything but you and your body, especially when you tease me like this," he said, letting his phone play out until the voicemail took it. He really couldn't care less.

Kagome giggled. "Are you gonna get that?" she teased, her breath on his neck sending goosebumps along his skin.

He growled. "Keep this up and we'll never leave your apartment."

She giggled and kissed his neck one last time. "I could never tempt my boss like that."

He grabbed her head with both hands and kissed her, tonguing her aggressively, building that fire between them. His phone quieted but the rush of lust hit him hard. He needed her. Even though he knew he had somewhere to be and people who depended on him, and he really needed to do his job, he needed Kagome more. She was always his first priority.

"You feel like you have no control with me," he said, trying to understand why she needed that control over men but didn't use it on him. "You say you need that control you have over your clients," he reiterated. "But you don't use that control over me. Why?"

She thought that over as his hands went back to kneading her butt, reminding her of how naked she was. He asked a good question and she never really thought about it. He was always the one who took control in bed. He was so good at it. She didn't really have the expertise like he did when it came to sex. So she never really played with him or took over like the way she does with her clients.

"I... I guess it's because I'm too shy," she said, trying to talk it out and understand it herself. "I don't know what to do. And you're more assertive and aggressive in bed. It's not like I'm complaining, I love it when you take over because it turns me on more when you're all dominant like that. But I just... I don't treat you like my clients because you're not."

"I'm not asking you to treat me like your clients, Kagome," he said just as his phone started up again. "I'm asking you to not be afraid to be who you are. I know what it's like to need that control. And I don't want to take that control from you. I know what you've been through and I'm honored that you trust me enough to give up your control, especially in bed," he said, watching her eyes. "If you need control then I want you to have control, Kagome. I would never want to take it from you like how Koga and your father did."

Her eyes heated as his phone stopped ringing, casting them into silence again. She smiled and sat up straighter so that his eyes could roam down her body to the bare juncture between her legs.

"You might not like her..." she said softly.

"Who?"

She smiled coyly. "Sapphire."

He stared at her, his hands coming up to run up her ribcage. He brought his knees up and scooted them back so he could rest his shoulders against the headboard, setting her back against his knees so she was sandwiched between his body. He ran his thumb over her scar beneath her breath again, a habit, watching as she realized what he was doing now. She kissed him, planting her hands on his chest and arching her body into his. He moaned and wrapped his arms around her, running one hand up to the back of her head while the other held her body against his. When she needed a breath, Kagome pulled back, but he kept his hand tangled in her hair, his eyes heating when she rubbed herself against him.

"Sapphire is my alter ego and my stage name. But she's also me. She's the 'me' that I keep caged up, the 'me' that only is allowed to come out in the darkness of night, the 'me' that I fantasize to be sometimes," she said shyly. "She's also the 'me' that I feel like I can't be in my real life. So I keep her in the dark and only bring her out in the club."

"Why?" he asked, using his core and bringing her to him, kissing her neck and licking her skin because he couldn't help himself. She felt so good in his arms. Her skin was so soft and smooth. He couldn't resist her. Even though he knew he needed to check his phone to see who had been calling, he couldn't let her go.

Kagome moaned, holding his head to her as she tilted her head back for him. "I can't show her," she said, losing her train of thought. His mouth was doing things to her, making her wish that he was naked beneath her nakedness. She was so turned out, she wanted him. "People... don't understand her."

Inuyasha stopped kissing her, much to her disappointment. "Look at me, Kagome." She opened her eyes and obeyed, looking at his intense, golden eyes. "I'm your mate. You should be able to be yourself around me, no matter who or what that is. I want to meet this Sapphire. I'm sure I'll understand her," he said with a sinful smile.

Kagome swallowed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Okay."

His phone started up again for the third time, making him growl. "Who the hell..."

Inuyasha moved to flip them over, sitting her on her butt and giving her one last kiss. She reluctantly let him go and watched him as he went to sit at the edge of the bed to grab his phone off the bedside dresser.

"Yeah?"

"What time are you going to practice?"

He turned so that he could see Kagome, his eyes roaming her body again. This time she didn't try to cover up. "Same as everyone else. Why?" Kagome gave him a confused look and he mouthed 'Kikyo'. She made a face knowing that Kikyo was probably being demanding and needy considering they were probably running late. She crawled off the bed and he watched her go into her bathroom.

"I need to have a meeting with you guys, just you four and my managers. Apparently the venue finally got back to us about our schedule and I need your thoughts on how we should proceed. I'll have a car pick us up after practice and we'll head to the label to talk with all the managers. I need to give the venue my final decision by the end of today. So I really need you guys to be there."

"Four of us? Kagome?" he asked, wondering who the last one was. Kikyo always relied on himself, Miroku and Sango when it came to the business because they started this together and they were her strongest dancers. But he didn't know if Kikyo saw Kagome as one of them. He always knew Kagome was one of their strongest dancers, but it was Kikyo who needed to recognize it.

"Yes. I'm going to have a talk with her today. She is coming, right?"

"Yeah she's coming."

"Good."

He couldn't miss her sharp tone. "Kikyo..."

"She's my employee, Inuyasha. I'm going to talk about her text she sent me. That's not okay, Inuyasha. And don't you dare defend her. This is why there shouldn't be any mix between business and pleasure."

"Pfff... you're one to talk." She didn't try to defend herself, which he appreciated. He wasn't in the mood to have a fight with her now before work, especially if he had to spend the whole day with her. "Kagome has to work tonight. She's leaving right after practice so we should probably do it during our lunch break."

"Hmmm, then I'll have a talk with her first. We'll send everyone out for lunch and I'll have the managers come to the academy."

Inuyasha nodded as he stood up. "We can set up the tables and chairs in the studio."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. I'll see you at the academy."

"Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up and threw his phone on the bed, heading to the bathroom. He could hear the water running and knew that Kagome was taking a shower. He wanted to have a few more minutes with her before they needed to hurry to head to his apartment so he could change and grab his things and then head off to the academy.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Last weekend before we leave," Aiko said, doing the splits. "I can't wait for Inuyasha's birthday party, though."

"Yeah, me too," Kokoro said with a smile. Her short, red hair bounced as she moved her head side to side to the beat. "I wonder what Izayoi has planned."

"Just remember it's a red and gold themed party," Shippo said. Everyone sat close to each other as they stretched out and talked, listening to music and waiting for Inuyasha, Kagome and Kikyo.

"Inuyasha's favorite color and his golden eyes," Sango said, stretching out her hamstrings. "He always looks so good in that red tux."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Miroku said, looking down at his phone. Sango snickered and spared him a glance.

"Don't get jealous, honey. I'm marrying you." That earned her a smile, even though he was still looking at his phone.

"Speaking of your marriage, did you two solidify a date?" Mai asked, braiding her long hair while sitting cross-legged. "Did your parents choose it?"

Sango shook her head, smiling thinking of it. "Our parents aren't very traditional. But they do tradition for our family's name. They wanted us to choose a date, knowing that we'd be busy with work. They didn't want us to be stressed with planning a wedding while also planning for a performance. So we chose to have the wedding in January."

"Ooooo a new year wedding!" Shiori exclaimed. "Will you be doing a traditional or Western wedding?"

Sango gave Shiori a look. "Now that... we're considering. I want to do both. And Miroku doesn't mind. But both our parents are torn between having a traditional, Western or both. They told us the decision is ours. They'll pay for whatever we want."

"Which I keep telling them we'll help them with the cost," Miroku said, putting his phone down. He was getting worried since Inuyasha hasn't answered his calls or his texts, and he hadn't heard a thing from Inuyasha since yesterday morning. Last he knew, Inuyasha said he was going to talk to Kagome. 'Maybe they made up and he stayed at her place last night.' "Sango and I didn't want to stress with preparing for this concert and Inuyasha's birthday. We wanted to be free from all planning this month, so that gives us next month to prep for the wedding, and then we'll have it in January."

"January twelfth," Sango said, grinning from ear to ear. The others gave the two their congratulations, excited for the wedding in two months.

"It's a lot to plan for, but we have our parents and a wedding planner. And Izayoi and Rin also offered to help us, and offered to help pay which we refused," Sango said with a smile and a shake of her head. "We appreciate everyone wanting to help us. We're grateful to have such an amazing family. Even you guys," she said, looking at everyone in the circle. "We're all like family and we're grateful to have such amazing friends."

Miroku nodded. "Everyone has become like family." They all nodded their heads in agreement. Just then, the door opened and everyone turned to see Inuyasha and Kagome walk in. "Geez... you're late."

Inuyasha's ears flicked, hearing him clearly over the music. "I'm not late. I'm three minutes early." Kagome giggled behind him as she followed him to drop off their duffle bags next to the others. "Where's Kikyo?"

Sango got up and made her way over to them as Miroku just shrugged. "Not here yet. Did you get her text?"

"Pfff... more like her nonstop calls." Inuyasha started to walk towards them but stopped when Sango went straight past him and wrapped Kagome in a hug. Kagome was shocked, looking to him for reassurance, but then she realized that with all the drama that happened lately, Sango was probably worried. She smiled and hugged Sango back. He smirked softly and left them to it, walking towards the others. "I told Kikyo we should have the meeting during our lunch break. So we'll set up some tables and chairs, order lunch, and have the meeting here. Everyone else will go out for lunch."

Miroku nodded his head as he noticed everyone look between him and Inuyasha, confused. "Kikyo wants a meeting with us about the logistics for the concert. Apparently the venue got back to her and says we need to figure out what times for every day is open for us to practice in the colosseum. There are other performers that weekend we get there that needs to practice for their concert. So we need to discuss the times and everything."

Sango pulled back from Kagome as Miroku was explaining to everyone. "Is everything okay between you two?"

Kagome smiled reassuringly and nodded. "I'm sorry if I upset you. It was... hard. But we worked it out."

"I know. We can talk about it later. I'm just glad you two worked it out and you're still here with us." The two smiled and head to the group, sitting down on either side of Inuyasha as he sat along with them.

"Kikyo needs to make sure we have enough time in the venue. If not, we might have to look at other possibilities like renting a space with the same dimensions as the colosseum and practice there if we can't use the venue," Inuyasha said with a shrug, leaning back on his hands behind him. "Since we leave next weekend, we're practicing every day from now on." The others groaned but nodded, knowing it would be expected while dreading the grueling hours.

"I know it's a lot," Miroku said, trying to reassure everyone. "So just make sure you don't push yourself too hard. Make sure you take care of your health and get enough rest. We can't have anyone getting sick or injured."

"After today's meeting of figuring out when our practices are, I have a feeling we'll have lots of time in Vegas to ourselves. I don't think we'll need to practice as much there as we're doing here. I just need us to practice in the colosseum space so we're used to our changes and placements," Inuyasha explained. "Since I'm sure we'll have a lot of downtime, you can either spend the time resting and relaxing or going out to shop and sightsee. The choice is yours. I trust you guys to use your best judgment. Remember that we're in Vegas to perform, not to get wasted or act dumb when we have a job to do," he warned, his eyes roaming around at everyone. "I don't mind you guys going out to party and using your personal time as your own. But just remember that we're representing Kikyo whenever we're seen in the public eye. We're there for her and to do our job."

The door opened and Kikyo walked in, silencing them. She looked around and held onto the door handle as she her eyes landed on Kagome.

"Kagome, can I talk to you outside?" she asked tersely, and went back out without waiting for a response.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, confused, but he just shrugged and lifted his eyebrows towards the door, encouraging her to go. She sighed and stood, thinking it would be best to talk to Kikyo about her feelings and the rash text she sent yesterday with just the two of them alone. She walked to the door and went outside, noticing the bodyguard first, standing next to the door and looking at her when she exited. He was young and wore only black, though his hair was cropped and spiky.

"Are you back together?"

She turned to see Kikyo standing a little further from the door, in the middle of the hallway with her arms crossed. She looked ready to go to war, dressed in gym clothes and her face showing her irritation. Kagome made her way over to her, steeling herself for Kikyo's words.

"Yes."

"Why did you break up with him to begin with?"

Kagome took a breath, really not going to go into the details with her. Kikyo gave her a hard stare and she met her challenge. "We had a misunderstanding. He hurt me. I hurt him. But we worked it out."

Kikyo didn't seem convinced. "What kind of misunderstanding?"

"It's none of your business."

"Kagome..." Kikyo said with a smirk. "Inuyasha is my best friend. And you hurt him. Again. This is the second time you guys broke up and it seems like you're always the reason why." She saw a flicker on Kagome's face that told her she had hit a nerve. "I saw what you did to him, Kagome. He was a mess yesterday. I went to his apartment after I got your text and he was... broken. I've never seen him like that before. He looked so helpless."

Kagome bowed her head in shame, hearing that Inuyasha was as much of a wreck as she had been, knowing it was her fault for leaving him without talking things out. Kikyo had been at Inuyasha's side when she hadn't, and that hurt.

"I don't wanna see him like that again," Kikyo said adamantly. "Inuyasha deserves better." She watched Kagome, hoping that the girl had something good to say.

"I'm not perfect, Kikyo," Kagome finally said, raising her head to look at the woman standing across from her. "I'm messed up," she said, opening her arms out to her sides. "I've had a rough childhood and I'm still trying to find my way out of that darkness. Inuyasha has been my saving grace. He's saved me in more ways than one. And I know that I hurt him. But I also know that we love each other. There's no one else for me but him. And I'm going to mess up. But he loves me more than my mess ups. I know that he'll fight for me when I give up on myself or when I give up on us. I don't deserve him... but he wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him," she said with a tender smile, dropping her hands.

"Kikyo... I want to apologize for the text I sent you." Kikyo's eyes widened a fraction at the change of subject, not expecting an apology. "I was emotional and hurt and angry. I was too in my emotions and I made a rash decision to cut everyone and everything out of my life that reminded me of Inuyasha. And I shouldn't have sent that text to you. I'm sorry, Kikyo, for sending that text, and I hope that you will still have me as a member of your group."

Kikyo stood there, shocked. She hadn't expected Kagome to apologize for the text. On top of that, she didn't expect Kagome to share all that she did. For some reason, she couldn't find anything she didn't like about Kagome, other than the fact that Kagome had the man that she wanted. But even that... even if Kagome was out of the picture, Inuyasha wouldn't love her, so there was no point in being jealous of Kagome. Yes, Kagome had what she desired. But she was a good person. She's seen that in Kagome in all these months that Kagome's worked for her. She's seen the way Kagome cares for the others like a friend, and even with her. That time they had in the spa, Kagome had tried to warn her of Naraku, telling her she deserved better. And she appreciated Kagome for saying that, even though she still doesn't want to let Naraku go. But now, perhaps she was starting to see Kagome not as competition, but as a friend.

"I can't let you go even if I wanted to," Kikyo said, closing her eyes in annoyance. She looked back at Kagome with a hard stare. "I was so angry when you sent me that text. We're so close to the concert and you threw that at me."

"I know..." Kagome said. "I'm sorry."

Kikyo waved her off. "It's done. I need you. You're one of my best dancers, one of my top four leads."

"W-what?"

Kikyo gave her a look. "Kagome... you're Blue Lightning. You got your fame and popularity because of your dance skills... well your's and Inuyasha's. And that's why you're one of my top four. I want you to help the others lead the group and to step up like them."

"Kikyo... I... I'm still learning myself," she said, feeling overwhelmed. "I haven't been here for a year yet and you're already putting me up front?"

Kikyo placed her hands on her hips. "You have earned it, and I'm quite sure everyone else will agree. You're an amazing dancer, and I don't want to lose you. You're also loved by the fans for being Blue Lightning. It would be stupid of me to let you go now, especially right before a concert. But I still didn't like your text."

"I know," Kagome said, truly sorry. "I am sorry, Kikyo."

"Just... don't do it again," Kikyo said, waving her hand in the air, dismissively. "And don't hurt him again. He deserves to be happy, even though he tries to seem like he's okay being alone. He has such a big heart. And he deserves someone who will love him back and take care of that big heart of his."

Kagome smiled, nodding her agreement. She regarded Kikyo differently now. Whatever it was, whatever happened from then to now, Kikyo wasn't the jealous rival who wanted Inuyasha to herself. She could tell that Kikyo really wanted Inuyasha to be happy, even if it wasn't with her. She would trust that Kikyo wanted the best for Inuyasha, and that maybe this could be their time to put everything behind and be friends.

"Thanks, Kikyo. That means a lot to me, that you love Inuyasha that much to want what's best for him. I know that he truly cares for you. You're one of his best friends. And he wants what's best for you too."

Kikyo smirked and looked away, dropping her arms. "Yeah... well... sometimes what we think is best isn't really what they want," she said soft enough that Kagome didn't hear. She sighed and walked towards her, thinking they stayed out here long enough.

"So you'll be one of my lead dancers?" she asked, going up to Kagome. She watched the girl nod with a little trepidation, and she could only smile. "Don't doubt yourself. You're an amazing dancer that anyone would kill to have. That's why I'm not letting you go... unless, of course, you chose to leave."

Kagome shook her head. "No. You took me in when I had no dance experience at all, and you gave me this wonderful job full of opportunities that I never thought I'd ever have. I'm grateful to you, Kikyo. And to Inuyasha for being a great teacher."

Kikyo smiled, thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, she could become friends with this girl. She knew Kagome had a good heart, that she was a great person to be around. She's watched Kagome's interactions with the group and saw how well everyone accepted and loved her. Kikyo could see her getting close to Kagome too, if only she could get past her still, small jealousy of Kagome.

"Let's head back inside before Inuyasha barges out here and demands to start practice."

Kagome laughed and nodded, following Kikyo. "You know him so well."

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Candace, can you hear us?" Naraku asked, placing his phone down in the middle of the table so everyone could hear and speak if they needed to.

"Yes, we can hear you," a female's voice came through. "I'm here with John and Michael, two other managers whom you already know."

Naraku nodded. "Yes, I remember. Thank you all for jumping on this call with us. I know it's early in the morning for you, and we appreciate you taking the time to help answer any of our questions and concerns." He looked around at everyone at the table. "I have with me our main team, all of whom you've met before: Masaki, Akari and Koji. I also have our four lead dancers: Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango. Kikyo needs everyone's input in order to move forward in the best possible way."

"We understand," Candace said. "We want to be able to work with you all so that we can provide everything that you will need if it's in our capabilities to do so. Kikyo, you're our hot show of the month. Your ticket sales for all three nights sold out on the first day. That's how well our top American singers like Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Bruno Mars sell out. You should be proud of that."

Everyone around the table looked around in awe and excitement hearing this news. Kikyo looked the most excited and amazed, truly grateful to her fans for their love and dedication.

"So that's good news... for you and for us, of course. Again, with standing room for the VIP section, our venue holds 4,500 people. So you have three nights of that sold out. Congratulations."

Kikyo smiled and looked around the table at everyone, seeing their approving nods and smiles. "Thank you."

Naraku looked down at the papers in front of him that Koji had printed out for everyone. "I have our proposed itineraries here. I want to go over every day's availability so we can solidify our itinerary."

"Understood," Candace said. "We've got your itinerary from your email in front of us. So... let's start by listing off the dates and the reserved times for the venue."

There was a brief pause as the three on the other end of the line were talking softly amongst themselves, and then Candace's voice came back on.

"Next Saturday when you arrive, we'll be able to take you guys on a tour around the venue. That Saturday and Sunday, OneRepublic is performing in the Colosseum at 8pm on both nights. So we can take you guys to tour the venue, get you familiar with where everything is, but there won't be any chance for you guys to practice inside. Everything will be setup for OneRepublic's performances, so to prevent anything from breaking or moving out of place, we can't have you guys practicing on stage."

"That's understood," Kikyo said, knowing she wouldn't want another artist practicing while all of her cue marks and equipment was setup everywhere. "We land around seven in the morning and we have two cars taking us to the hotel. Can we plan to meet with you around ten? That'll give us time to check into our rooms and grab something to eat before our day starts."

"Yes, that'll work." There was a pause as Naraku and Koji took notes on all these times.

In the silence, Inuyasha shifted and leaned back, placing his arm around the back of Kagome's chair. "Are there any other stages you have that we can practice on?"

"No. I'm afraid we only have the Colosseum."

"What about a fitness center?" he asked, staring at the phone.

"Yes. We do have one for the guests. And it does have a studio for classes."

"Then can we reserve the studio for the first two days we're there?" he asked, then looking at Kikyo. "We need to keep practicing, though I would prefer it if we had the stage. But if we don't have the stage, I don't want us to not practice for two whole days." He went back to looking at the phone as if the managers could see him. "Is there a way that we can reserve the studio room and put up curtains if there are windows to see inside?"

"Yes, we can reserve it for you guys. There's no windows so no one would see you," Candace said.

"Great. That'll be our Plan B then for the first two days," Kikyo said, looking to Naraku. "And I'll have security outside the door." He nodded his agreement and tapped his pen on the table.

"So when do we need to be out of the Colosseum for OneRepublic?" he asked.

"They're aware that you'll be in there. They ask that you're out by one so that their crew can work to get ready for the night performances. Their equipment will be setup, but you can look around and use the place so long as you don't touch anything."

"Fine," Naraku said, jotting down notes. "No setting up or unloading our equipment?" he asked, his head down.

"No. Not until after OneRepublic's concert is finished." Kikyo and Naraku nodded their understanding now that it was made clear.

"Monday through Thursday you'll be able to practice on stage," Candace started. "On Monday, OneRepublic's crew will probably be taking down the last of their things, so they'll be in the Colosseum with you. But the place is yours all week."

"Will we have 24 hour access to it?" Kikyo asked, leaning her arms onto the table.

"Yes. We'll give you a key to the back doors so you can come and go as you please," Candace said.

"Speaking of back doors," Inuyasha said, interrupted. "How do we get in and out of the venue? Especially during the nights we perform." Kagome nodded her head in curiosity while Miroku crossed his arms and sat back, smiling at Sango as she placed her hand on his thigh.

"The key we'll give you when you arrive is for our entertainer's entrance. If you saw the photos of the Colosseum, it is a round structure, much like the Roman Colosseum. The stage is on one half of the circle while the audience is on the other. The stage side of the Colosseum has a back door for our entertainer's use. There are parking stalls outside the door for tour buses and UHaul trucks that you and your staff can use to come and go or to unload and load your things. You have to make sure that you give your drivers the ID cards that we mailed you so that they can get through the security check point in the back," Candace explained, taking a moment.

"This is Michael. I understand that your crew is coming next Monday?" a man's voice asked.

"No," Kikyo said. "We're changing our crew's plans since learning about OneRepublic. There's no reason to send our crew out if they can't do anything until after OneRepublic's concert. We're going to move the crew to our flight. They'll be arriving in UHaul trucks with all our equipment and costumes while we'll be in our limos so we'll probably have separate arrival times." Kikyo's team took notes on paper and on their iPads, all of them busy with making new plans, new flights and cancellations.

"Understood. Just make sure that the point of contact has their ID to get through the checkpoint and once we meet everyone, we'll give everyone ID badges so they can get in and out without any problems. We'll keep in contact with that person and find out their ETA so we can meet them at the back door and let them in. We'll give them the key to get in and out," Michael said.

"We only get one key?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes, sir," Michael said.

"What if we want to go in through the front doors?"

"So here's what we recommend," another male voice came on, which they assumed was John. "Usually during the performance nights, the entertainers will go through the back doors because of the fans and security issues. So you'll drive up to the venue through the entertainer's checkpoint and enter through the back. Even though you're staying on property, we will still recommend you guys leave the hotel in your cars, and come around the property to the Colosseum's back entrance. The Colosseum is a ways walk from the actual hotel rooms, and you would have to walk through the casino and the shops in order to get there. Even when you leave after the performance, we still recommend you leave through the back doors, get in your cars and drive back to the hotel side of the property. If you would like to leave through the front doors during a performance night, that would be something your team needs to discuss with your security," John explained. "Our security will be inside the Colosseum and outside at the entrance doors. But they won't be responsible for your well-being as you get back to your hotel rooms."

"If you want to go in the front doors to practice," Michael started, "We can give you a key for those doors. But we can only give you one for the back and one for the front. If we give out too many keys, that leads to too many possibilities of misplacements."

"Yeah, that'll be better for us," Inuyasha said. "I don't want to have to keep calling our drivers to pick us up when we can just walk over to the venue from our rooms. If things get out of hand the first few days, then we can always change it up later on in the week. But I say we try going through the front for now for practices."

Kikyo nodded her head. "We'll have a lot of security there too," she said, looking to Naraku for confirmation. He nodded his head and looked down at his papers in front of him.

"Kikyo will always have her set team around her. That's Ben, Mike and Brady. If we find we need more protection for her, then we'll amp it up during our stay. But too much security calls for too much attention. And we have faith in Kikyo's three personal bodyguards. So that's for her..." Naraku said, then looking at the dancers. "As for everyone else, we have bodyguards for you guys as well."

"I don't need it," Inuyasha said, interrupting him.

"And even if you guys don't want it," Naraku continued as if Inuyasha didn't interrupt him. "When you are traveling together in this large group, you're going to get noticed and you're going to call attention."

"I'm telling you, Naraku, we don't need it during our personal time," Inuyasha said. "We didn't need it in Hawai'i and in Osaka. People noticed us, yes, and sometimes came up to us for pictures and what-not. But it's not as big of an issue as it is with Kikyo. She's the pop-star."

"If I may interject," Candace spoke up, calling everyone's attention back to Naraku's phone. "Inuyasha... aren't you and... Kagome? Aren't you and Kagome known as Blue Lightning?"

"Yeah."

"Well that in and of itself is a cause for a security concern. People know about your fame together and even though it's only in the dance world, it's still a big deal. I would reconsider your thoughts about your's and Kagome's safety, especially here in Vegas. We have people from all over the world who come here to literally lose themselves in the lights and glam that Vegas has. People get drunk, they do foolish things here in Vegas which is where the saying 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' comes from. So... I'm just saying that you guys might want to be a little more cautious here in the States, even if you think you're not as famous as a pop-star," Candace warned.

Inuyasha looked to Kagome. She caught his eyes and smiled at him, placing her hand on his thigh and giving him a squeeze. He smiled softly, taking her encouragement, and draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her close. Of course, he wanted her to be safe. He wanted everyone to be safe while they were performing anywhere. And since he knew nothing of the American culture, let alone this Vegas city, he would have to defer to Candace's warning, at least for everyone's protection. He didn't need any protection.

"I don't see the need for security during our personal time... but during our work hours, maybe we can amp up security for myself and Kagome," Inuyasha said, staring at Naraku. He could see Naraku about to interject but Michael's voice came back over the speaker.

"I do agree that for personal time, you will want to have minimum security to call less attention to yourselves. So we'll leave that to your discretion. But I have a question for you, Kikyo. What have you thought about to do with Blue Lightning?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, settling onto the table again.

"Blue Lightning is a hit, something you need to consider using to your advantage. Blue Lightning has their own popularity and fame. But they're also yours. I think you need to consider giving them more spotlight."

"I have considered it and I talked to Inuyasha about this..."

"But I haven't given my consent yet," Inuyasha interjected. Kagome looked between the two, wondering what they talked about which obviously concerned her as well, but which she had no clue about.

Kikyo looked at Inuyasha, giving him a knowing look, as if he's already agreed. "I've considered having him and Kagome as my opener."

Miroku and Sango stared at Inuyasha and Kagome, though she looked just as stunned as everyone else. The managers, however, knew Kikyo's plan and waited for the consensus.

"Opener?" Miroku asked, knowing how big of a deal that was.

Inuyasha nodded his head, though his eyes stayed on Kikyo's. "She asked if Blue Lightning could perform a song to open every night. But that would mean Kagome and I would have to factor that song into the start of our performance and then consider how everyone else is going to get on stage. Not to mention, I already had an idea as for how Kikyo would appear on stage from under the stage. If Kagome and I were to do this, we would have to get off the stage since I wanted Kikyo to be the only one on stage first."

"It can be done, Inuyasha," Kikyo said with patience, seeing his exaggerated frustration. She could understand why, since they had talked about this already, and knew that he was just overwhelmed and stressed with everything riding on his shoulders. She was already proud of him for how the entire performance was already turning out, as she is always proud of him. She trusted Inuyasha's skill and ability to do everything to perfection and to a high standard, which was why her concerts were so great.

"I know it can. I'm just not sure if we have the time to get it done." Inuyasha looked to Miroku to see his friend's bewildered expression. "Miroku?"

Miroku shrugged, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well... I didn't know that you two were going to open."

"I haven't agreed to it..." Inuyasha interrupted.

Miroku gave him a look. "You have. And you will. I think it's a great opportunity, Inuyasha, for you and Kagome to open for Kikyo. On three sold out nights." Sango nodded and gave her agreement.

"I agree as well," John said, coming in through the phone. "We saw what you and Kagome did in Osaka with 'Who's Got You?'. Not only were you two in Kikyo's music video for that song, but you were also the star of that song for the concert. With those two performances, you two have made a platform for yourselves and the world knows of who you are. I think Kikyo is right in giving you two the stage."

Kagome moved out of his embrace so she could look at him, curious and anxious. "What song would we do?"

He smiled and gave her a look. "'Rewrite the Stars'." Everyone gushed over the mention of that song, giving their approvals of his choice.

"But it's not one of Kikyo's," she said, looking at Kikyo to see her wave of dismissal. "And we haven't really been practicing it," she said, looking back at Inuyasha with doubt. How could they pull it off at such short notice? And she hadn't expected that song to be something they performed in public. It was supposed to be their song.

Inuyasha placed his hand on her thigh and sat up, sensing her growing worry. "We finished making it and it's the only thing we have, Kagome. I'm not going to make a brand new choreography one week before we leave for Vegas," he said, looking back at Kikyo. "Which is why I'm still having doubts whether or not we're going to open for you."

Kikyo leaned back and crossed her arms across her chest, looking between the two of them. "What's with your doubts?" Sango and Miroku looked at each other, reading the tension between Kikyo and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha glared at Kikyo, not wanting to have to go through this again, especially with the managers from Vegas on the line. He already told her all his reservations when she first approached him with the idea. "I'm not going to do this with you right now, Kikyo. Let's just go over the rest of the plans for the itinerary and be done with it."

Inuyasha's clipped voice held no room for her to retort, so Kikyo gave up. "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "I need to know soon, Inuyasha. Like you said, we leave in a week and I need to know if you're opening or not."

"For logistics sake," Candace said through the phone. "We would need to know at least the day before so that we can get our outdoor screens to showcase Blue Lightning as the opener for each night's performances."

"We can fit that in once you make your decision, Inuyasha," Michael said.

Inuyasha didn't nod but instead leaned back into his chair and kept his eyes on the phone, clearly still irritated for being pushed to make a decision. Kagome was confused and shocked. When had he talked to Kikyo about doing their song? Was he going to ask her how she felt about it? She frowned and looked back at the phone, trying to avoid the eyes that she felt were on her. She knew nothing of this "negotiation" and she was just confused and overwhelmed by it all.

"Well... getting back to the itinerary..." Candace started. "I think after OneRepublic leaves on Monday, you'll have the place completely to yourself so you can come and go as you please. You'll have the key to the back for your crew to start setting up whatever you need. You'll also have the key to the front if you want to go in that way. Was there anything else from us that you needed? Or anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"No," Naraku said. "We just needed to figure out next weekend when we get there, what was available to us and at what times. Now we can change our itinerary around. We'll also let you know about the opener so that you can setup the display accordingly," he said, looking through his notes to make sure he had all of his 'to-dos' in order.

"Yes... and will you guys be sending any more photos for the advertising?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Akari said, making all eyes turn to her as she leaned forward. "We have a photoshoot this coming Monday with the new costumes. I'll send the shots over to you once they're developed."

"Perfect."

There was a silence as everyone looked around at the managers who were flipping through the itinerary packet to make sure they went over everything they needed.

"Okay. Thanks for your time, Candace, Michael, John. We appreciate you guys jumping on the call with us," Kikyo said, closing out the call when she noticed her managers had nothing more to talk about. "If we have any other questions we'll call you."

"Right. Thanks again, everyone, for all your hard work. We look forward to seeing you all next Saturday," Candace said.

"Thanks, Candace. See you next week." Naraku grabbed his phone and ended the call, looking up to everyone with a sigh. "Well... now the next thing we have to do is to draft a final itinerary."

"I can start working on the changes," Koji suggested, "And then you can finalize the draft before we send it out to everyone."

Naraku nodded his agreement. "Inuyasha... when do you think you'll know your answer?"

All eyes went to Inuyasha now. But his attention was focused on Kagome. He looked at her but she avoided looking at him, and by her scent, he was sure she wasn't happy.

"We'll talk about it over the weekend and make the decision by Monday."

Naraku nodded, watching the two. He could tell that something was up and wondered if it was Kagome as to the reason why Inuyasha didn't want to do the opener. He figured he'd ask Kikyo about it later.

"We have to get going," Akari said, standing and fixing her paperwork, placing everything back in her briefcase. "We need to report back to Toshu and then finalize some of the loose ends. I also need to confirm with Haru for our photoshoot on Monday."

Miroku flipped back to the itinerary. "I don't see anything for next week."

"That's because we only made the itinerary for days you're out of the country," Koji said, standing and packing up his briefcase. "We know you all will be busy every day with practice and with Kikyo doing her own things. So we didn't bother to make any calendar of events for the days leading up to your flight."

"Except for the photoshoot which is what we needed to tell you guys today," Akari confirmed with an apologetic smile. "I know it's out of the blue, but I think that it's best we update our photos to include the black and red costumes for this show. Haru is free Monday, and you guys are already together for practice, so we'll have everyone come down to the warehouse again and shoot there. I also think we'll do some Blue Lightning photos whether or not you guys decide to do the opener," she said, looking at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded and leaned forward so that he could catch Kagome's eye. "Hey..." he said softly, as the table began to erupt in conversation again. Miroku and Sango asked Kikyo more about the photoshoot, but he tuned them out. When Kagome finally looked at him, he grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it.

"What's wrong?" he asked her softly, not wanting the others to hear them.

Kagome shook her head, looking a bit confused. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Inuyasha turned so that he was facing her better, keeping his whole attention on her. "It honestly slipped my mind. We had a rough week, you know?" This week had been one hell of a week starting with the itinerary for work, then what happened between him and Kagome, and now ending with a new itinerary. He honestly forgot about it after the night of the new moon.

"When did she ask you?" Kagome asked, now calming down after his reminder of the kind of week they had.

"Monday. She called me later after our meeting to propose that you and I be her opener. We talked about some songs that we could do and that was it. I told her that I needed to talk to you about it before I gave her my consent," he turned to look at Kikyo who was now chatting with Sango about something to do with the concert. "Which is why I'm annoyed that Kikyo thinks I told her we're doing it. All I said is that I'll think about it and talk to you about it."

Kagome nodded, now understanding the situation. If Kikyo talked to him on Monday, Wednesday was the new moon and she had not only broken up with Inuyasha but also texted Kikyo that she quit. That would've probably thrown a wrench in Kikyo's plans for them to be an opener. Thursday they got back together and today she was able to have a conversation with Kikyo, apologizing for her actions. This week had been such a blur, and this talk of opening Kikyo's concert just caught her off guard. With everything that happened today, it only made her more overwhelmed and anxious. First, Kikyo asked her to be one of her lead dancers, to hold the same title as Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, after less than a year of working here. Then, Kikyo asks her and Inuyasha to open her concert for three nights. All of that made her speechless and she couldn't wrap her mind around everything happening so quickly.

"What's your reservations? It doesn't sound like you wanted to do it when she asked you," Kagome said.

Inuyasha shrugged, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of her hand, making her smile. "I didn't want to have to come up with a new routine and for us to learn it all in one week."

"Fair," Kagome nodded. "Then 'Rewrite the Stars' seems like the best option. But how can we do it for Kikyo's concert? Isn't there some sort of legality thing since it's another artist's song?"

Inuyasha nodded and nudged his head towards Kikyo's team. "Let the guys in the suits figure out the legalities and pay whoever wants money. Kikyo told me it can be done if that's the song we want to do. I'm just worried about putting on a good show."

Kagome smiled just as the door opened and more voices could be heard entering. "Then let's put on a good show."

Inuyasha returned the smile and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you more," she said, watching him stand. She smiled as he released her hand and walked around the chairs to go talk to Naraku, catching him as he was packing up his things.

Kagome looked to see some of the others enter and place their things down near the door. It was almost time for practice to resume and their meeting was over with Kikyo and her team. She looked for Sango and found her sitting and talking with Miroku. She stood and made her way over to Sango, squatting between the two as they stopped their conversation to look down at her.

"Hey. Did you guys know about this?" she asked, looking between the both of them.

"Nope," Miroku said, looking to where Inuyasha was checking his phone while Naraku was talking to him. "Inuyasha didn't tell me a thing."

"Me neither," Sango said with a shrug. "But it has been a pretty eventful week, wouldn't you say?" she asked Kagome.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Inuyasha said the same thing. I was just shocked. This is Kikyo's concert," she insisted.

"I know. Which is why this is a great opportunity for you and Inuyasha to do this."

Kagome looked at Sango with confusion and shock. "You're okay with this?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well... after all this time... the three of you should be the ones getting the stage. Not me."

Sango turned to place a hand on the back of her chair, regarding Kagome with a soft smile. "Kagome... the three of us never went into this for the fame or the fortune." Miroku nodded and smiled. "We have fame and fortune from our own family name. The reason we got into this business was for each other and to help each other fulfill our dreams.

"Kikyo wanted to pursue this dream of hers because of her passion for singing and her desire for the fame," Miroku said. "We loved to dance and so we decided to help her achieve her dream. We're not looking to get rich or to get our names on billboards. We just want to help each other do what they love to do. We're in it for each other."

Kagome felt so humbled and touched by their love for their friendships with one another. The commitment that they have to each other is admirable, and she was thankful that she can now call them her friends as well.

"And quite honestly, Kagome, Inuyasha would've never done this if it wasn't for you," Sango said with a smile. "He hates the spotlight, even though he deserves it. He always tries to elevate everyone else around him while he steps back and cheers people on. That's just the kind of person he is."

Kagome nodded her head, totally agreeing. After working for him all this time, she saw many times how selfless and encouraging he was as a boss. Yes, he had his bossy side. But that's because of his standards, and everyone respected him for it. But when it came to his crew, to his team, he was very protective and caring towards them.

"I was just worried that you two would be mad. You've been here longer than I have," Kagome said, knowing they deserved it far more than she did.

"Kagome... Inuyasha deserves it more than any of us," Miroku said, looking towards the guy. The three of them watched him leave Naraku, staring at his phone and then bringing it up to his mouth as he talked to someone. "If he will only do it with you, then you're the lucky girl by his side."

Kagome giggled as Sango looked at her with wiggling eyebrows. "Lucky girl."

"Oh shush." The three of them laughed as the others came to join them at the table. All in all, she was glad there were no hard feelings between them and she appreciated their support.

Inuyasha waved at Itsuki as he entered, speaking to his someone on the phone. "Hold on." He walked towards the door and headed out into the hallway, walking the opposite way of the entrance.

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah. I have the two of us reserved for tomorrow night."

"And you reserved her?"

"Yo! Inuyasha!" Inuyasha turned around to see Shippo holding the door to the dance room open, waving at him to come enter, as Shiori and Mai walked in before him. He signaled to Shippo that he was on the phone and Shippo waved him off, entering the room.

One thing he loved about cell phones is that his hearing is so good that he can hold the phone out as if it's on speaker, but really not, and still talk into the mic so the other person can hear him. He can't put a cell phone up to his ears and speak loud enough for the person to hear. But he can hear the other person just fine while keeping the phone speaker close to his mouth so they can hear him.

"Yes, I got her."

Inuyasha smirked, hearing the exasperation in his friend's voice. "Thanks. And thanks for doing this."

"Is there something I should know? I had to pull a lot of strings for this."

Inuyasha paused, looking back down the hallway to see that no one was outside. "I just need this favor. The girl is someone I know and I need to have a talk with her."

There was a pause on the other end. "Okay. I'll see you there at eight, then."

"Okay." Inuyasha hung up with a huge smile, heading back to the studio to continue with practice, all while trying to contain himself for what tomorrow night had in store.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

"Hey. What's up?" Midoriko asked, coming to stand next to Kagome. The dressing room was busy and noisy with everyone trying to get ready within the last five minutes they had. She stood next to Kagome at the clothes racks, watching the girl be so indecisive on her outfit choice for tonight.

"Nothing."

"Liar." Midoriko looked Kagome up and down in her black thong and black strapless bra. "Something's up. You never take this long to find something to wear."

Kagome ran her hands over some of her favorite outfits, thinking back on all the times she wore them and the dances she did in them. Her favorite outfit was the blue leather jumpsuit that hugged all her curves and made her feel so fierce. She smiled to herself, reminiscing and feeling nostalgic.

"Kagome?"

She blinked and looked at Midoriko. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Yeah I can see that," Midoriko said, crossing her arms. "What is going on?" Kagome looked back to the rack, trying to focus on what she wanted to wear as one of her last outfits working here. A part of her wanted to take them with her, but a part of her wanted no part of her old life following her into the new. She wanted a fresh start with nothing that reminded her of what she left behind. It's always been that way for her and that's the way she wanted to keep it.

"Kagome, I swear, if you don't tell me what's going on... I'm going to wring it out of you like wet cloth!"

She burst out laughing at Midoriko's threat. Ayumi made her way over to them in a hurry.

"What is going on with you two? Kagome, we need to be out there in a few minutes. Hurry up and get ready!"

She sobered at Ayumi's voice and waved at the two of them. "Sorry. I just can't make up my mind on what I want to wear tonight." She turned back to the rack and her eyes landed on the dress that kept nagging at her to wear. With a sigh, she smiled and reached for it.

"This is it." She simply took the dress off its hanger and started unzipping it.

"Kagome..." Midoriko started, her voice softening just a bit. "I know something's wrong. Tell me what's going on."

The two of them watched her pull the dress up her body and then she turned around as Ayumi stepped forward to zip up the back of the dress. She held her hair to the side and then turned back around to face them with a smile.

"I'm quitting."

"Let's go ladies!" Onigumo said, bursting into the dressing room. "Door's opening in a couple minutes. Everyone smile and make some men happy tonight." The women all touched themselves up in their mirrors and began to file out as Onigumo held the door open, making sure every woman was out and at their places before the clients came in. He noticed the three next to the clothes rack in the middle and waved them over.

"Let's go you three. It's the weekend." And that told them a lot as to how busy tonight would be.

Midoriko and Ayumi looked at each other, shocked beyond words. Kagome simply smiled and grabbed one of their hands with hers, leading the two out of the dressing room.

-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-

The road was busy with foot traffic, and the crowds were thick. Lots of people strolled through one of the most high-end parts of the city. From the shops to the nightclubs, if one knew the area they were in, one would know of the red-light district that housed a few clubs, clubs that were only for those with deep pockets. Not everyone knew about these clubs and from the outside, they were very inconspicuous, not meant to catch everyone's eye.

Inuyasha stopped and looked up, noticing the simple sign in purple that said 'Midnite'. The doors were a plain black with gold handle bars, nothing that drew attention besides the purple sign.

"This is it?" he asked, sensing Ken coming up to his side. Ken was a business partner. He moved to Japan from the States and started his own company, which was where Inuyasha came in. His family decided to invest in Ken's company and it turned out to be a good investment.

Ken chuckled, fixing his suit as he stood on Inuyasha's left. While Ken chose to wear one of his designer suits, Inuyasha decided on a slightly less formal approach, as he normally did. He wore a light blue dress shirt with a dark grey dress pants.

"Doesn't look like much. But it's well worth it on the inside," Ken said, turning to wink at Inuyasha. "Trust me. The women in here are quite rare." He went to lead the way but was stopped when Inuyasha's hand reached out and grabbed his arm, making him look at Inuyasha in confusion.

"How often do you come here?"

Ken shrugged. "I told you... I only come here to do business. Maybe once a month or less. I don't make this a daily habit if that's what you're asking. I do have a family."

"Then why do you come here?" he asked, curious as to why men who had a family would come to a gentlemen's club. He had been to many in all his years of living but that was different. He wasn't mated when he'd gone to them. He couldn't imagine wanting to go to one now that he had Kagome in his life.

Ken made a face, knowing the stigma that a lot of these kinds of clubs held. "It's not what you think, Inuyasha. Come. Let's go inside so you can see for yourself."

Inuyasha didn't say anything but simply followed behind Ken. As they got closer to the door, Ken reiterated what he already texted earlier.

"Remember... I reserved one girl for each of us. I also got you a room in the Skye, like you wanted. She will do whatever you want her to do. If you just want her to sit there and be quiet, she'll do just that." Ken turned to look at him. "It's not always about sex, Inuyasha. These clubs have lots of rules to protect their girls. If the girls get uncomfortable or don't want to do anything, we can't force them to do something they don't want to do. It's very consensual. And you can get kicked out and your membership taken away if you break their rules." Ken gave him a look. "Meaning my membership with get revoked."

Inuyasha smirked. "I get it. I won't break anyone's rules so your membership won't get revoked."

Satisfied, Ken went to grab the golden door handle and pulled it open. The music from the inside came spilling out into the street. They walked in and the door closed behind them as they made their way a few steps in to where a man dressed in a black suit waited for them. Inuyasha sized the man up, realizing immediately that he was a youkai, and from the looks and scent of him, a lizard youkai.

"Name?"

Ken gave their names and the bouncer looked on his iPad to check them in. All the while, Inuyasha took in his surroundings. The place was dark and mysterious, nothing like RUSH where it was alive and loud. Here, the walls were draped with dark curtains, making the entire place feel mysterious, somewhat comforting and haunting at the same time. There were a lot of men here. Men dressed in business suits or formal attire. Men were sitting at the bar, which was the closest to the door, just a bit elevated from the main floor. There were women walking around, all dressed in various forms of clothing. He watched the interactions between the men and the women, taking in everything, from the wandering dark blue and purple lights to every single woman he could see.

'Where is she?'

"Ken and Inuyasha." When he heard his name, Inuyasha looked at the bouncer whose eyes were squarely on him. "You wouldn't be Fujimoto Inuyasha?"

"That's me." The bouncers eyebrows arched and he made an approving facial expression before looking back down at his iPad.

"You're early. Your appointments are not ready for another fifteen minutes."

"That's fine. We'll make ourselves comfortable." The bouncer nodded at Ken and stepped aside. Ken looked at him and the two walked towards the bar, heading up the three stairs to take their seats on the open barstools in between other men.

"So... what do you think?" Ken asked, talking a little louder since the music was playing. It was a slow, pop song with the casting lights creating a scene mingling with the dim white lights provided for the guests. Inuyasha turned around to look at the entire club. There were two stages, a smaller one in the middle where all the tables and chairs were, and a main stage towards the back of the room. A woman was dancing on the stage, moving her body in a slow, seductive way to the song. She wore a long white dress that flowed to her feet. She had white hair and the way she moved he could tell that she was lost in the rhythm of the song, her body moving on its own without any thought or planned movements.

He paused. At first, he thought he was seeing things. But then he looked closer and noticed that he was correct. 'That's Kagome's friend. Ayumi.' He took a few deep breaths, trying to catch her scent, and he paused. It was her. He remembered Kagome said that those friends of hers that he met at the salon were also her coworkers at the club. He was shocked for a moment as he watched Ayumi dance, but then he decided to scan the crowd some more, noting a few other women among the men sitting down. Everyone was either watching the dancer or carrying on with their own business. But he didn't recognize anyone else.

"This place seems chill," he finally answered Ken. And he still did not see her. But he could smell her. He picked up on her scent the moment he walked into this place. She was here, but he couldn't see her. The thought of her being here, with another man, set his nerves on end.

"Hello, gentlemen." A voice called their attention and they looked over the bar to see a young man with a white dress shirt, purple tie and black slacks. He had a black fedora on and a welcoming smile. "Can I get you two anything to drink?"

"Yes. I'll have a kamikaze," Ken said, looking to Inuyasha to see what he wanted.

"I'll have shōchū. Cold. Neat."

The bartender nodded with a smile and got to work. Inuyasha flicked his ears, listening to the conversations around him, but he couldn't make out her voice. He was dying to find her. He knew she was here, and every part of him needed to be with her, especially his demon. He was filled with anticipation, excited to see this side of her that she says she keeps caged up, that she only lets out in the darkness of the night because people don't understand her. He wanted to see this Sapphire.

"Is there a reason why you requested Sapphire?"

He snapped out of his thoughts to look at Ken, shrugging it off. "I know her."

Ken's eyes widened. "You do? How? I thought you've never been here before."

"I haven't." His eyes stared at Ken. "She's mine."

Ken's eyes squinted as he thought about what Inuyasha meant. Inuyasha shook his head just as the bartender called their attention, pushing each of their glasses towards them.

"Here you go, men."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said with a nod.

The bartender gave him a pensive look before finally asking. "Are you Fujimoto Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha smirked. "What gave it away?" he asked, taking his drink in hand, feeling the cold glass stick to his fingers.

The bartender smiled, his eyes twinkling as he shook his head. "The hair and the ears." With that said, he nodded his head and told them to have a good night, excusing himself to see if anyone else needed drinks.

Ken scrunched his eyebrows, taking a sip of his lime drink. "What was that about? What's with your ears?"

Inuyasha shrugged. That comment alone was a dead giveaway that the boy could 'see' him. Ken, being from America, couldn't see him as a hanyou because he didn't believe, like 99% of the world. He wasn't too surprised that the bartender could 'see' since there were a lot of demons who worked here. One being the woman on stage, Ayumi, whom he remembered to be an owl hanyou, a particularly rare albino hanyou. Aside from her and the bouncer, he could scent other demons in this room, which could be either the patrons or the workers. He was sure that Kagome's other friend, Midoriko, was also working here, and she was a neko youkai.

"Hey, is that why you wanted to come here? Was it just to see Sapphire?"

Inuyasha nodded with a smirk. "Yeah. Sorry to use you like this." He sipped his drink and felt the smooth liquor slide down his throat, liking the taste.

Ken eyed him suspiciously, growing sober. "You do know who Sapphire is, right?" Inuyasha gave him his full attention, waiting for him to continue. "She's Onigumo's favorite girl."

He scowled, not liking the sound of that, but his curiosity peaked. Yes, he remembered this Onigumo and how much Kagome praised him for rescuing her and giving her a better life. If this was the better life she talked about, Inuyasha was sure that Onigumo would not want to meet him.

"What does that mean?" he asked, turning so that he could rest his left arm on the bar while holding his drink in his right hand between his legs, facing Ken. He wanted to hear everything about this place, especially about this Onigumo.

"Good evening, gentlemen."

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he smirked to himself. He knew that voice and that scent without even having to look up.

Jinenji stood facing Inuyasha while another male stood facing Ken, both of them imposing in their stature and suits. Inuyasha eyed the demon standing next to Jinenji, taking in his build, the purple thunder mark on both of the male's cheeks and his red eyes. 'A thunder demon.' He knew this demon, and when the male smirked as their eyes met, he knew the guy recognized him as well.

"Mr. Fujimoto. Your appointment will begin shortly. Would you like me to show you to your room?" Jinenji asked. Jinenji couldn't believe that the hanyou would come to Midnite of all places. After their brief encounter two nights ago, he didn't know that Inuyasha would take it this far and come to Kagome's place of work. For what purpose? And if he was going to start trouble, then Jinenji would have to warn him that this was not the time or place to do it.

"No thanks," Inuyasha said, looking at Jinenji with a nod of his head. Jinenji nodded back.

"Your appointment will begin soon, as well, Mr. Davis. Where would you like Aurora to meet you?" the other male asked.

"I'll be here waiting," Ken replied, not sparing the man a glance. His attention was on Inuyasha, watching the way he interacted with these two as if he knew them. His curiosity was piqued now.

The two men were about to leave when Inuyasha spoke.

"Does your brother work here too?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes steady on the male.

"Yes. He's behind the bar." With that being said, the two took their leave.

Ken scrunched his eyebrows, waiting for Inuyasha to look back at him. "What the hell was that about? You know those guys?"

Inuyasha shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "In a sense." 'So, Hiten and Manten work here. This Onigumo must have a lot of friends in high places.' Those high places would also include the youkai world. Hiten and Manten were known as the 'thunder brothers'. They were well-respected in the youkai world and they both attended the court.

"Hold up. Before we go any further... you need to explain how you know those guys and why you wanted to come tonight." Ken's mind was reeling and he took another sip of his drink, needing the alcohol to help keep a grasp on reality.

"I don't need to explain anything, Ken. I told you that I just needed your help getting in here and getting with Sapphire. If you couldn't help me, I would find someone else who could."

"Yeah, I know. Your family is well-known in Japan. Which was why I was surprised you asked for this favor. But still... I don't understand how you know Aurora's and Sapphire's bodyguards."

"Let's just say I've met Sapphire's bodyguard a couple times outside of this place, and Aurora's bodyguard and I go way back." 'Centuries to be exact.' But he wasn't going to tell Ken that. Inuyasha was curious as to these pet names. Sapphire. Aurora. "Who's Aurora?"

"The one on stage," Ken motioned with his head, keeping his eyes on Inuyasha. "Don't try to change the subject here. I'm still wanting to know how you know Sapphire."

'Ayumi's pet name is Aurora.' "And I'm still wanting to know what you were saying about Sapphire being Onigumo's favorite girl." Inuyasha wasn't going anywhere until he knew more about Kagome's relationship with Onigumo and how he seemed to have such a hold on her.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, both of them unrelenting, until finally one had to give. And it was Ken.

"Fine." He turned in his barstool so that he leaned forward onto the bar, toying with his drink while looking over his shoulder at Inuyasha. "There are three girls who are Onigumo's favorites: Sapphire, Aurora and Mystique. His favorite is Sapphire." Ken quieted and Inuyasha caught his wariness as one of the bartenders walked by, as if he didn't want the bartenders to overhear their conversation. "His three favorites have their own personal bodyguard. Not anyone can request them. They usually have their own set of clients. But if you wanted to be added to their clientele, it goes through Onigumo first and then you go on a waiting list. There's always a waiting list for those three."

"That popular, huh?" Inuyasha asked, now looking out into the crowd to see if he could spot her.

"He's very protective of those three. I had to pull a lot of strings and favors to get you an hour with Sapphire tonight," Ken mentioned, his eyes hard on Inuyasha. "Now... do you wanna tell me what you meant when you said Sapphire is yours?"

Inuyasha stared back, clearly unaffected by Ken's seemingly intimidating scowl. He was trying to figure out how much he wanted Ken to know. He figured that the least he could do to return the favor was to tell Ken something.

"Sapphire is mine. She's my... girlfriend." And as those words came out, he immediately felt like that word didn't half explain what Kagome was to him. 'Girlfriend' didn't have the depth and breadth of what Kagome was to him. But for simpler terms, in terms that a human could understand, it was easier for him to say it that way.

Ken's eyes widened and realization dawned. He turned to completely face Inuyasha again, both men with their legs spread apart facing the other. "Holy shit! I thought those were just rumors..." Inuyasha made a face, wondering what he was talking about. "Sapphire is Kagome, isn't she?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Inuyasha smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "I haven't met Sapphire yet so I wouldn't know."

"Screw you," Ken said, taking his drink and downing it. He made a face as the liquor went down his throat, then pushed the empty cup forward and away as he slapped the counter of the bar. "I know you're dating Kagome. It's all over the tabloids and social media. The two of you are known as Blue Lightning and you're only one of the richest families in all of Japan. But I've only being hearing rumors that the blue-haired dancer in Kikyo's group is Sapphire. A lot of the men here were talking about the possibility of the two being the same person, but I dismissed it as rumors that were unfounded. But now that you're saying that... damn."

Inuyasha watched as Ken seemed almost devastated, leaning against the bar to rub his face. He frowned, but then he could hear footsteps approaching as the music changed over. "Mr. Fujimoto. I must escort you up to your room now so you can wait for Sapphire there." He looked to Jinenji and nodded, looking back at Ken.

"I'm gonna head up." Ken nodded, shooing him away with his free hand, probably digesting all this information. "You gonna take off in an hour?"

"Hell no. I'm waiting for you so that I can chew your ear out even more!"

Inuyasha chuckled. "Whatever. Have fun with Aurora," he said with a wink and stood. He took a moment to down the rest of his drink and placed it down. He nodded to Jinenji and followed the male through the club.

He looked around, scanning everyone. He noted how the tables were full tonight with men sitting and chatting now that the dancer had finished her number. The music was now a more slower and sultry alternative music, and he could see a lot of the men talking amongst each other while the women sat next to them or tended to their drinks. He looked to his right to see a lounge area that he hadn't noticed before when he walked in. The area was half hidden with the black curtains that helped to give the place more privacy. And he could see why. That area looked more intimate than out on the floor. A lot more of the girls were in there with the men, sitting either on or next to the men. He pinned his ears towards the lounge to try and listen for Kagome's voice, but he couldn't hear her.

"Up here." Inuyasha faced Jinenji and saw a stairway against the wall that led up, so he followed Jinenji. He kept scanning the crowd below on the floor but she wasn't there.

Once they got to the top, Inuyasha noticed there was a dark purple light over the door closest to the stairs. Jinenji walked them past that door towards the other room. There were only two rooms up here. And Inuyasha looked across the way to notice it was the same on the opposite side of the room.

"You can wait for Sapphire in here," Jinenji said, opening the door and walking in, holding the door open for him.

Inuyasha walked in and surveyed the cream-colored room. Behind the door and Jinenji was a small, twin size bed. Next to that was a small stage, like down on the main floor, with a pole and a mirror behind it on the wall. In the corner of the room, next to the stage, was a fully stocked bar with bottles of liquor on the shelves on the wall. And straight across the door was an L-couch against the other corner of the room with a coffee table. There was a lot of empty space and he went to stand in the middle of the room, staring at himself in the mirror with the pole.

"What are you doing here, boy?"

Inuyasha smirked, his eyes showing Jinenji that he dismissed the obvious insult. "I'm sure I'm older than you. How did you get that scar to stay?" he asked, dismissing the question.

Jinenji stayed silent for a long time and Inuyasha couldn't care less if he answered. He could tell that Jinenji didn't trust him and he really didn't need the guy's trust, nor did he care what Jinenji thought of him. The only reason why he liked the guy was because Kagome liked him, possibly cared for him, and he was Kagome's bodyguard, which he appreciated the fact that he protected Kagome, even though it was for business.

Inuyasha turned around to head to the bar, not wanting to talk to a statue.

"Herbs."

Inuyasha's ears flicked towards the male but he didn't stop. "So you wanted to look scarier?"

"You could say."

"Hmm," was all he said. He wasn't one to have small talk with Jinenji unless the male was willing to open up more than just stand there like a statue. His brother was better at it. He walked behind the bar as Jinenji was slowly closing the door.

But as Jinenji took a step out, he stood in the crack of the doorway, watching Inuyasha pour himself a glass of whiskey. "Do you love her?"

Inuyasha dropped the whiskey back down in the bar well and reached for the drink, bringing it to his lips as he looked over at Jinenji with a serious look. "With all my soul."

"Then save her from herself."

Inuyasha frowned, placing the drink down after taking a sip.

"You should know by now that her worst enemy is herself," Jinenji explained, knowing he had little time left with the hanyou. He didn't know the boy and that was why he didn't trust him. But he knew that the boy loved Kagome. If he didn't, he would've given up and thought she was a lost cause a long time ago. And this was the first male she ever gave herself to. So that said something.

"I've known her for nine years. I've watched her past torment her, mentally and physically. I've held her while she had her episodes and cried. But even though Koga still haunts her... her greatest fear is herself."

Inuyasha moved around the bar, walking back towards Jinenji, stopping in the middle of the room to regard him with his full attention.

"She has hopes and dreams, but she doesn't believe that she's worthy of them. Being on your dance team was a dream that took her years of persuasion and courage. She fears the future because the future she wants is the opposite of what she's always received, and she knows better than to hope for the best because she always received the worst. And this place... this place is a constant reminder of the abuse from men that she could never escape from. And you..." Jinenji said, wanting to make one last point, not wanting to keep Kagome waiting for him. "You give her what she's never had, and it scares the hell out of her, but it's also why she can't let you go. She'll want you to stay but she'll never love herself enough to believe that she deserves you, so she'll push you away before she lets you in to hurt her. Her greatest fear is that no one will ever love her because she believes she is unworthy to be loved."

Jinenji grabbed the door handle as their eyes met. "You need to save her from herself. You need to love her more than she's ever been loved."

Inuyasha watched, speechless, as Jinenji closed the door with a click. He was engulfed silence. And the silence was echoing with Jinenji's words. 'Kagome...' His heart beat for her. Didn't she realize how special she was to him? Couldn't she tell that she was his life, his heart, his mate? Jinenji obviously knew a lot about Kagome, and now, standing there, he respected the hanyou all the more for his loyalty to her. He obviously only wanted the best for Kagome, and it had nothing to do with business.

Inuyasha clenched his fists at his sides, thinking about all he and Kagome had been through and how Jinenji's words made him see things differently now. A lot of the things that happened, especially what happened three days ago with their breakup, it all made so much sense why she would so easily walk away. She walked away the night of the new moon, and here he thought that she didn't love him as much as he loved her. But all the while, she loved him so much that it frightened her, and her only reaction was to run before he could hurt her the same way Koga and her father hurt her. She ran when she thought that he saw her as a whore and didn't want to be with her, which was exactly what she deserved, or so what she would think that now that Jinenji helped him to see how little she valued her self-worth. He went back to the bar to grab his drink and down its contents, his eyes staring blankly ahead.

'Kagome...'

---

Part 2... coming up! I hope you're not falling off the edge of your seat :)