InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Lives ❯ The Trial ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

He glanced back at her then, but she was already walking away. Half of him yelled at him to stop her, but the other half didn't listen. Kikyo said what she had to say to him; that was that. Right? In essence, she just told him that she was ready for her death and he was now free to be with Kagome. And he just stood there, dumbfounded, and let her.

The only problem left now was whether or not he thought this development was a good thing. In all honestly, he couldn't decide.

~*~ Next Morning ~*~

"Right." He looked down the hall towards the stairs. For a moment, it seemed he could see farther, forward in time. He knew the faces of those men, knew their scents. He knew what the courtroom looked like, where the judge and jury sat, where the prosecution and defense were seated. He knew where he'd be, where Kagome would be, where they would be. . .

And unless the jury-people were incredibly stupid and blind, he knew how they'd "find" the "defenders". . . They'd damn well better be found guilty. While their deaths had not yet ceased to appeal to him, their deaths without being known as a punishment for what they did simply would not be accepted. Inuyasha was striving for a greater good here, and by the gods, he'd make sure it got done.

~*~ Courtroom, three hours later ~*~

"I call to the stand, Higurashi Kagome," Akira said, standing.

Kagome stood up.

AE Forty One

Akira didn't say anything for a moment once Kagome sat down in the witness stand. And then, very simply, she asked, "Do you recognize the defendants?"

Kagome locked eyes with Inuyasha. "Yes."

The way she looked at him made him want to get up and take up his Power Pose. He was her strength in this trial, and he knew it, so he kept eye contact with her, letting her draw on his strength.

"Can you tell the jury how you met them?"

She shivered. "Yes. . ."

"Please do."

To Inuyasha's dismay, she looked down. "It was just after school," she began, like she'd practiced this. "I was walking home from school. I was on Hikage street, just passed Chuo. . .Something hit me," she went on, raising a hand to the back of her head. "I never knew what it was, but when I opened my eyes again, I think I was in an apartment. And the. . .the defendants were there. They looked so cruel. . ."

Look at me, Inuyasha willed her. Look at me, lift your head, come on! Kagome, look at me! He clenched his hands under the table.

She shuddered in her seat, and then looked up, meeting eyes with him. She bit her lip.

"Higuashi-san, can you go on?"

Slowly, Kagome shook her head.

"Could you tell us, which one approached your first?"

"Hi. . .Hisochane," she whispered.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide as he watched her. She was shaking, she lowered her head, and faintly, he saw the glimmer of tears.

That was it. He wasn't about to stay seated while she cried. He took one step up, onto the table, and made a dash straight for her. He heard the onlookers all gasp and murmur, but really, he didn't give a damn. Although he did hang on to the lip of the cap he wore to make sure it stayed on. Just as he reached her, he heard the judge gasp, too.

"He has a katana!"

About time they noticed. He only wore a belt for the sole purpose of having a way to keep Tetsusaiga with him.

He crouched down beside Kagome and didn't waste a second pulling her into his arms, out of the chair. She hid her face in his chest and grabbed his shirt tightly, and he dropped his chin. Thanks to the height of the stand, no one but the jury, the judge and a few guards could see her now, while he was fairly certain half of him was visible by the entire prosecution's crowd.

He immediately began whispering to her, telling her it was alright, he was there, she was safe, and so on. But in the back of his mind, he was remembering the painful things he'd thought up to torture those men with, and it was a very satisfying thought. In a way, it calmed him, gave him control. And he heard a new sound, the sound of clicks.

He glanced around and saw that the guards had each pulled out a 'gun' as Kagome called them. They looked harmless to him, but Kagome shivered and pressed herself closer.

Such a simple motion and suddenly she was the only thing he could concentrate on. People were talking back and forth, some panicked, some wondering, but it became a blur to him. The sounds were dulled and melded together. His senses focused entirely on Kagome, on feeling how badly she shook, hearing her sobs, smelling her tears.

This would not do.

"Kagome, please, you know how I hate this," he whispered. "Please, calm down. You know I won't let anything happen to you. You know it. Say you know it, Kagome, please."

"I. . ." she tried.

"You know it," he pressed.

"I know it," she whimpered.

"Say it again, Kagome."

"I know it," she repeated. She gave one strong shudder, and then seemed to calm down. "I know it. I know it, Inuyasha, I do." She looked up. "You're my protector, I know."

"Believe it," he said, stroking her cheek. "I've never let anything happen to you."

She smiled. "I know."

"Are you composed?" the judge broke in.

Suddenly, Kagome looked shocked, and blushed furiously. She stood and Inuyasha followed. Facing the judge, she said, "Yes, yes, I'm sorry, your honor. I just. . ." She trailed off and looked at Inuyasha again.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to give us a very good reason why your companion is wearing a sword, Higurashi-san."

She nodded. "It's his heirloom, and he never goes anywhere without it, your honor."

"He cannot have weapons in my courtroom."

"Oh, it's not a weapon," she lied flawlessly. "It's very old, your honor."

The judge tapped his fingers on his desk. "Let me see it."

Inuyasha had already drawn it in the time it took Kagome to turn around. He handed it to her and she lifted it to the judge's stand. He took it, looked it over, raised a brow at its poor condition, and handed it back. Inuyasha sheathed it the moment he got it back.

"I'll allow it," the judge said. "Resume your seats, both of you."

Kagome sat back down at the stand and Inuyasha took his seat again at the table. Which, he noticed with a smirk, wasn't aligned with the gate anymore.

"Prosecution continue," the judge said.

Akira cleared her throat. "Could the record repeat my last question?"

The woman with the typewriter stopped and said, "Could you tell us, which one approached you first."

"Thank you." She stepped up to the witness stand. "If you needed to ask yourself why they picked you, what reason would you give?" she asked Kagome.

Kagome glanced at the jury, then at her lap. "I only have one guess," she said. "I'm young. I don't know how they think, but I guess. . .I guess that's reason enough."

"Do you know anyone who would want to have you raped?"

Kagome shook her head. "No."

Not in this time, anyway, Inuyasha thought. Back at mine, who knows.

"When they released you, tell us how you felt."

Kagome shuddered. "Horrible. It hurt, and I. . .I felt so dirty. . ."

Inuyasha's hands clenched again. You're not dirty, he thought. You're clean and pure and nothing those men can do to you will ever change it. You're my perfect Kagome.

"It's okay," Akira whispered to her. "There's nothing to fear here. Remember, the past can't hurt you."

Kagome nodded, but Inuyasha had the sneaking suspicion that she would only believe it if Inuyasha said it. So he stood up.

"Past can't hurt you, Kagome," he said.

She looked up. People were murmuring left and right and the judge glared at him, but he didn't much care.

"You taught me that. You taught me to let it go."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

He smiled back and sat down. Akira looked a little out of place.

"Thank you," she said, although it sounded much like an automatic response. She turned back to Kagome. "What would you say to the other girls who've been through this?"

"Tell somebody," Kagome replied without hesitation. "That's always the best thing to do. Otherwise you just. . .don't get anywhere."

The criminals muttered to each other at that and guffawed. Inuyasha heard it louder than any other sound, despite how quiet they were being. He looked at them out of the corner of his eye and had to hold his breath to keep from snarling. Those fucking bastards. . .You will die by my claws, all of you. Soon.

"Prosecution offers Exhibit A," Akira said, "videotape of the aftermath of what happened to her." She went to the table, picked up a small rectangular box, and showed it to the jury. "In this it shows footage of this man -" she gestured Inuyasha, "- finding Higurashi-san and taking her back home. All of the doctors who witnessed this footage conclude that every bit of evidence within points towards a rape and assault."

"Objection, hearsay," one of the defense lawyers said.

"Exhibit B," Akira countered, "signed notes from a dozen doctors stating what they concluded."

"Overruled," the judge said.

The defense lawyer sat back down, frowning.

"That's nothing," one of the other lawyers whispered to his buddy. "They still can't prove a thing without DNA."

Inuyasha growled at that. How could they say nothing happened when Kagome broke down just a second ago! Okay, now both of those lawyers were on his DeathList.

"Higurashi-san," Akira was saying, "how long did it take for you to fully heal?"

"Well, it's been two weeks and I'm still sore," Kagome replied.

"So you're not healed yet?"

"No."

"If asked, would you agree to having a doctor take a look at you?"

Kagome looked away. "I. . .I don't know."

Akira tapped her fingers together. "If your friend was allowed to come. . ?"

Kagome glanced up, sharply. Her eyes went from Akira to Inuyasha and back. "That would be alright?"

"Of course. It's every doctor's intention to make sure you feel safe."

"Um. . .Yes," she said, meeting eyes with him again. "I could if he was there."

"No more questions," Akira said and went back to the table.

"Defense," the judge said.

One of the lawyers from the other table got up - Ichine - and paced in front of Kagome, rubbing his chin idly. At length he said, "Higurashi-san, why is it that you didn't go straight to the police?"

"I didn't have to," Kagome countered. "My mother called them when I got home."

"Plus several hours, it seems. They didn't get the call until very late."

"Objection, relevance," Setsuna said, standing.

"I have a point, your honor," Ichine told the judge.

"Get to it, then," the judge snapped.

"Yes, your honor."

"Be seated, Kagurane-san."

Setsuna sat down, looking pissed.

Inuyasha met eyes with Kagome again, feeling something bad was about to happen. That lawyer didn't feel right to begin with, but now Inuyasha was sure he was about to pull something.

"We know nothing," Ichine was saying, "about what happened between you and my clients. We know nothing about what happened after that tape ended. We don't know how they found you, how you ended up where you were found, or how this man -" he gestured Inuyasha, "- found you afterwards. We don't know why you hesitated in making the call!"

"Objection, badgering the witness," Akira snapped.

"Syrano-san, ask a question," the judge said sternly.

"Why don't you tell us what happened in between these blanks?" Ichine asked, his voice low and dark.

Kagome was shaking again. But she had anger in her eyes when she met eyes with the lawyer. "Because it's irrelevant," she bit out. "It has nothing to do with the crime, why we're here now, why I'm sitting here!"

People in the jury started murmuring, and a few nodded in agreement to another's statement. Inuyasha sat up straighter and smirked, impressed with the strength Kagome spoke with now. "Keep going," he whispered, willing her to talk that lawyer into a corner.

"You're avoiding the answer," Ichine accused. "What's to stop us from believing that this 'friend' of yours wasn't the person who raped you, and not my clients!"

Everything went completely blank for a moment, so strong was the rage Inuyasha felt. He heard gasps and thumps like someone running, but couldn't see anything at first. A second later he found himself holding Ichine by his throat, the man forced to his knees.

Everyone went wild.

People on the benches behind stood up and started talking quickly, the judge began banging his miniature hammer, the police all aimed at Inuyasha with their guns. Kagome got up and threw herself at him, grabbing him around the chest and pressing her face into his shoulder. Vaguely, he heard the judge ordering Kagome to go back into the stand, for the people to remain seated, for 'order in his courtroom'.

His free arm went around Kagome as he snarled at the lawyer, "How dare you accuse me of rape! You filthy piece of shit, are you blind?! I'd sooner kill off this planet than harm Kagome!"

"Stop, Inuyasha, please," Kagome said. "If you don't, they'll make you leave. Inuyasha!"

Forcefully, he took his eyes off the frightened face of the lawyer to look down at Kagome. "He accused me - he - he thinks I raped you!" he stuttered.

"It was a question, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "Please, let him go. You know I can't do this without you." Slowly, she reached out a hand and placed it over his, over the hand he had clenched around Ichine's neck.

He dropped his head, holding her tighter. His hand convulsed around Ichine's neck, wanting so badly to crush his windpipe or rip it out. What Kagome said made sense, but at the moment a primal urge had taken over, to protect his woman no matter the cost, even if it was protecting her from words.

But then, he'd protect her better by being here for the rest of the trial. So he concentrated on letting go and dropped the lawyer, immediately using that arm to hold Kagome closer. He was shaking in his rage, tensed, growling with each exhale. The judge was still banging his hammer and Inuyasha glared at the lawyer as he coughed, backed up and was helped up by his colleague.

"Order! Order!" the judge was still shouting. "Guards, lower your weapons! Higurashi, take your seat! And you," he added towards Inuyasha, "leave my courtroom! Now!"

Kagome went into full panic. "No!" she said, turning to face the judge. Inuyasha kept his arms around her, kept her close. "Please, don't make him leave!"

"I will unless you make a very good excuse for this outburst of his," the judge snarled.

"If he goes, I go," she replied, stubbornly.

"And so does the trial. Make it good."

She glanced down as she thought. "He's. . .he was. . ." She glanced at Inuyasha and then met the judge's eyes. "He's lived his life outside the city, in the forest," she tried. "I've been teaching him how we're supposed to act in the city, but I haven't had much time to yet. He doesn't know all of our. . .ways."

"Well, he's certainly uncivilized," the judge said, sourly.

Inuyasha clenched his jaw and growled again. Kagome heard it and nudged him.

The judge looked like he was thinking. "Fine, he may stay. But one more outburst like this and he's out. Understand that?"

She nodded and nudged Inuyasha again. Obediently, he nodded too.

"Now resume your seats, both of you."

Kagome went back to the stand again and Inuyasha grudgingly sat back down. He followed Ichine's movements with his eyes, making sure that lawyer stayed in check.

Ichine was shaken; that was obvious. His hands were shaking when he went to straighten his tie, and he had to forcefully clear his throat. Inuyasha smirked at Ichine's sad display to compose himself with a satisfied air. It felt good to prove to ignorant people just who was in power.

At length Ichine finished with his cuffs and tried to stand tall. "Higurashi-san, would you answer my question now?"

"I thought that display answered it," Kagome replied.

Ichine threw a startled glance over his shoulder at Inuyasha and gulped. Inuyasha grinned at him.

"Answer it with words," Ichine clarified, and Inuyasha took satisfaction in hearing the way Ichine's voice had started to shake again.

Too late to bother not saying his name anymore. "Inuyasha has always protected me. What he said earlier was probably the truth as strong as it can come."

"Which part?"

All of them you filthy piece of shit, Inuyasha thought. Judging by the look in Kagome's eyes, she thought the same thing.

"Pretty much all of it," she said harshly, "but more specifically the part about killing off the planet before hurting me."

Ichine swallowed again. "Yes, well, it sounds to me like it's a threat."

"I thought your 'clients' were on trial here, not Inuyasha," Kagome retorted.

Inuyasha laughed once. Kagome gave him an approving glance and looked back at Ichine. Inuyasha hadn't been the only one to laugh; quite a few others from the benches behind him laughed, too.

"The point, Syrano-san?" the judge interrupted.

"My point," Ichine said, "is that because of these unexplained gaps in your story, Higurashi-san, you can't really prove that my clients did it."

Fuck no, Inuyasha thought. Kagome seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she bit her lip and looked away. The worst part was, what Ichine said was true. Even their lawyers knew it, because Akira swore and Setsuna clenched his fists.

"No more questions," Ichine said smugly and sat back down.

"Resume your seat, Higurashi-san," the judge said.

Kagome did so, getting up and going back to the table. However, halfway through this short journey, one of the criminals whistled at Kagome and another one blew a kiss. Kagome's step faltered and Inuyasha got up and was at her side within a second. He coldly glared at those men and more or less escorted Kagome to her seat, trying to stay between her and those gazes.

"Prosecution calls Hitogasha Kanaye," Akira said, standing.

Kanaye went to the stand and sat.

"Hitogasha-san, what was your part in this?"

"I filmed Higurashi-san and her friend the day of the rape."

"What did you think when you noticed that Higurashi-san was hurt?"

"Whoever did it was going to pay."

"How?"

"Well, I saw the way he -" she gestured Inuyasha, "- took care of her. If everything Higurashi-san says is true, then he's more than capable of killing the, ah. . .defense."

"Let the record show she gestured at Inuyasha-san. Your original thoughts, Hitogasha-san."

"Oh, well. . .No man should be allowed to get away with it, let alone six of them."

"Were you certain from the beginning that she was raped?"

"Completely."

"Why do you think this?"

"Because of how fiercely, um. . .Inuyasha?"

"Yes."

"Because of how fiercely Inuyasha guarded her."

"You went to see her, correct?"

"Yes."

"What did you observe while you were there?"

"He never left her side. At first he wouldn't let us up the stairs, and didn't let us see her until she said so."

"What is your conclusion of Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship?"

"Exactly what was said earlier. He'd kill the planet before he hurt her."

"What did you talk about when you saw her?"

"We asked her if she was alright."

"How did she look?"

"A little jumpy, but overall okay. Until. . ."

"Until?"

"Until we saw the news."

"What was on the news?"

"Them," Kanaye said with a gesture towards the defense's side.

"Let the record show she identified the defense. And how did she react?"

"She. . .she started crying."

"In your opinion, would a woman cry upon seeing men when they've done nothing to her?"

"Of course not. Why would a girl cry over nothing? I certainly wouldn't."

"Your brother was with you when you took the film, correct?"

"Yes."

"What is his opinion of this?"

"Objection, hearsay," Ichine said, standing.

"Granted," the judge said. "Shinomuto-san, ask a different question."

Akira nodded. She paused for a moment, thinking before she shook her head. "No more questions, your honor." She sat down.

"Defense?" the judge said.

Ichine stood. "No questions."

"Back to your seat, Hitogasha-san."

Kanaye left the stand, smiling at Kagome along the way. Kagome smiled back and mouthed, 'Thank you'.

And so it continued. Akira brought up a lot of people, starting with the Hitogasha family, then Kagome's, and her friends from school, Hojo included. They all said basically the same thing, implying the same thing, damning the same six men. What they said amounted to being Kagome's own set of apostles, each one declaring how good she was, how she never lied, how this was the worst thing that anyone could do to her.

Every time the defense said "No questions", Inuyasha's smile got a bit bigger. What was laid before the jury now was the word of fourteen people, Kagome included. And then Akira stood up one more time and said, "Prosecution calls Inuyasha-san to the stand."

He looked at Kagome in question. If she wanted him to stay put, then there was no way he was going up to that stand. But she nodded and said, "They called you, go ahead."

So he stood up and took the stand. Akira didn't ask him very many questions compared to the rest of the witnesses.

"Tell us what you feel for Higurashi-san."

"I love her," he replied easily, and Kagome gasped softly and then smiled. The rest of the courtroom murmured softly to itself.

"You do know that once on the stand, you must tell the truth?"

"I do now."

"And you love her?"

"I just said I did. Are you listening?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome hissed.

He cringed. "Yeah, yeah I love her."

Akira tossed a confused glance at Kagome before shrugging it off. "How did you find her?"

"The same way I find everything," he said smoothly.

The concession laughed.

"What skills did you use?"

"Mostly scent."

. . .And the concession grew quiet again.

"Scent?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"But. . .you smelled her?"

"Well, yeah. It isn't too hard to follow."

Kagome slapped her forehead. Under her breath, he heard her murmur, "What I wouldn't give for those beads right now. . ."

"How do you know what she smells like?" Akira asked, dumbfounded.

"Simple. I sniffed her."

"But I -"

"Point, Shinomuto-san," the judge interrupted.

"Yes, your honor," Akira replied and shook her head. "Inuyasha-san."

"Right in front of you."

Someone giggled in the concession, followed immediately by several more. You'd think this wasn't a rape trial by the way some of the people were acting.

"Ah, yes," Akira said. "I see that."

"Then why'd you say my name?"

"Please stop asking questions."

"Why not? You've been asking them for the past half an hour."

Laughter this time.

"Because it's my job to ask questions," Akira snapped, looking annoyed. "Your job is to answer truthfully."

"I've been."

"Good. Now what did you think when you found Higurashi-san?"

He paused. "Whoever the fuck did this to you won't live past the end of the week, I swear it, Kagome!" didn't seem like a very good answer. But in retrospect, that was the second thing he thought. The first was, "Kagome! How did you get out here?! Where's your clothes?! You're hurt!" plus about five other things.

"I wondered how she got there, what happened to her clothes, why she had bruises, and who did it," he summarized.

"And when she told you she was raped -"

"She didn't have to tell me," he interrupted. "I knew by the look in her eyes." He glanced at Kagome, who faintly smiled at him.

"Ah. . .Well, when you found out, how did you feel then?"

Murderous, enraged, insane, he thought. The usual. "Pissed, to say the least."

"Why?"

"Why?! Are you fucking kidding me?! The woman I love was raped by six human brutes! If that's not a reason to get pissed I don't see what else is!"

"Thank you, no more questions."

"Cross-examine?" the judge said.

Ichine stayed put. His friend Juro got up instead and stopped right in front of Inuyasha.

"Tell us where you live."

"The forest."

"How do you survive out there?"

"Until I found Kagome I lived off the land."

"Wasn't it difficult?"

"Hell, no. Piece of cake when you know what you're doing."

The concession laughed again.

"Yes. It seems so. How did you meet Kagome?"

They hadn't talked about this. Kagome said she found him, which was true, so he decided to use a half-truth. "She got lost in the forest. I found her."

"What was your impression of her?"

This was too easy. "Well, she wasn't very familiar with the forest, but she seemed really good-hearted."

"What did she say to you?"

This guy was an idiot. He shrugged. "She said she was lost. I helped her find the way back to her house."

"Have you always known how to speak?"

Now that was stupid. "Obviously."

That girl in the concession giggled again. Who was that?

"So you're not a complete barbarian."

He narrowed his eyes. "I can be if pushed. You're pushing."

Juro stood up a bit straighter and cleared his throat. "If you make one move you're kicked out."

"Maybe, but not before I take you down," Inuyasha growled.

"And your girlfriend loses this trial!"

He snorted. "So? Those guys are gonna die anyway. What good is a trial when they've already dug their own graves?"

"So you're planning their deaths, are you?!"

"So what if I am?! Wouldn't you?!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped.

"Objection," Akira shouted, standing.

"Contain yourselves!" the judge intervened. "Itskonomu-san, get back on track!"

Juro backed up straightened his coat with an angry gesture. "If you wanted them dead so bad why didn't you kill them yet?" he snarled.

"I have my reasons and that's all you need to know," Inuyasha snarled back.

"So it seems. You seem to have a bit of an anger problem."

"It's no problem," Inuyasha said, smirking devilishly. "People make me angry. They die. No problem."

The concession went deadly silent.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered. He glanced at her and very slowly, she shook her head.

He shut his mouth.

"Inuyasha-san," Juro said, stepping closer, "do you really plan to kill my clients?"

He couldn't answer that. Naturally he wanted to kill them, but he knew Kagome too well. She'd feel bad if their deaths, though just, would be caused by her. He looked away.

"Answer the question," Juro pressed. "Do you plan on killing them?"

He sighed. "No."

He heard Kagome sigh and looked over at her, and he smiled to see her smiling at him. She whispered, "Thank you," so quietly that only he heard her.

"No more questions," Juro said and took his seat.

Inuyasha went back to his seat beside Kagome. The moment he sat down Kagome grabbed him around the middle and snuggled into his chest, making his heart jump and start beating faster. He still didn't fully understand why he felt this way whenever she touched him or acted thusly, but he didn't much care about the why in any case. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, just about ready to pull her into his lap.

"Prosecution?" the judge prompted.

"No more witnesses, your honor," Setsuna said.

"Defense?"

"No witnesses," Juro replied. (DL: I chose no witnesses cause it'd make the chapter way too long and I'm getting bored with the questioning. Plus, I don't think you'd like to know what the 'defense' would have to say. . .)

"Jury to make a decision," the judge said towards the jury's stand. "Kidnapping in the second degree, assault in the first degree, rape in the first degree."

The jury got up and left, leaving Inuyasha confused. "What're they doing?" he muttered to himself.

"They're going into a room to make a decision," Kagome replied just as quietly. "They won't come out until they have, or figure they've reached an impasse."

"And that all means. . ?"

"They're going to study what we've said and done," Akira told him. "When they've made a decision they'll come back out, even if that decision is that they can't decide on guilty or not."

"This is how you people judge who's guilty?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "Don't Kagome's eyes say it all?"

"It's not that simple anymore," Kagome replied, sitting up out of his arms. "People lie these days. Most lawyers tend to twist the truth. Those twelve people in the jury are chosen at random so that at least from their point of view, it's legit."

"I thought you were supposed to tell the truth when you got on that stand."

"Not everyone obeys that rule."

Inuyasha glanced at the other side of the room and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I can see people who would do that," he growled.

"You told me not to look at them," Kagome replied quietly, tugging on his sleeve. "You shouldn't look, either."

"I know," he sighed, looking back at her. "But what do you expect me to do, forgive them?"

"Be patient. I know it's hard for you," she added with a smirk, "but you have to trust in our justice system. More guilty criminals go to jail than get acquitted."

"Acquitted?" he echoed.

"Ah, get the decision of not guilty," she clarified. "Get off the hook."

"So this justice system works?"

"More often than not."

"That's a vague answer," he accused.

"Vague question," she returned smoothly.

He smirked. "You're as smart as you are beautiful, Kagome," he whispered to her. "And pure enough to change the world for the better."

She blushed and looked down, at her lap. "Yeah, well you make me blush."

"I knew it!" he snapped, raising a fist in triumph.

She smiled at him and again snuggled into his chest. "I knew it before you did."

He laughed. "Yeah."

A long moment spread out between them, in which silence reigned. He didn't notice the passing of time, simply holding onto her, but he did notice when the concession began filing out. He was confused at first, but after a few moments he no longer cared why they were going. However, he was getting annoyed at how long it was taking those twelve strangers to determine "guilty" as their conclusion.

He shifted in his chair, crossing his ankles on the table, and tilted back his chair. As minutes continued to pass he only got more impatient, more agitated. Kagome had laid her head down on the table, on her folded arms, long ago. He started shaking his leg and thrumming his fingers on his arm.

"Cut it out," Kagome muttered.

"There isn't anything to do!" he snapped, sitting up straight again.

"And you'd die if you stopped moving, I know," she replied sarcastically.

He huffed and folded his arms. "No, I just get pissed."

"Then do something."

"What is there to do?!"

"For one thing," the judge snapped, "there's the Quiet Game! Why don't you play it?"

Inuyasha didn't know exactly what that meant, but he was fairly certain it wasn't meant as an actual suggestion. "There's also a little thing called 'picking your fights'," he muttered under his breath. "You're picking the wrong one."

"I heard that," Kagome said.

"You always hear that," he retorted.

"That I do. Why don't you try napping?"

He snorted. "Fighters don't nap."

"Then go to sleep."

"Keh," he scoffed, looking away -

And met the eyes of Hisochane, the ringleader. The man looked as disgusting as he smelled. His hair was a lengthy mess, his eyes were deep-set, he had poorly cut facial hair that only seemed to collect dirt. And he was grinning badly, showing two missing teeth. At the very least, Inuyasha could understand why such a man would resort to rape, being so completely unattractive that no woman in her right mind would so much as nod at him. The other five men were cleaner, more well-groomed, and one of them looked like a Lord in his taste of clothing and spotless frame.

Yet he still traveled with Hisochane, committing one crime after another. That one, with his hair held back and crisp suit, he was the only one Inuyasha couldn't figure out. The rest had obvious reasons why they would commit heinous crimes, yet he looked as though he could have any woman at any time. What was his reason for raping? Was there one?

Inuyasha could have peeled the skin off his body and not felt it, he became so bored. After so long his senses retreated inward and he stared blankly at the table in front of him, not thinking - or at least, not realizing his thoughts. His ears picked up this sound and that: a ticking, someone coughing, Kagome's breathing, the judge tapping his fingers as they waited.

And then a door opened and he looked up. The jury filed back into their stand, into their seats. One person, a young woman who looked about Kagome's mother's age, remained standing. She had a slip of paper in her hand.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asked, and once again that woman with the type-wri-ter began tapping away.

"We have."

"On the first charge, kidnapping in the second degree, how do you find the defendants?"

"Guilty."

A chorus of sighs sounded from behind Inuyasha at the simple word, and he leaned back in his chair, smiling softly. Their justice system worked, after all.

"On the second charge, assault in the first degree, how do you find the defendants?"

"Guilty."

Another chorus of sighs went through the room and Inuyasha added his own. Beside him, Kagome was anxiously watching that woman, her hands clenched in her lap.

"On the third charge, rape in the first degree, how do you find the defendants?"

"Guilty."

Someone yelled "yes!" behind him, and a cheer followed. They began clapping and Inuyasha focused his attention entirely on Kagome.

She closed her eyes and exhaled softly, and the motion brought a tear from one eye. She turned a smile towards him and Inuyasha embraced her, holding her tightly to him.

"We did it," she said, her voice implying that she could hardly believe it.

"You did it," Inuyasha whispered back. "The rest of us were only here to help."

"And you helped me most," she agreed, looking up at him. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

The way she looked at him now, the light in her eyes, that unbelievable smile; it all seduced him and he lowered his head to kiss her, not caring that an entire concession could see them.

It wasn't but a few moments later and the judge practically told them all to leave now that the case was over, and they stood. Inuyasha gave a confused glance at the concession once he saw it again, wondering how he hadn't noticed that they all came back in, along with cameras and reporters. He waited until the fugitives were out of the room before escorting Kagome along, and found that her side of the room was waiting for her.

They all cheered and whistled and congratulated her as though she'd just aided in the defeat of the most sinister force the country had seen. Halfway down the aisle, though, they were stopped by a little girl wearing a cap backwards. She laughed and thrust out her arms, saying, "I knew it was you!"

And she was looking at Inuyasha. He just stared back for a moment. Then he smiled. "I know you!"

The girl grinned and tugged on her cap. "Your name is Inuyasha, riiiiight?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

She giggled and Inuyasha immediately recognized it as the voice that had been giggling during his entire speech at the witness stand. "I still have your hat."

He tugged on his own cap in response. "And you can keep it, I've got another."

Beside him, Kagome laughed softly and leaned against him. "You're good with little girls," she said.

He shrugged. "This one likes me."

This point was proved in entirety when that little girl made a running jump for him and latched her arms around his waist. His face heated up and he knelt down to allow the girl the hug she wanted. It lasted a few seconds before the girl kissed his cheek, backed up and said, "My name is Oishii, Inuyasha-kun." (DL: I made up the name. I didn't know it meant 'delicious'.)

"Pretty name," he observed.

Kagome knelt down next to him. "You got a hug and a kiss. Stud," she teased, pinching his arm.

Oishii made a cute little twirling step and jumped onto the bench nearest her, where a man picked her up, nodded towards Inuyasha, and left out the door.

Inuyasha was still blushing at Kagome's statement. He stood up, crossed his arms, and said, "Feh!"

Kagome stood, too, and grabbed his arm. As they continued on, they developed a crowd, the entire concession following them out with her friends and family closest. Outside, there was a stampede once Kagome was spotted, and all the reporters started shoving to get closer, thrusting their microphones and tape recorders in her face. Inuyasha swiped them away and shoved the reporters, keeping Kagome close to his side with one arm. Her family closed in beside him, helping to hide Kagome from the wild media.

And then he spotted a car in the street and knew immediately that it was going past the 'speed limit'. He ducked down, pulling Kagome down with him, and then heard a barrage of gunfire, recognizing the sound from a 'movie'. However, it was much louder than on the television and he winced at the cracks. Someone screamed and another one yelled, "Where's the police?!"

He didn't care where the police were. He couldn't see the car anymore, through the thick forest of human bodies, but he could hear it. "Stay put," he ordered Kagome and leapt up, out of the crowd, being careful about how high he went. He landed on a railing and slid down it. At the bottom he leapt again and landed beside the car just as it was passing. He punched once, hard, at the front right tire, and it popped loudly. Not a second later the vehicle was skidding and the back wheel was within his reach. He stood and kicked the car, making it swerve more.

It did a full one-eighty and he jumped onto the hood and smirked. "That wasn't very nice," he growled out. He shattered the front window with one hit and counted three men inside, two in the back seat. Those two aimed guns at him and started firing.

No chance.

He flipped himself up and over on his hand, landed on the trunk, and smashed through that window, too. He reached inside, grabbed the men's skulls and whacked them together, effectively knocking out both of them with satisfying cracks. The man driving spun in his seat, pulled out another gun and aimed. These 'modern men' just didn't seem to get it.

He jumped and twisted this time, landing crouched on the front hood again.

"Who the fuck is that, Jackie Chan?!" the driver swore. The moment the man had the gun aimed at him again, Inuyasha grabbed it and threw it out into the street. Still having the driver's hand in his, he squeezed, crushing many of the bones within and making the driver yelp in pain.

"Inuyasha!"

That was Kagome. He let go and stood up, looking through the crowd for Kagome. She was shoving her way through and ran down the steps towards him, taking the last few in a jump. He hopped off the hood and opened his arms, catching her when she reached him.

"Are you alright?" she asked quickly. "Did they shoot you?"

He snorted. "They couldn't hit their target if they were right up against it."

Okay, an exaggeration, but it made Kagome smile.

The media went into a frenzy. Cameras went everywhere, reporters spat out questions nonstop, people everywhere were vying for attention. Inuyasha had no doubt that they'd filmed his little scene and he'd see it later on during the news. He gave a sharp whistle and gestured the rest of her family over. "Let's get out of here!"

They didn't have to be told twice. They piled back into the car they took to get there and drove back to the shrine before the media could focus entirely on them again and Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when he could finally take off the hat. He ears twitched for several minutes afterward, straightening back up after so long of being squashed down by that cap.

Kagome went to take a bath and Inuyasha nearly crowed at the opportunity. He went into her room, turned on the television, and listened to everything carefully. When the portion of the trial came up, the newscaster said many things about it: a little info on the witnesses, a recap of the end of the trial, a few things that happened afterward, the car scene, several interviews, and even where the criminals were going now that they were in custody and sentenced.

Perfect.

:End Chapter:

One reviewer said they'd rather read one long chapter about the trial than many short ones, and it seemed like a good idea, so hope you all like the extra 15 kbs. The next few chapters will be the "punishment" delivered by none other than Inuyasha. . . or will it? For this portion I'm going to purposely take it out of Inuyasha's POV to make you guess. Mwa ha ha ha ha! Be assured, those men are going to be tortured to death, but not until the end am I going to tell you "who done it."

Well, I'm officially an idiot, and I'll tell you why. I said I was leaving on Friday. Nope, I'm leaving tomorrow, on thursday. I had a fun [heavy sarcasm] experience at the DMV just yesterday, too. I won't go into it. . . But let's just say I didn't get what I wanted yesterday so today's my last chance.

Another thing I wanted to address was a particular review which I got a long time ago and kept forgetting to mention. . . Unfortunately fanfic no longer allows it. You suck, fanfic!!

Gee, I hope no administrators were listening. :Sweat drop:

So, then, evil readers who never review. . . :Calls my lightning and PA: We shall now torture you all into reviewing, yes, that we shall! Bwa ha ha ha haa!

:Gets with the torturing and the hurting and the pain that makes the reviewers scream and cry and then review:

See ya!