InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ 'life' and 'death' ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: I do not own anything regarding Inuyasha.

Previously:

"I've given Tai the keys to the Shalini Estate," Daichi said in reference to his mansion. "I hear the guy that lives there is a prick but some how I think that you'll manage." Daichi smirked, awaiting a reaction from Kagome.

"Hopefully," Kagome said softly, allowing the corners of her mouth to curl upwards slightly.

"I'll see you later then, Kagome. Tai, you take care of my niece."

"Yes Sir," Tai replied as he made his exit to the elevator, Kagome following him as he left.

Daichi stuck around, he needed to do some investigating of his own, checking for bugs and other types of surveillance that may or may not have been planted without her knowing. Ryo played dirty, everybody knew that.

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

Chapter Thirteen

Daichi was in the entryway checking out every single light fixture. He had literally ripped Kagome's apartment apart while checking for tracking devices or bugs and was now on the last room of the house. He knew where the best places were to hide such things: in the eye of a statue, the cover of a book, underneath the phone, basically any where was fair game with today's technology. Daichi, along with the rest of the Family, were often subjected to unwanted surveillance on many occasions. He tore through the furniture, checked every corner and crevasse, and left nothing unturned. Surprisingly enough, he found nothing.

`At least he hasn't gotten that close,' he thought while making his way to the sculpture. `Everything's clean.'

Daichi was taking one last look at the apartment he had recently demolished while the sound of the doorbell and a knock at the door distracted him. Grabbing the gun from its holster at his side hidden under his suit coat Daichi went to the door and looked out the peep hole. It was some youngster with light hair who had a shitty grin on his face. `Why does he have a towel crumpled across his arm?' `He's probably hiding a piece.'

Daichi turned the door knob and gave the door a little push with his hand before jumping back, aligning himself with the wall parallel to the door.

Inuyasha looked in the apartment from the hallway and noticed that everything was out of place or broken in some way. Who ever had opened the door wasn't showing them self and he didn't really think that it was Kagome. He looked at the door as if he was questioning it but decided to walk in anyway. No more than five or six steps in the door he felt something small and cold pressed up against the side of his neck.

"W-w-wwhat the fuck is going on and who the fuck are you?" was all that he could manage to say.

"I'm the one asking the questions and giving the orders here, kid. Drop the gun before I plant several bullets in your brain stem." Daichi's voice was sort of scary. When he spoke everything came out slower than a normal person would talk. His words seemed to blend together every now and then and he took unnatural pauses in-between words.

"I don't have a fucking gun, Jesus Christ old man; are you fucking crazy!!" Inuyasha was getting scared. Sure, he had been in lots of bar fights but they never included weapons other than one's fist or sometimes an occasional knife. He turned to get a better look at the man, the gun being pressed harder into his neck as he moved. He saw a man with short black hair who's short who stood a little shorter than him. The man was wearing a navy blue suit with a light blue dress shirt and silver tie.

"Don't piss on my back and tell me it's rain. I suggest you show some fucking proper respect and answer me truthfully when I ask you a question, boy. Who the fuck are you, and why are you visiting my niece this morning?"

Inuyasha's breath hitched up in his chest. `Niece?' `So does this mean that he is one of the highest ranking crime lords in the world?' "I'm a neighbor," he said for lack of a better word. "Friend," really didn't seem too fitting. Just returning her towel," he said while holding the towel up as it were truth to his confession.

Daichi narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha as if he was searching for truth to his words and snatched the towel away from. Like any protective "father" would do, he decided to interrogate this young man. Daichi dropped the gun from Inuyasha's neck and replaced it with his hand. "Move," he commanded, pushing him into the living room which was currently in a state of uproar.

Inuyasha complied and found his self being tossed onto one of Kagome's couches. He found himself unable to move. Sure, he was a tough guy, but in the presence of Daichi Hiragarshi his tough guy demeanor was reduced to that of a bundle of flowers. He was startled again when Daichi slide the coffee table across the room and put a reclining chair. When Daichi sat down he was practically knee to knee with Inuyasha, his gun resting snugly on his lap to remind Inuyasha of who was in charge.

"Enlighten me kid; why did you have Kagome's towel in the first place? Was the towel store closed or were you here showering with my little girl?" Daichi couldn't help but fill his question with sarcasm. He also couldn't help but feel over protective of his young niece. She was after all only twenty-one years of age. He was studying Inuyasha's face with much scrutiny; something about him seemed awfully familiar.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by none other than Sango who had been coming to tell Kagome something else but instead found Daichi confronting Inuyasha as if he were questioning him in some federal prison.

"Uncle Dai what in the name of God do you think you are doing to Inuyasha?!" She was completely focused on Inuyasha so the state of the room didn't even seem to phase her.

Daichi remained calm but turned to look over his shoulder to see his other niece. "Hey there kid, how you doing? You're looking good as always. Splitting image of your mother, you know that right?"

"YES I know that Daichi, you say that everytime and I'm fine. Don't try to change the subject with me. What are you doing to Inuyasha as in Inuyasha Taiyouki, Mr. Tashio Taiyouki's second son. The other son being Sesshoumaru, whom I just found out is working with Kagome and for you, thank you for the lack of information by the way."

"I thought he looked familiar, your father's a good man, kid," he said with a slight chuckle.

Inuyasha was less than amused.

"How'd you get in Sango?" He said changing the subject again. `She has the temper of her mother too.'

" I was walking Mir-my friend out to the lobby so I decided to come check on Kagome and the door wide open. Anyone could just waltz right in here you know! Now stop changing the subject!"

Inuyasha stood up, slowing gaining back his confidence now that Sango had shown up. "I'll be going home now that you two are having your little `family reunion'," he stated in a semi-rude tone of voice.

This didn't sit well with Daichi. He stood up as well and pushed Inuyasha back down by the shoulders, forcing him to sit, forgetting about Sango's slip up of words.. "You still didn't answer my question as to why you had Kagome's towel."

Sango rolled her eyes as she walked over to Inuyasha. `You are going to owe me big time, bud; if you talk to him you'll just say something wrong and we'll be here for five days.' "He got some blood on him so AFTER I cleaned Kagome up last night he took a shower here and took it back up to his place since his clothes were wrecked. Lighten up Uncle Dai."

"This kid helped last night?" He said while checking Inuyasha out as if trying to analyze his character.

Inuyasha was getting sick of being called "kid". "Yes, I did," he answered before Sango could answer for him; he was sick of being excluded from the conversation that was mainly about him.

"My apologies, any friend of Kagome and Sango's is a friend of mine," he said while standing up, going over to Sango's side.

`I think this guy is bi-polar or something, or is that a schizophrenic where you have more than one personalities?' Inuyasha stood up and followed suit and was also taking a spot next to Sango.

Daichi put his hand on Sango's back and gave her a gentle push to indicate her to start walking. "I have some matters so discuss with you Sango, let's be going now. And thanks again, Inuyasha was it?"

"Yes." Inuyasha's answer was short, he was glad to be getting out of that position.

As Sango pushed a button for the elevator Daichi turned around and looked at Inuyasha. "I've got my eye on you," he mouthed, while point to his eye and then at Inuyasha, behind Sango's back.

Inuyasha somewhat paled and decided to take the stairs all the way to his floor instead of being in a small confined box with Sango and Kagome's scary uncle. He said his goodbyes and swiftly made his way to the stair case. `If this one's bad I wonder how the others are.'

The elevator doors opened with a ding and the two stepped in. Sango gave her uncle a scrutinizing look.

"What?" he said while shrugging his shoulders and raising his hands for emphasis.

"You didn't have to scare him like that you know!"

Daichi smirked. "Just looking out for our little Kagome," he said with a chuckle.

"You do realize that she is only slightly younger than me, don't you? She is an adult woman and can be trusted to make choices on her own. She works for you for Christ sake! I don't see you babying her when she's out on a job."

"Of course I trust her Sango. She's a hard worker with a good head on her shoulders when it comes to business. It's those other guys that I don't trust," he answered truthfully.

Sango rolled her eyes again as the elevator doors opened to her floor.

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

Inuyasha huffed and puffed his way up the stairs, cursing with every step he took. "Fucking uncles. Fucking over protective uncles. Fucking threatening me. Feh!"

He stepped onto his floor, opened his own door, and slammed it shut as if that act would make him feel better.

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

The first hour of the drive to the Shalini Estate had been done in silence with the exception of the radio playing softly in the background. Tai and Kagome both had things on there mind that they wanted to say but no one had the courage to say it. Kagome tried to keep up her icy façade but felt it slip as she became more relaxed in the her seat of the vehicle.

With an exhausted sigh Tai pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes that he had picked up at a gas station before leaving Tokyo. He opened up the pack and offered one to Kagome. She couldn't help but smile slightly at his gesture. "Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem," he whispered back before lighting his smoke and passing the lighter to Kagome.

"So quite a night, huh?" he said, breaking the ice that had grown so thickly between them.

"You could say that," Kagome said, pushing the button that opened Tai's sunroof while checking him out from the corner of her eye. `I hurt him.'

After a few more minutes of silence Kagome's conscience, something she must have gotten from her mother, began eating away at her.

"Tai, I'm sorry. About last night that is. I never meant for any of tha-"

"Shhhhhhh," he said while holding a finger up to her lips. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I guess it's really not any of my business, although I kind of wanted it to be, but trust me-I know how Inuyasha is."

Kagome scrunched up her nose. `What does that mean?' She grabbed a hold of the finger that Tai had placed over her mouth and held it in her hand down at her side. "No, I need to do this. I don't know, it wasn't right is what I am trying to say I guess. It just sort of happened. I was there, so was he and trust me it was only a one time sort of thing and-"

"Kagome, seriously, I don't want to hear it, okay? I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at him." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze back

"Why?" she asked with the innocence of a child.

"Why what?"

"Why do you guys hate each other?"

"You want the short version?"

Kagome nodded her head as Tai took a long drag on his cigarette and threw it outside from the sunroof.

"When I was three years old my biological dad left my mom and I. A few years later she got married to Dameon Taiyouki. Inuyasha and I became instant friends. Up until eight grade or so and Inuyasha was in sixth grade and things were fine; then my mom and Inuyasha's dad, Tashio, decided to have a little affair of their own. Dameon found out and left the country. He disowned me, my mom, and his brother. The only time we ever heard from him was when he sent the divorce papers to my mom. Aunt Izzy found out too, but she stuck with Tashio even though there marriage is an unhappy one. Inuyasha got mad, took everything out on me, and we sort of became enemies. God, he was such a prick in school. Even though he is younger he made everyone hate me and believe all sorts of rumors. When Tashio found out he sent me to a different private school. I guess he was sort of guilty for driving my step dad away. Inuyasha would have nothing to do with me so naturally Sesshoumaru and I started hanging out at family gatherings. I guess that made Inuyasha even madder. Senior year in high school I meet this younger chick named Eri. We started dating and it got pretty serious. Found out later that she was also dating Inuyasha and that she went to Inuyasha's high school. That didn't help solve our problems, only made things worse I guess everything sort of became a competition after that."

"I'm sorry," was all Kagome could think of to say. `I guess other people have messed up lives too.'

Tai squeezed her hand again in reassurance. "It's okay; it needs to be told to get the whole story across. I wanted to go to college in the states but didn't really have any money since my mom went crazy that year. She got into heavy into heroin and met some loser guy who didn't like me so we went our separate ways. Tashio set me up with an account but I haven't touched it really, only to pay off some tuition here or there. Don't get me wrong I love my step-uncle since he's pretty much the closest thing I've had to a dad but I needed to do things on my own. He's just not the one-woman type of mad. Some people think that that's where Inuyasha got it from-the womanizing thing."

Kagome nodded her head in an understanding.

"I graduated in three years and got my degree in business management with a minor in political science. I moved out to Washington, DC and that's where I met up with Sesshoumaru again. He let me move in with him and he's been setting me up with odd jobs from people he knows ever since then."

Kagome couldn't believe that a person could be so open and so okay with their past to just spill it out in front of someone that you hadn't known for more than a few days.

"Sesshoumaru set you up with Nori and Daichi then?"

"Yea, I kind of made him though," Tai said with his characteristic grin.

Kagome grinned back. "You're crazy you know that? Most people try to avoid anyone with the last name `Hiragarshi'."

"Yea, but you know me; I'm not most people."

Kagome gave Tai a genuine smile. She exhaled her last drag on her smoke and threw it out of the sunroof.

Tai studied her for a second before speaking. "How about we start over?"

"I'd like that," Kagome softly said.

Tai took the hand that she had been holding and held it out to her. "Hi, I'm Tai and it's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman as you."

Kagome took her hand and they shook briefly, but he did not release her hand from his grip. "Same here, except for the woman part of course, and I'm Kagome," she said, blushing slightly.

Tai pulled their hands closer to him and he flipped them over so that Kagome's hand was facing him. He brushed his lips across her knuckles, sending shivers down Kagome's spine. "I'm glad to have met you again, Kagome," Tai said with a smile. "So how much longer till we get to this estate?" he said, noticing her blush.

"About forty-five minutes. This used to be my favorite place to go when I was little."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm!" Kagome answered enthusiastically, forgetting about the whole threat of Ryo.

"How about some music, Miss Kagome?"

"I would love some music, Mister Tai," Kagome replied with an American from the South type of accent.

Tai handed Kagome the remote to his XM stereo and she flipped through the stations until she came to a classical station.

"This isn't going to bore you to death, is it Tai?" She had asked him with a somewhat serious voice.

"Of course not, I like all kinds of music, even classical, although I might not look the part."

"You sure don't look the part," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Better watch out missy, someone might come along and pierce that tongue if you hold it out there too long, what do you think happened to me?" He stuck his tongue out to show her his tongue ring. "But seriously, I like a little classical every now and then; it relaxes me."

`Is that how he really got his tongue pierced?' `He's bullshitting me, I know it.' She smiled. "Me too, it reminds me of my mother." Kagome closed her eyes for a few seconds as she pictured her mother's face in her mind.

Tai didn't push her to reveal any more. This was good enough for him-to know that he and Kagome were starting things over again. Maybe things could actually work out between them. `I hope. I wish.'

They spent the rest of the drive in a comfortable silence listening to Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Whitacre before pulling up to the gates of the Shalini Estate.

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

A/N: Aaaaaaaaggh! How many of you want to kill me? Haha. I'd kill my self too if I wasn't me. That really didn't make sense. Oh well. I guess that I can blame this not updating thing on a summer long hiatus? I did lots of traveling, lots of summer classes, and lots of goofing off. Will you guys accept those excuses? Well, after taking about three months off I forgot a lot of what I wanted to do with this story but I'm sure that I can think of something that you guys will like. If anyone has any suggestions, or any ideas, and anything that they want to see happen or any certain direction that you want to see this story take, let me know-seriously! We'll see what we can work out, hehe. Last night, [Sept. 2nd], I remembered my story so I went to check it out and saw two reviews from Janeie50989and Shinobi-chan. You two inspired me to get back to work and finish what I started so thanks for the inspirations! Naturally, that is why I think that you guys deserved a dedication. Thanks! --Aitu