InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 'life' and 'death' ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Kagome woke up out of her most frequent occurring nightmare. Sweat rolled down her pale cheeks. She looked out the window. It was storming again. It seemed like it always stormed on those bad nights…

Chapter Two

`Take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out,' she mentally told herself. Kagome kicked the covers off as she pulled her legs cup close to her chest. A slight chill went across her body as cool draft came from her window.

/*Flashback*/

She ran, she ran as fast as her wounded, bruised, and beaten body could take her. She wanted to get away from everything and everyone. Exhaustion was being to take over her small petite body. Her muscles burned with ache but yet she kept on running. She wasn't exactly sure where she was running to, but at least as long as her feet kept moving, she was getting away from where she used to be.

Kagome ran for about seven miles until she just collapsed. She was downtown in the business district. She hadn't even realized her surroundings until she collapsed. She took her cell phone out and checked the time. `Holy shit… its 3:45 AM.'

After attempting to stand back up she was pulled back down but not just gravity, but also the immense pain that she seemed to be blocking out. She pulled her self, and her bag that she had been carrying over to the nearest building and propped her back up against the wall. She looked around.

Sometime during her run it had stopped raining. Everything seemed so peaceful and serene. Most of the city lights were turned off at this hour and stars could actually be seen. She gazed at them for what seemed to be like hours. Their brightness stood out against the pitch black sky. How could something so white, so pure, be surrounded by such darkness?

After snapping back to reality Kagome remembered the bag that her mother had told her about before her death. She wondered what could be in it and why her mother was so adamant about making sure she had possession of it. With her fingers she slowly unzipped it as if something would jump out and bite her at any minute. She couldn't really see anything at first; something was covering all of the contents. She pulled out the item that seemed to be blanketing the rest of the bag. It was a beautiful kimono, the kind that was worn in ancient Japan. It was a rich shade of cream. She unfolded it to examine it some more. She noticed the gold stitching and the gold lining. "Wow," she said out loud. It was one of the most beautiful garments that she had ever seen. After placing the kimono safely on her lap, she peered into the bag once again. Her jaw literally dropped when she saw what was inside: bundles and bundles of cash. She had no idea of the exact amount but she knew that it had to be a lot. After digging around in the bag to see if there was anything else, she came across a small black bag. She took it out and examined it's contents. It contained all of her mother's precious jewelry. Her pearl necklace, bracelet, and earring set, a couple beautiful sparkly platinum diamond rings and earrings, and another necklace with a stunning pink jewel. She wasn't sure what kind of a stone it was but it was just breath taking. She remembered her mother wearing it. Kagome had always admired it. It was mounted on a white gold slide, what would slip on an omega necklace. Kagome put the necklace down and decided that she needed to check out the other contents. Her fingers found a small leather-bound notebook. She was very curious as to what the notebook contained. She untied the leather straps and slowly opened it. Several photographs fell out. She picked them up with one hand and examined them. They were all of her family. There we pictures of her siblings, baby pictures of her, pictures of her mother ,pictures with her mother, and pictures with her siblings. Seeing the photographs was just too much to handle. For the first time that night, Kagome cried, she seriously cried…

After a good hour of sobbing, her cell phone ran. She picked it up, scared to see who might be calling. The caller ID displayed Sango's name.

"Hello?"

"Kaggie, it's me." "Where are you honey, I'm driving around right now trying to find you."

"I'm in the business district, on 5th avenue I think."

"Ok." "Kagome, are you hurt?"

"You mean physically, right?"

"Yes"

"Well in that case, I got shot in the arm, but it went in and right out. I have a lot of cuts but nothing too life shattering."

"I know you well enough to know that you're probably down playing everything Kaggie."

"I swear Sango, I'll be fine. I just want to go to sleep and have this night be over."

"Don't worry… Hey I think I see you, I'm pulling up right now."

"Ok," Kagome replied, while flipping her phone shut.

When she got in Sango's BMW 6 series, Sango nearly had a heart attack. Her friend looked like she had been dragged though hell and back. Her eyes got really big. "Liar," Sango said to Kagome. "You are too hurt, very badly from what I can see."

"It's nothi….," was all she got out before she felt the darkness take over her body. She was so dizzy, so tired.

Sango knew that she had to get Kagome help, but she also knew that she couldn't take her to a hospital because then the police would get involved. Hell, the FBI would be knocking on that hospital door in a matter of minutes because of Kagome's last name. She wasn't a minor, she was twenty-one years old. Somehow they would twist the situation around and throw Kagome into jail. Sango did the only thing that she knew she could go. She called Uncle Daichi.

***************

Uncle Daichi was the youngest of the three sons. Ryo, Kagome's father, was the oldest, while Nori was the middle child. All three sons shared a baby sister, Sora, better known to Sango as "mother".

Sora chose to marry outside of the crime "family." Her brothers thought that it was all for the best. They wanted the best possible life for there baby sister. Sora did not, however, exclude them from her life. She frequently hung around her siblings and brought her family over to there houses. Sango and Kagome because practically inseparable at a very young age. For Kagome, Sango was one of very few friends that she had ever known. She treasured their friendship.

Sango knew all about the "family," so to speak, but she wasn't judgmental about it. For her, it was just another profession. Her mother never once talked bad about her brothers or even wished that they would find "normal" jobs. It was who they were, and who they would always be. For that, she would always love them.

Sango had over heard her mother and uncles Nori and Daichi conversations over the past few months. They always talked about their fathers ailing condition and their brother's ambitions. It was only a matter of time before death took their father. They were extremely concerned as to what would happen when their father would name his predecessor, or Boss of the family.

To be the boss was to be the leader of Japan's most feared crime family. The three brothers were either Capos, or captains. That is, they all had and were in charge of their own crew, but reported back to the boss.

Ryo naturally thought that since he was the eldest of all sons, it was only natural for him to take over as boss. His father saw things differently. He knew that under Ryo's leadership, the family would most likely fall. His first born son was very irresponsible and very unpredictable. He knew that his son did things on the side that were generally shunned upon. He also knew that his son broke most of the family rules, especially number two: never get high on your own supply. Therefore, he kept secret of who would be taking over for as long as he could. The next Boss was to be Nori, his second born son.

Kagome's grandpa had been very ill for about seven years. After grandpa's illness is when things began to get very bad at home. Kagome was about fourteen at the time. He would come home angry almost every time, that is, if he even came home. It was around this time that he began to take on many mistresses. Kagome's mother knew this, yet she kept her mouth shut. She truly thought that things would change, and that they could be a loving family once again. Every time Kagome's mother would get pregnant, he would accuse her for hours on end. He was very persistent in the thought that she had been unfaithful to him. But he was wrong; she loved Ryo with all her heart, mind, body and soul.

Ryo used to spend as much time as possible with his daughter. He trained her in many disciplines up until she was fourteen, after that, he didn't really care anymore. He only saw Kagome as a weakness, a weakness that an enemy might try to take advantage of. Her uncles had always been a huge part of Kagome's life so they saw to it that she have the best life possible.

Kagome loved her training. They didn't want to take it away from her. Therefore, they each saw to it that she continues on and allowed her to train with them. Before they knew it, her skills matched theirs, possibly even better. She was an expert in all sorts of weaponry. But her favorites were twin daggers. They allowed her motions to be so free; she wasn't help back by a clunky weapon. She didn't much care for guns but her uncles had wanted her to know how to use one, just incase. They wanted her to be able to protect her self from her father if the time ever came, which they knew would come someday. He had been getting more unpredictable by the year; as father grew sicker, so did Ryo.

***************

"Uncle Daichi?"

"Yes?" A cool calm deep voice answered.

"It's Sango, Kagome's hurt, hurt bad."

"I know Sango… She was murdered earlier tonight. I'm sorry to tell you, I thought that your mother was going to tell you."

"NO uncle Saichi… She's not dead.. She'd with me right now, and she needs medical help, as soon as possible."

Silence filled the air. Daichi wanted to do nothing but scream for joy that his favorite niece was alive. He was so close with Kagome; he was the daughter that he never had. He had been there since birth. He saw her first step, and heard her say her first word.

"I'll meet you at your apartment Sango. Take care of our little Kagome"

Daichi drove like mad down the streets, not even stopping at red lights; he flew through all the intersections until he was near Sango's complex. Sango was about a year older than Kagome. She had been living on her own since she was nineteen. To say apartment was really an understatement. The building was twenty stories high. Each floor was one individual unit. Each unit had more space than most people's very large family homes.

He met Sango at her car and quickly carried Kagome up eight flights of stairs in order to avoid the man who stood at the elevator. Daichi wasted no time. He quickly went to work disinfecting and treating Kagome's multiple wounds. He inspected her bullet wound but found it to be non-threatening. It had not hit anything major. The only major problem it presented was the loss of blood. There was no doubt that the loss had been great but Daichi knew that his niece was tough; she as a fighter.

Daichi and Sango stayed at Kagome's side until she woke up around 3:00 pm the next day. She was in pain but would not let it show. At first she thought that the night's previous events had been a nightmare. When the pain hit her, she knew that there was no denying it.

"Uncle Daichi!," Kagome cried as she saw her uncle and his loving eyes looking at her with worry. She sat up quickly and embraced him. His arms wrapped around her little body.

"It's okay Kagome, everything is going to be okay. He's not going to hurt you anymore. He has already been taken care of. "I'm so sorry Kaggie, I failed you." "It's my fault for not acting fast enough and getting you guys out of there."

"No uncle.. It's my fault. I failed to protect them."

"Shhhhh Kagome. It's not you're fault. I want to hear you say that."

"I can't say that right now."

"It's okay." He hugged the girl just a little more." Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to see to it personally that you are taken care of my little angel. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I'm just so thankful that you are alive." Tears ran down his face.

Both Sango and Kagome were shocked, to say the least, at their uncle's outburst. Never had they him so full of emotion. He usually kept his emotions in check; it was required in his line of work. Of course he told them that he loved them and always looked at them with caring eyes, but he had never shown it like that.

Sango had Kagome stay at her place for three weeks until she allowed her to get her own place. It was sort of ironic since Kagome purchased an apartment on the fifteenth floor of Sango's complex. Kagome knew that her uncle had pulled a few strings to make it possible for his young niece to get into that building. He had wanted her to be near family. It was not possible for him or his other brother, Nori, to be there for her that often, he knew that Sango would keep a watchful eye over Kagome.

/*End Flashback*/

The lightning and thunder crashed once again. Kagome looked over her shoulder onto a small nightstand. Red numbers stared back at her. 2:39 am, they read.

"Get a grip girl; nothings going to happen, it's been two years." Hearing her own voice seemed to reassure her self. She flipped on her bedroom light with a remote that was on her night stand. "Much better."

Kagome looked around her room. Her eyes wandered past the dark wood trim, past the deep rustic red paint that covered the walls, past all of her chrome and glass furniture that filled her bedroom, and passed the black glass blown sculpture that had been given to her by her uncles on her birthday. Her eye landed on several framed photographs. The black glass frames held black and white photographs. There were three pictures hanging side by side, evenly spaced from one another. Kagome took her time as she looked at all three pictures.

The first picture showed a small child, about two years old. She was wearing a soft, flowing sundress. It looked like she was at the beach. The child's dark hair fell around her body as she looked up at the person taking the picture. She held her hands up towards the picture taker as if she were showing off the starfish that she had found. The girls smile could warm a whole room. Her eyes twinkled with innocence. It was her baby sister Rin, or as she liked to call, Rinny. `She looked so much like me when I was a baby,' Kagome thought to herself. She smiled inwardly at the thought.

The picture in the middle of the other was a group shot. The background was a simple: dark gray. Three figures were dressed in all black and arranged in a aesthetically pleasing manor. Kagome traced her eyes around her mothers face, as if trying to remember ever line and crevasse. Her mothers arms were wrapped around a baby Rin who had just been born recently. Standing in front were Kagome and her younger brother Souta. They all had small grins on their faces. Kagome remembered the day they had the picture taken. It brought a smile to her face. She cherished this picture as if did not have that bastard, other wise known as her biological father, in it.

The third picture was of her brother Souta. He was wearing a cute white and navy pinstriped baseball uniform. He held a baseball bat while sort of giving a growl to the picture taker. Souta had loved to play baseball. It brought a grin to Kagome's face when she remembered how he MADE her call it baseball instead of t-ball. He thought that t-ball was too babyish.

Kagome looked around her room some more. After deciding that she was not going to be able to go back to sleep, Kagome jumped out of bed and walked into her giant walk in closet. She ran her fingers across many different articles. After carefully selecting a hot pink sports bra, dark neon green terry cloth shorts, and matching green zip up jacket, she decided to change.

Kagome went into the bathroom and examined her self. She could really care less what she looked like. She quickly pulled her hair up into a high pony tail. While on her way out of her bedroom she remembered that she was going to need some shoes. She ran back into her closet and pulled out a hot pink/ green pair of tennis shoes. God, she loved shoes. And that was just an understatement.

She put on her shoes and ran out the door, but not before grabbing her mp3 player. She needed to go for a run. She had taken up running ever since the murders. Running cleared her mind, it made her focus. She really didn't run for the exercise, she ran because it made her feel good. She liked to sweat. She wasn't the all girly girl type who likes to be pretty 24/7.

She turned on her mp3 player. The first song was "the red" by Chevelle. Sango must have been making new play lists on her mp3 player. She didn't remember theses songs from before. She was always doing little things like that for Kagome.`Oh well'. She didn't seem to mind. Kagome ran down the side walk for a few miles. It had stopped pouring down rain. There was only a slight mist, it cooled her body down and felt very refreshing against her skin.

Dozens of songs had played by the time she returned to her familiar neighborhood. She took off in a sprint as she saw her building coming closer, she wanted to push her self even further. And that she did.

It was nearly 4:45 am by the time she reached her building. She decided to stay out just a little longer and stretch out her strained muscles. She pulled an arm over her head and pulled on it slight with her opposite arm.

She began to sing outloud along with her music unaware of what she was doing, or who was watching.

"I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction, 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try…I can't get no, I can't get no."

"When I'm drivin' in my car and that man comes on the radio…He's tellin' me more and more about some useless information." She sang with passion and conviction and completely forgot about the reason for being outside: her stretches.

"Supposed to fire my imagination I can't get no, oh no no no….Hey hey hey, that's what I say I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no, I can't get….. " She paused and stopped singing immediately as soon as she realized that she had an audience.

"Aww, don't stop, I was really starting to enjoy my self." She turned to the voice and saw a silver haired, golden eyed, tall, god of a man staring at her. She stared right back and took the sight of him in. He was dressed in black cargo pants, and a dark gray fitted t-shirt. His eyes seemed to pierce hers and would not leave her.

She didn't know what to say back to him, she was infuriated that someone would talk to her like that. Yet, she was intrigued by this mystery man.

"I think I'll be going now," she said as she turned around and started to walk into the lobby of her building.

"Fine, suit yourself," he said as he turned to follow her.

She didn't realize that he was following her until she stepped on the elevator and pushed the button for her floor. She sort of gasped as she saw him step in the same elevator.

"So were you so intrigued with my singing that you are now stalking me Mr.?"

"Feh….Inuyasha Taiyouki…. Please don't call me Mr. I hate it... And no, I'm just going to bed," he replied with a smirk on his face.

She didn't like the cockiness in his voice, but for some reason, she was instantly attracted to him. She smiled back at him with amusement.

"I'm Kagome Hiragarshi." She leaned back on the elevator wall and grinned. She knew that her name was well known all over Japan; she was just waiting for a reaction. She knew that he would know her name, but she hadn't the slightest idea of who exactly he was: a famous playboy, and future heir to billions due to his fathers company.

"Miss Hiragarshi, do you always go out dressed like that at five in the morning?" He raised a questioning eyebrow to her.

Kagome was shocked, to say the least. She was expecting something more along the lines of having to do with the mafia.

"I don't really think that it's any of your concern what I do, or do not do." She was being irritated with this man, no, boy.

He enjoyed the fact that he could rile her up so easily.

The elevator beeped signaling that it was Kagome's floor. She said nothing to him as she walked out the door but he grabbed her arm lightly.

"Kagome, I'll pick you up tomorrow; say 7:30pm, for dinner." Inuyasha smiled.

Before she could get a word in he had pushed the door close button and went on up to his floor. Had this man that she had just met asked her out on a date? `No it was more of a statement… you will go to dinner with me' she mocked him in her mind. She was so frustrated and infatuated with him at the same time. She stood at the entrance of her door and entered her security code. It was time for bed.

"