🎵 Uptown girl
She's been living in her uptown world 🎵
'If you want
to know the future,
look at the past'
Chapter One
"He'll be fine." Kagome ran her down the cats back, scratching along the way until he arched beneath her administrations. He purred sweetly, rubbing against her arm back and forth until she paid him further attention. She loved animals. She had such a sweet empathy for animals in general.
It was the only thing that she seemed to be capable of doing right in her life.
"$200 up front and then we can go over the rest after we do the second treatment." The credit card machine beeped and then spit out a receipt. Pen scribbled over paper in a swift signature and then Kagome smiled again, watching as the last customer left. Kagome followed with the cat in one hand pressed against her chest as she twisted the lock on the door and then flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED.
Higurashi Veterinary.
She'd barely gotten through high school with passing grades. She'd had to do a lot of catch-up work during the summer just to make graduation. Even with that she had barely made Finals with passing grades. Honestly, she hadn't even thought about her future in her teen years.
The Feudal Era had consumed that. Her teen years were spent trying to survive.
She had thought that her place was in the Feudal Era. She had so much invested there. None of them were exactly sure how the time thing worked—would she simply being a missing person in the future if she stayed in the past? Or would she never be born in the future?
They were answers that she never received.
Completing the jewel presented new challenges. Who guarded it if she didn't remain? There was the possibility that the Well would close forever. The truth was, the Well needed to close. FOREVER. She needed to go home. She didn't belong here.
This had all happened because of her. It had to end with her.
Kagome stared down into the darkness of the Well, her fingers curled over the edge. Was it still open? Her and Inuyasha waited. She caught the smooth ripple of energy that rolled around in the darkness. Yes. It was still there. She sighed and hung her head—she could see her mother again.
She would never see her friends again.
"You close the door to your past to open the door to your future." Midoriko had spoken those words to her when she'd been trapped in the Jewel.
What did that mean, though?
The Well was still open. The door was still open. Kagome straightened from the Well and her and Inuyasha stared at each other. She'd already said goodbye to the others. Shippo had cried. Sango and Miroku had bid her a sweet farewell.
"Ima miss you, Kagome." Inuyasha said, his tone serious for once.
Kagome stared at Inuyasha. The girl who fell through time and fell in love with a boy 500 years in the past. This was it then, huh? Kagome knew that she was sixteen years old. It hurt right now, but she knew in time…
She'd move on. She loved him, she knew, but it was a little girls love. She gave a small smile and hugged him back when his arms surrounded her in a tight hug. Maybe she was a little wiser in her 16 years than most of her age were. She pulled back and hefted her yellow backpack over her shoulders. "I couldn't find Kouga. Did you?"
She'd really wanted to say goodbye to the rambunctious Wolf Demon. They'd been looking for his Pack for days. He was out there somewhere, and it was just her luck that when she wanted to be found by him, he was nowhere to be found.
Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome knew by his expression that he wasn't lying. He may not like Kouga, but he knew she wanted to say her goodbyes. They couldn't wait any longer and they both knew it. Her presence in the Past was still causing a ripple.
She needed to go home.
The Well had to close.
"Will you tell him I said goodbye?" Kagome toyed with her fingers nervously.
Inuyasha nodded. "You know I will."
Kagome heaved a sigh and then climbed over the edge, swinging both legs over. She waited for a split second, watching the tree line. Waiting for that surge of Wolf Demon energy to brush up against her. She waited…
She looked at Inuyasha. He nodded.
She jumped.
That familiar floating sensation caught her as she sank down…
"Kagome!"
She looked up at the faint voice calling her name. It seemed so far away. She could see the blue of the sky overhead still and she saw a familiar face peaking into the Well, hands gripping the edges. It was getting further and further away…but she saw the blue of his eyes.
Kouga.
She never got to tell him goodbye.
That familiar jolting sensation filled her and then her feet touched solid ground. She wanted to go back. She closed her eyes and counted to five and then opened her eyes. All she saw was the top of the Well House.
There was no going back, she let the sober realization fill her. She felt no power when she touched the inner wall of the well. There was nothing there but stones and well casing.
Kagome walked through the side door and into the back. Cleaning solution and bleach filled her nostrils as she opened the cage and placed the cat inside before closing the cage door. "It's not so bad, is it? I'm going to get you fixed right up." She wiggled her fingers through the cage slots, rubbing the cat's head for a second more before she exited. He suffered from stomatitis. His gums were painfully inflamed, and she was going to have to do near full tooth extraction in the coming weeks.
She skipped the waiting room and went straight for her office and dropped into the computer chair behind the desk. The computer briefly illuminated her face as she set to work over the days files and what was coming Monday.
She'd set herself hard to keep her time preoccupied when she realized that she really couldn't go back. She didn't want to just sit around and mope. She missed her friends, but she knew they would want her to be happy. She wanted and deserved to be happy. She failed miserably in high school, so she applied twice the pressure in college.
Her Grandpa had wanted her to take over the family Shrine, especially considering her knowledge of Demons and spells and the lot, but she honestly wanted nothing to do with it. She'd done enough of that in the past. Sota was more than happy to take over.
She loved helping people and while she had leaned towards her M.D, she'd found herself going for Veterinary Medicine with a PhD instead. Her empathy for animals caught on real quick. It was the opposite of what she would have planned for herself. She had a calming effect on most animals when applied, though there were still some difficulties.
She'd realized that she could pinpoint what was causing the pain—or what they needed. She'd realized that she could channel her spiritual energy into slow or swift medicinal characteristics. She'd never tried to heal an animal, but she could sometimes ease their pain.
Her mom had been right when she'd said you never forget your first love—only that she would heal. She had, she supposed. She was happy. She hoped Inuyasha had found his own happiness. She'd had a few boyfriends, though none of them really worked out. Hojo was the one that she couldn't really get rid of. He'd stuck around well after High School. He still brought her those little "Get Well" gifts whenever she was sick. Lord knows she didn't have to fake being sick anymore.
He was a good friend, Kagome had to remind herself. She probably shouldn't have accepted those few dates. They were nice all in all. He treated her like a lady. He brought her flowers. He picked her up and took her home. Kagome had finally given in and after all while started dating him. She lost her virginity to him a while after that, and she grimaced at the memory. Not one of her finer moments. She'd only been with one other man outside of Hojo.
Her and Hojo remained friends, though she knew they were on the verge of being "on" again if Hojo had anything to say about it. He was just the type of man her mother would have wanted for her. Human. He was sweet. Respectful. Nice. He was in the same class as her, not below or above.
She honestly didn't know what to make of that.
It took her a moment to realize that she was staring at the screen. She wasn't reading it. The words blurred back into focus, and she shook her head. She had so much work to do this weekend.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
Her head jerked up at the sudden pounding. What the hell was that? She stood up and then realized it was a fist pounding on the locked office door. She took off at a brisk pace, looking at her watch. She'd closed nearly two hours ago. Everyone knew her hours—she usually wasn't here this late.
She saw the tall figure outside the glass doors. She vaguely recognized him from the town, though they didn't usually speak. What the hell was he doing here, though? She flipped the lock and then pulled the door open. "What's wrong? Why are you banging on my door—"
"I hit a fucking dog." He muttered.
The said dog was shoved into her arms and Kagome's knees buckled under the weight. She gave a small "oof" as she sank to her knees. "You can't just leave—"
"I think it's still alive." He looked panicked.
"YOU THINK?" Kagome pulled her hands out from beneath the dog and her arms came away stained with blood. Shit. Crap. She saw the barely visible rise and fall of his chest. He was alive! "Can you go to the back and grab me some towels—" She looked up, her mouth falling open because he was high-telling it out to his truck. He was leaving?!
He left.
He left after hitting a dog?!
"God damn bastard." It sickened her that people could hit an animal and then, "Hey, sorry, but I think I hit your pet". There were way too many people like him in the world.
"It's ok, baby." Kagome whispered as she touched his coarse fur. There was blood, which meant there was an injury somewhere. She ran her hand over one of his hindlegs and bingo—he gave a soft whine, his legs jerking instinctively. She wouldn't know if it was broken until she did x-rays. She checked his mouth, all the while petting his head and whispering in soothing hushes. Nothing there. The blood was coming from his hindleg. He was missing fur around that area too—road burn.
He was big for a dog. A hell of a lot bigger. Suspicion crossed her features and then caution. Her eyes moved over the pointed ears. He was mostly brown with lighter patches of beige mixed in here and there.
He was a Wolf.
He'd brought a fucking Wolf inside her Veterinary Office.
Some people had Wolf breeds as pets.
She calmed her racing heart; this was Japan and a pretty open area of city. There were no Wolves. He was probably a pet, she sufficed, even though she saw no collar. But he was still hella big for a wolf. She wasn't sure what kind of breed. Maybe Eastern, given his coloring.
"I gotta see, baby, so hold still." Kagome whispered in a soothing tone as she held her hands out over his body. She let a small hum of energy extend out over her hands as she searched.
Her head jerked up at the sudden growl and she froze at the dark eyes that stared into hers.
She sucked in a heavy breath. "You're a Demon." She whispered.
That growl was in reaction to the soft hum of power in her hands. She let it go immediately, her heart thundering in her ears. She watched from her kneeling position as he slowly stood until he was standing in front of her. She understood the sudden danger she was in from the way he bared his canines at her. She could see the pain in his eyes—he was reacting off both that pain and the threat of what lay in the palms of her hands.
He was a Demon.
Oh my God. She was as sure of that as she was the very air she breathed. She hadn't realized it until her powers had butted up against his aura.
He was a wolf demon.
No, not a Wolf Demon. A Demon wolf. Memories of rash declarations of love and laughing blue eyes filled her mind. This wolf reminded her of the wolves that had run with Kouga and his Pack. They were wolf demons, larger than the average wolf and more deadly, but they didn't have a human form like Kouga and his comrades had.
Demons weren't alive in her time. She knew that. She sure as hell knew humans would have noticed that. The few that had been here had been the ones that had followed her through the Well.
But this was clearly a Demon wolf.
She didn't move away or try to run, she knew better than that. She'd seen more than enough Demon wolves in her time to know that they could rip her throat out in a single breath.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Kagome said softly. That vicious growl sent a chill down her spine. Please, don't kill me, she prayed silently.
He backed up slowly like an animal cornered—he was limping. He never took those beady eyes off her or closed those jaws of razor sharp teeth. He gave a vicious snap of teeth and salvia drooled down. He backed up into the metal row of cages and went feral.
No, no, no! Kagome wailed inwardly as the Demon wolf ripped into the shiny iron bows and tore them from the wall. The wheels spun wildly, and metal ripped, slinging against the opposite wall. He was like a trapped animal—because that's exactly what it was.
"You're going to hurt yourself more—" Kagome whispered nervously, almost talking to herself more than him. He was jumping around wildly, knocking the waiting chairs over, spewing a bag of dog food. The computer behind the front desk tipped over, crashing to the floor. He was leaving bloodied paw prints all over the floor and the lower part of one wall—making a mess of the entire area.
"Stop—"
The Demon wolf turned around, as if he'd forgotten she was there. Kagome already regretted speaking. He took a step towards her.
Kagome hadn't used the full potential of her spiritual energy in years. She used small bouts here and there to sense out the pain of her animal patients, but that was it. She wasn't even sure she could remember how to summon a bow and arrow.
Another paw forward. He was salivating at the mouth.
"Hey…" She said as softly as she could. "You understand me, right?" She moved to the side and behind the twisted metal that remained of the dog cages. His eyes never wavered—Kagome knew he could clear that jump over the cages easily. "I knew your friend Kouga. You remember him?" Her heart was beating way too fast. She really didn't want to die. She doubted he knew Kouga—that had been more than 500 years ago. This Demon wolf was probably a decedent of those wolves that had traveled with Kouga's Pack.
"He was the Alpha of the Pack, right? He helped us defeat Naraku." The door to the back hallway was to the left of the cage. Maybe if she—
He took a small jump forward. Ok. No. Not that way.
"I ran with Kouga a few times." Her voice shook as she went over the memory.
She knew he understood her. The knowledge was there in his eyes. She lifted a shaking hand and cautiously held it out towards his snout. If he would just smell her, he would know she wasn't threat. "I'll help you if you let me."
He snapped at her, biting her hand and she jerked it back against her chest. What had Kouga told her about his Pack? What had he told her about Wolves? Think!
Kagome sank to her knees and bowed her head and held her hand out, palm up. Let them smell you. Let them know you're not a threat.
She was fucking terrified.
Her hand shook when she felt his cold nose sniff against her palm. It felt like forever and all she could think was, I'm going to die, I'm really going to die. His nose left her palm and the clocking ticking on the wall suddenly filled the silence.
Tic, tok…tic, tok…
Kagome's heart went into overtime when she felt his head press against hers. His growl vibrated all the way down to her shoulders. He stood like that, just pressing his head against hers, his teeth bared so dangerously close. Kagome wasn't sure what he was doing, but she was scared shitless. He pulled away slowly before sitting on the ground in front of her. His lips were still peeled back but he wasn't attacking her.
At least she wasn't dead.
She took a deep breath. "Will you please let me look at you…?" Demons usually healed themselves, but Kagome also didn't know why there was a freaking Demon wolf in her time. He bared his teeth at her again, but he didn't stop her when she gently touched his leg. She'd cared for Demons in the Feudal Era; this was nothing.
Except the fact that Demons weren't alive 500 years in the future.
He'd knocked over a whole cabinet of medicine supplies, so at least the bandages were strewn near her. "You're healing, but not fast enough." She held up the roll of bandage. "Please don't bite me again." She prayed those exact words as she cautiously wiped the blood around his leg clean and then started the slow process of wrapping the bandage around his hindleg. She still didn't know if his leg was broken or not, but she had the feeling that he wasn't going to sit still beneath an x-ray for her to see. He sure as hell wasn't going to let her stick him with a needle.
Her first thought was to leave him locked up in one of the cages in the back; she quickly realized how stupid and dangerous that would be. He'd rip those cages apart just like he had these. The second thing was, there was no way she could explain why she had a Wolf in her office. There would be questions about his size that no answer she gave would be believable.
How was she going to explain the mess?
Her insurance might cover it if she twisted the story a little.
Or a lot.
She was already in debt—she didn't need that hanging over her shoulders, too.
She looked at the bandages circling his hindleg and front left paw. She knew he was still in pain. Demon or not, getting hit by a car was a bitch. "You don't have to be in so much pain." She lifted a hand and even though he bared his fangs at her again, she cautiously placed her hand on his head between his ears. She waited. When he didn't attack her again, she rubbed softly. "I could help with the pain a little if you'd let me…"
He growled at her words. No then, Kagome thought.
He tilted his head upward so that his snout pressed against her palm. She froze. She could feel him smelling her again; his nose twitched. He licked her palm and when she gently lowered her hand he licked the back of her hand, too.
"So we're friends now, huh?" Kagome murmured. Her shoulders sagged as she looked around. She couldn't leave him here. She'd deal with the mess tomorrow. Maybe Sunday at this point. She stood up and he followed instantly. What was she supposed to do? Let him go, right? He would heal. She knew that much.
An injured Demon was even more deadly than a whole one. She'd rather him be with her than out in the open with unsuspecting people.
She watched as he limped up to her. "You promise not to attack me if I bring you home with me?"
He just stared at her.
"I'll take that as a yes." She hoped to God that he didn't attack her in her sleep. She shook her head as she took one last look at the waiting room. She'd deal with it come morning. The office was closed the next day, so at least she had time to come up with an excuse. "Come on."
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