InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ When Doves Cry ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don’t own it so please don’t sue. With the updates I give, I shouldn’t. (Sniff) And for those of us that recognize the chapter title, then congrats. The chapter title has nothing to do with the song (though the song is cool!) However, the title still fits, as you will soon see. Oh, and be sure to check out the second chapter. The name of one of Sesshoumaru’s charges has changed, and you will see it again in the near future.

I

“Hello?”

“Hey, is this Ms. Higurashi?”

“Yes, this is she. May I help you?”

Kouga exhaled softly, his normal urgency and eagerness to hear the voice on the other phone upstaged by the task at hand. “Kagome, you know who this is right?”

“Yes, this is Kouga. How are you?”

“Good.” ‘At least she hasn’t forgotten me,’ Kouga quipped to himself. “I need a favor.”

“What can I do for you?”

‘Other than marry me?’ Kouga thought and grinned, his grim mood momentarily uplifted. “There’s a case I’m working on and I think you might be able to help me.”

“Sure Kouga, what can I do for you?”

“Did you have a kid by the name of Terrance Wey?”

“Um...” Kouga waited while she remembered, his keys rhythmically tapping against his dashboard. “Yes, I remember him,” she said finally. “He’s a really nice kid. Why? What happened.”

“It’s kinda complicated,” Kouga told her with a frown. “But I guess you need to know. He’s been reported missing.”

“What?” was Kagome’s reply from the other end. “What do you mean missing? What happened?”

“Well Kagome, if you can calm down I’ll tell you,” Kouga said and smirked when she apologized. “Ok then, first of all it wasn’t his parents that reported him missing. It was his school.”

“His school?” Kagome repeated as she sat down at her desk. “I’m not following you.”

“His guidance counselor called it in,” Kouga explained. “Seems the kid hasn’t been at school for at least two days. The counselor called because of his past abuse history. She’s the one who suggested I ask you about him. So...anything you can tell me?”

“Um...” Kagome racked her brain for information, mentally picturing the eleven year old with the wide, gap-toothed smile and beautiful gray eyes. “Oh, you already know what he looks like, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Kouga nodded as he glanced at the picture in his file. The kid’s angelic face smiled back at him, odd silvery eyes shimmering in the sunlight behind him.

“Oh, ok then. Let’s see here...oh, um, he’s a fanfiction writer.”

“A what?”

“A fanfiction writer,” Kagome repeated. “Its where you take a comic book or a tv show and you write your own story based on the characters in the original story.”

“Oh, ok then,” Kouga nodded. “Anything else?”

“Well...Not for the moment,” Kagome shook her head. “I’d suggest calling his parents though. They should know what to do.”

“Thanks,” Kouga said before starting his car. “I’ll do just that.”

“Alright then. You’ll keep me in touch right?”

“I will.” He responded in kind to her goodbye and hung up his cell phone, then stuck his head out the car and jabbed a plain-clothes officer in the side. “Are you getting in the damned car or what?”

“Hey, I’m a lady!” the red-head exclaimed with a scowl. “You can’t talk to me like that!”

“Fine, stand there and argue about it,” Kouga told her as he shifted his car into drive. “You’ll walk to the next house then right?” He smirked when she finally walked around the front of the car to the passenger side, her mouth moving steadily though he couldn’t hear what she was saying. “What was that?” he asked when she opened the car door.

“Nothing,” she ground out, bottle green eyes narrowed in his direction as she sat down and closed the door. “So what now?”

“Kagome says to go to Wey’s house,” Kouga replied as he merged with traffic. “So that’s where we’re goin-“

“Kagome?” she repeated with a sly grin. “Who’s that?”

Kouga sputtered and blushed for a few moments, then glared at her and shifted gears. “You know, for a newbie, you sure are nosy as hell.”

“Whatever.”

II

‘J ust what are you looking for?’ Kikyou asked as Sesshoumaru proceeded to dig his way to the bottom of Kagome’s laundry hamper. ‘You’re going to turn that ov-‘ She gasped when the clothes hamper tipped over, it, the clothes and Sesshoumaru tumbling out onto the cold bathroom floor.

‘Are you alright?’ Kikyou asked as he shook a hot pink thong off his right ear.

‘Smashing...’

‘What are you looking for anyway?’ she asked again and mentally frowned when he ignored her. ‘Hello? I know you hear me. What are you do-oh Sesshoumaru,’ she groaned as he tugged the same shrug Kagome scolded him over earlier that morning out of the clothes pile. ‘Didn’t Kagome tell you to leave that alone? She’s going to get you.’

‘Since when has the word of a human set this Sesshoumaru on edge?’ he growled as he dragged the shrug out of the bathroom, down the hall and into Kagome’s study. Kikyou sighed in frustration, materialized beside him and shook her head. ‘Are you going to answer my question or not?’

‘Why should I?” Sesshoumaru asked as he set his prize on the floor and sniffed eagerly. ‘It’s been the same question for the past fifteen minutes.’

‘What are you doing!’ Kikyou asked again, this time a bit louder and a lot more persistent. ‘Oh come on Sesshoumaru, please tell me,’ she whined.

‘If you must know,’ Sesshoumaru relented with a sigh. ‘I’m searching for the scent that was on her clothes Friday night.’

‘You mean last Friday night?” Kikyou asked. ‘It was probably the guy she was dating.’

‘Then this guy is a youkai, because that is what I smell.’

‘No way,’ Kikyou said. ‘In plain sight like that?’

‘Aoshi is in plain sight,’ Sesshoumaru countered. ‘So who is this male, and how was he able to survive for so long undetecte-‘ He looked up when the phone began to ring and pounced on Kagome’s desk. His paws rested on either side of the caller id box. He dismissed the unfamiliar call and continued to ‘investigate’ Kagome’s clothes as the answering machine finally picked up the phone and a child’s voice rang out.

“Um...Miss Kagome,” a little boy said while Sesshoumaru continued to sniff. “It’s me, Shippou. I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry about the way I acted in front of the photographer.”

‘Who’s he?’ Kikyou asked. Sesshoumaru lightly snorted, his version of a shrug. ‘I do not know and I do not care,’ he replied and yawned.

“It’s not that I wasn’t having fun,” Shippou explained with a heavy voice. ‘It’s just that...sometimes you remind me of what my mom could be, you know, if she wasn’t the way she is now. Sometimes that makes me sad. It’s not your fault I guess. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I had fun last Friday and I can’t wait to do it aga-“

‘Last Friday?’ Kikyou said as Sesshoumaru stared at the answering machine. ‘He said last Friday right? Then that means that she was with him-‘

‘And that he is the youkai,’ Sesshoumaru concluded. Somewhere deep within he was greatly relieved that Kagome hadn’t actually gone on a date...though he wouldn’t touch on why at the present moment. ‘A youkai pup in the modern era? Interesting...’

‘Totally,’ Kikyou agreed. ‘Now, can we put Kagome’s things back? She’s going to have a fit if she sees the mess you made of the bathroom.’

III

Kouga pulled into the parking lot of a group of townhouses, his partner glancing over the golden numbers on the doors until she pointed to the correct one. “Number twelve Kouga,” she said as she pointed to the nearest one with a light green door and forest green shutters. “That’s the Wey residence.”

“Right,” she said as Kouga stopped the car. “So I suppose knocking is in order?”

“Unless you have a better way of doing things,” Kouga quipped sarcastically. He jerked his keys from the ignition and stepped out the car without another word, inwardly wondering what god he managed to piss off to end up assigned to the same case asa the foul tempered minx walking beside him. He sighed, not the first one for the day, and stepped to the side as his partner knocked on the door. They stood patiently, then knocked again before Kouga stepped up to the bay window beside the door. He peered through the blinds inside to a small kitchen and a woman leaning over the kitchen sink. She looked as if to be in deep thought, though not too deep as she raised her head when she heard the knocks.

Kouga lightly tapped on the glass and watched as the woman jumped in surprise. She glanced toward the window and gave a slight frown when Kouga waved at her and pointed in the direction of the door. She quickly disappeared to crack the door open and nervously glance outside.

“Yes?” came her timid voice as Kouga stepped on the little porch. “M-may I help you?”

“Who the fuck is it?” came a deep voice from somewhere in the house. “Whoever it is, tell ‘em we don’t want any!”

“I’m Ayame Cushin and this is Detective Sandival,” Kouga’s partner answered as she held up her badge. “Are you Terrance Wey’s mother.”

“Yes, I am. Is he in some kind of trouble?”

“We’d like to come in and speak to you about it,” Kouga spoke up. “It’s kinda urgent and I don’t think you want to discuss it out here.”

“Oh, um...alright I suppose.” The woman stepped to the side and held the door open for them. “My name’s Diane by the way.”

“Well hi Dia-“

“Who the fuck is it!” the voice from earlier roared down the stairs. “Didn’t I tell you-“

“It’s the police sir,” Kouga called up the stairs. “We’d like to ask you and your wife a few questions, so would you care to come downstairs?” Kouga waited for the man’s reply, his eyes cast to the side as silence remained his only answer. “You know,” Kouga offered. “We ca always do this down at the station if that’s better for you. We don’t care either way.”

“I’m coming,” the man finally said and in a few moments a large, burly man with wirey black hair and small narrowed eyes came down the stairs. “What’s the meaning of this?” he asked as he stood beside Terrance’s mother. “What’s going on? Why are you harassing my girlfriend?”

“Sir, we’re not here trying to ‘harass’ you,” Ayame assured him. “We’re here on a report about your son Terr-“

“That brat’s not my son,” he growled as he walked past them toward the living room. “He’s her son. Wouldn’t have a brat like that for a kid anyway.”

“They don’t get along too well, Terrance and Susa,” Diane sighed as she sat down on the couch and gestured to the open recliners on either side. “Please, sit down.”

“Thank you,” Ayame said as she and Kouga took their offered places. “So who is Terrance’s father exactly?”

“Some stuck up ambassador,” Susa snapped in reply. “He shows up every once in a while and whisks the kid to God knows where. Boy comes back worse than when he left.” He snorted and glared out the window, his gesture obviously less than pleased. “I don’t understand that boy. Think’s the world’s run by dreams.”

Diane only blushed in embarrassment and gestured the detectives on. “Please, you said you were here about my son?”

“Yes, um...” Kouga flipped through his notebook until he found a clean sheet of paper and pulled out a tiny pencil from his coat pocket. “When was the last time you saw your son?”

“Um...a couple of days ago,” Diane answered. “He’s spending the night at a friend’s house. Why, is something wrong?”

“You’re son’s been reported missing by his school,” Ayame answered. Diane’s face paled considerably, causing a small bruise on her neck to become more noticeable. “How did you get that?” Ayame asked as she leaned closer to see it. Susa immediately jerked Diane against him, his eyes narrowed hatefully in Ayame’s direction.

“You son’s of bitches come in here ready to accuse the first person you see don’t you!” he demanded hotly. “Well you heard what Diane said! We haven’t seen him in days!”

“Is that normal?” Kouga interjected immediately. “Not to see him for days? Is it normal?”

“Oh yes,” Diane nodded. “He normally tells us where he’s going first though.”

“Where does he spend the majority of his time?” Ayame asked next.

“Um...he has a friend named Junsei...Junsei Iio. They’re best friends.”

“Thank you Ms. Wey,” Kouga said as he stood up. He gestured for Ayame to stand as well and made their way toward the stairs. “I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.”

“It’s not a problem,” Diane told them as she walked them to the door. “Is there anything else we can do?”

“Would you mind if we went through his room?” Ayame asked. “There might be some sort of clue as to-“

“Not without a warrant,” Susa growled from the living room. Kouga and Ayame blinked, then shrugged and thanked Diane again. The exchanged promises to call should either see Terrance and parted ways, with Ayame driving this time while Kouga sat in the passenger’s side deep in thought.

“That was...interesting,” he finally said as they drove toward the police station.

“Interesting my ass,” Ayame grumbled. “That Susa guy was weird. What was his problem?”

“He’s the one that the social services department had a complaint against,” Kouga told her as he flipped through the file in his hands. “Yeah, a couple of years ago Terrance was taken from his mother by DSS because the gym teacher found bruises on Terrance’s back and chest. Terrance told him and Kagome-“

“Kagome...” Ayame sang out with a smile. “There’s that name again Kouga. Who is she?”

“She was Terrance’s social worker at the time,” Kouga said as he desperately tried to cover up the dark blush on his cheeks. “And from the notes in her report, she’s had trouble with the Susa guy already. He’s the reason why Terrance was taken away in the first place. Anyway, Terrance’s mother was re-awarded custody a few months ago.”

“Oh, ok then. What about that Iio kid?” Ayame asked. “Has he been questioned yet?”

“Yeah,” Kouga nodded, once again flipping though files. “He was questioned at the school along with a few other kids.”

“Great,” Ayame said as she stopped at a red light. “Are you telling me that we’re at a dead end?”

“Yeah,” Kouga nodded. “For the moment, we are...”

IV

Sesshoumaru watched her with one eye open as she walked past him, her feet bare against the cold kitchen floor and the scent of water and the oddly scented shower gel still clinging to her skin. She dropped to a lotus position on the carpet in front of her entertainment center and pressed a few buttons on her VCR. She sighed once she finished and moved to sit beside him, her arm draping over his shoulders and her back leaned comfortably against the couch.

“This is my favorite movie,” Kagome told him as the VCR began to play. The opening music to ‘Singing in the Rain’ began to play. “This tape and a few others actually belonged to my father. He would work really late sometimes, and when he came home he would be too tired to do much of anything with me or Souta.

“I used to be really scared of thunderstorms, so when one would make a lot of noise in the middle of the night I would just go downstairs and sit with my Daddy. He would always be in his favorite recliner watching one of his movies.” Her voice faded slightly and the scent of salt permeated the air. “We would sit up for hours, just looking at his videos until I fell asleep. Mama says that he would carry me up the stairs to my room and sit with me.”

Sesshoumaru dropped his head in her lap, golden eyes gazing into her face from below as a lone tear trickled down her cheek. He licked it away and glanced at her again when she turned to him, steely blue eyes almost iridescent as she blinked back tears. She hugged him, her arms wound around his shoulders and her face buried against his neck. She sniffed and rubbed her cheek against his fur before letting go, then gave his ears a much deserved scratch. She gave a watery giggle when his tail began to thump against the carpet.

“Alright boy. How about we check out the movie?”

Sesshoumaru obliged gladly, his head returning to her lap as they both turned to the movie. ‘If these are her favorite things,’ Sesshoumaru wondered as he glanced at the box of tapes near the kitchen entrance and Kagome hummed along to a particular song. ‘Why are they so poorly protected? Perhaps there is something that can be done.’

V

One whole week, and Kouga and Ayame still were without leads to Terrance’s whereabouts. Kouga sat at his desk, Ayame at the one across from him as they both stared at the evidence in front of him. A week of questioning classmates, teachers, guidance counselors and janitors had given them nothing. Searching his room (and getting the search warrant to do so) had given them nothing but poetry and stories written by the missing teenager, all in which they confiscated for further investigation.

Kouga himself looked up Terrance’s father and found that he was indeed an ambassador, one for the Israeli embassy. Terrance’s dark olive skin and gray, almost silver eyes reflected solely in his father, who was more thunderstruck and upset about his disappearance than his mother or her boyfriend. The worry coming from the man was strong, and Kouga found himself feeling sorry for the man.

‘If anyone can help me,’ Kouga thought as he picked up the phone and dialed a cell phone number. ‘Kagome can.’ He waited for the other line to pick up, wondering idly to himself what Kagome’s ringer would sound like as he stared out the window and into the rain beyond.

“Hello?”

“Hey!” Kouga chirped, surprising Ayame out of the solitary game she was playing on her computer. “Hey Kagome! It’s Kouga! How are you?”

“I’m alright,” she answered back. “How’s the case going? Got anything?”

“No, I don’t got a thing.. I was actually hoping that you could help me out with a few things.”

“Sure Kouga,” Kagome answered as Ayame leaned back in her seat to listen better. “What is it?”

“Can you tell me anything about him?” Kouga asked. “What he likes, dislikes, where he goes when he can’t go home. Stuff like that.”

“Well...” He heard a tapping on her end, what he assumed to be either keys against a desk or her pen before she answered him. “Oh, have you read any of his poetry?”

“Huh?”

“His poetry,” Kagome huffed with a small laugh. “He loves poetry. Um...you know, his friend Junsei would know a lot more than I would. Those two shared everything with each other. Haven’t you seen him?”

“Um-“

“Hey Kouga,” Ayame said as she pointed toward the front desk. “I think we’ve got a visitor.” Kouga glanced up and found a teenager standing at the front desk talking to the clerk. The kid was a foot or two shorter than Kouga’s 5' 10", with large brown eyes and a pug nose.

“Kagome, I’m gonna have to call you back ok?”

“Yeah, sure,” Kagome replied. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Alright, thanks.” Kouga hung up just as the boy came toward them. “Junsei right?” Kouga greeted as he stood to shake his hand. Junsei ignored his hand, his rail think form shivering from cold and nerves. “You guys are still looking for Terrance right? Well I know where his is...but you gotta help him.”

“Yeah, we’ll help him,” Ayame said as she motioned for him to sit down. “Why don’t you calm down and-“

“No!” Junsei jerked away from her, nearly stumbling on a slick part of the floor before steadying himself. “We don’t have time to sit down! We’ve gotta go!”

“Alright chill out,” Kouga told him. “You’re not going to help anyone by-“

“But you don’t understand!” Junsei told him. “Terrance isn’t kidding this time! He’s gonna do it!”

“Do what?” Ayame asked. “What’s he going to do Junsei?”

“It’s his mom’s boyfriend,” Junsei sniffed out, his hands badly shaking and his eyes darting from side to side. “He’s always pushing him around, always picking on him and telling him all kinds of stuff about his mom.”

“What kind of stuff?” Kouga asked. “Bad stuff?”

Junsei nodded. “Yeah, and the other kids at school see the bruises. They laugh at him. They’re always teasing him.”

“We’re confused,” Ayame told him as Kouga finally got him to sit down. “You’re not making sense. What are you trying to tell us?”

“I saw Terrance,” Junsei admitted. “Today, right after school. He...he wasn’t himself. He wasn’t himself at all.”

)-(

Junsei screamed, his fists and feet flying as he struggled to get free of whatever it was that dragged him into the alley. “Let go man!” he hollered as whatever it was dragged him toward a nearby dumpster. “I ain’t got no money so-“

“Jun man, I don’t want your money,” a voice said as they finally let go of Junsei’s arms. Junsei spun around and into the face of his missing friend, steel gray eyes glittering back at him from beside the trash can. “Besides, when do you have any? You’re always spending it on udon and mango dumplings.”

“A-haha.” Junsei complained as he reached out to smack Terrance’s shoulder. “You’re not funny man. Where the hell have you been eh? You’re mom’s going nuts looking for you. The cops are looking for you too.”

“Yeah well,” Terrance began as he shifted a large duffle bag on his shoulder. “They won’t have to look long.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Junsei said as he finally glanced his friend over. Other than being dirty (a week of not showering will do that to you) he was dressed strangely too. The red First Down coat he normally wore was missing, replaced with a black hoodie that was barely protecting him from the winter rain and sleet. Black jeans, a knit hat and boots accompanied the outfit, along with the heavy black duffle bag hanging from his right shoulder. “What the hell is all that? What are you doing?”

“I’m doing what I should have done years ago,” Terrance said. “Back when he first hit Mom. I’m going to get that bastard.”

“Hey, wait a sec,” Junsei said as Terrance began to walk away. “What are you talking about? What are you going to do?”

“Don’t follow me Jun,” Terrance called over his shoulder, the contents inside the black duffle bag clicking heavily against each other. “It’s gonna be bad where ever I go.”

“But Ant, where are you going? What are you going to do?” Junsei hollered into what he thought was an empty alley. The answer he received chilled his blood, and he turned tail and ran for the nearest taxi as fast as he could.

“I’m going to follow my sun...”

)-(

“Look, I know you don’t understand but you guys don’t understand,” Junsei insisted. “That’s a line from one of his poems. ‘I’m going to follow my sun until my freedom’s won. I’ll leave this cage and follow my dreams...all through the barrel of a gun’.”

“Shit!” Kouga exploded. “Are you serious?”

“Where do you think he was going?” Ayame asked as she and Kouga struggled into their coats. Junsei stuttered an answer and watched as they fled from the room, Kouga jumping over the rail of the stairs with Ayame close behind.

)-(

He crept up the tree slowly, years of practice behind him as he leaned from the highest branch to the nearby bedroom window. He reached for a string hanging from the outside and pulled, then watched as the latch opened and the window swung out. He climbed in just as slowly, the black duffle bag on his back gently landing on the thick carpet before swinging his feet down and sliding inside. He closed the window and listened to the rest of the house, his eyes fluttering closed only briefly before he reached inside his pack and pulled out whatever was inside.

He opened his door and tiptoed down the hallway toward the master bedroom, his hands trembling under the heavy steel and gunpowder tightly grasped between them. He held his ear against the door and listened again for any noise but only heard deep snores coming from the other room. He pushed the door open, glad for once that they slept with they’re door ajar and walked toward the right side of the bed.

“Get up,” he growled, the barrel of the gun jabbing into the side of the large heap underneath the covers. “Get up damnit!”

The bundle grumbled, then groaned and the covers moved aside. “What the-what the fuck are you doing boy?” The butt of the gun smashing against his cheek was his answer, and Susa groaned as he stepped back and pointed the gun toward him. “You heard me! Get up!”

“Terrance!”

Silver eyes glared at the door as the light flickered on, revealing Kouga and Ayame as they stood on the other side of the door. “Stop man,” Kouga said as he slowly stepped into the room. “He ain’t worth it.”

“You don’t know shit,” Terrance growled as Diane awoke and Susa stood up. “This man put my family through hell! He’s nothing but a monster!”

“Terrance!” Diane said when she finally recognized him. “Oh baby, please don’t do this!”

“Shut up!” Terrance snapped. “You’re always defending him, always telling me that it’s not as bad as I think it is! Do you think I don’t see the black eyes he gives you! Do you really think I believe you when you say it doesn’t hurt!”

“Terrance baby-“

“Shut up,” Susa interrupted as he glared at the teenager. “He’s not going to do a damned thing except for make me mad.”

“Don’t say anything to upset him,” Kouga instructed. “Terrance, look man. I understand you. I understand exactly what you’re talking about.”

“No you don’t. No on understands...”

“Miss Higurashi understood, didn’t she?” Kouga asked and latched on to the light that suddenly sparked in Terrance’s eyes like a lifeline. “She knew exactly what you went through because you trusted her. You told her exactly what Susa did to you and your mother, right?”

“That bitch didn’t know shit,” Susa growled, his hands curling into fists and uncurling repeatedly. “All she did was spout out a bunch of nonsense from that empty little head of hers.”

“SHUT UP!” Terrance hollered and shook the gun in Susa’s direction. “You don’t know anything about her!”

“That bitch didn’t care about you,” Susa continued. “Its all just a line. These bitches feed you lines so you can fall like suckers at their feet. You’re so fucking stupid its sad.”

“I said SHUT UP!”

“Stop upsetting him,” Ayame ordered. “You’re only making it worse.”

“The little pussy’s not going to do anything,” Susa told them with a casual toss of his hand. “He’s too fucking scared, aren’t you boy?”

“I’m not scared,” Terrance stuttered, gray eyes narrowed hatefully and tears streaming down his cheeks. “I’m not afraid of you anymore! You won’t touch my mother, or me, anymore!”

“You’ve gotta calm down,” Kouga told him and frowned when Terrance refused to take his eyes away from Susa. “He’s not worth it. Guys like him get it in the end.”

“Please Terrance,” Diane said from the other side of the room. “Don’t shoot him. Please.”

“Why? Why shouldn’t I? All he ever does is hurt us. He lied to that lady in court that day. He told her that he’s doing better and he’s not! He’s worse!”

“Please Terrance, just put the gun down!” Diane sobbed. “He’s all I have! Don’t you understand!”

“Huh?” Terrance stared at her, watching as she finally broke down and cried. “But-but Mom,” he whispered. “ You don’t need him.”

“Yes I do,” Diane hiccupped, refusing to look up at him. “Please don’t shoot Susa Terrance.”

“But you’ve got me, you don’t need him...” The room fell still, with Diane’s crying the only sound as Terrance continued to stare. Kouga looked on, every tendon in his body tense as he and Ayame waited to make a move.

Terrance looked from his mother to the gun in his hands and back again before whispering, “You’ve got me...but you want him...” He lowered the gun away from Susa’s head, his vision blurred but not his hand as it finally steadied itself. “You don’t want me...do you?”

“Terrance-“

“Of course not,” Susa chuckled as the gun finally fell away from him. “Are you crazy? You’re the biggest disappointment she’s ever had. Can’t you imagine the things she could do if she didn’t have you?”

“Would you shut up!” Kouga finally snarled. “You’re not fucking helping and you’re pissing me off!”

“She’d be happy without you,” Susa continued, ignoring Kouga for the look of pain on Terrance’s face. “She doesn’t give a shit if I beat you senseless. She knows your stupid and that you’ll never amount to shi-“

“I said that’s enough!” Kouga acted without a second thought, barely aware of the flash of pain against his knuckles as his fist connected with Susa’s cheek. Susa wiped the thin line of blood away from his lip and laughed, shoved Diane out of the way when she stood up to help him, and grabbed Terrance by his shirt collar.

“You’re nothing but a wimp,” Susa told him as Kouga struggled to get the much larger man to let go. “You’re a fucking disgrace. When these detectives leave here and your ass gets out of jail, I’m going to kill you. Do you hear me? No one points a fucking gun at me and live. You’ll never see the sun again.”

“I’ll always have my sun,” Terrance growled at him. “You won’t hit me ever again!”

“No Terrance wait!” Ayame shouted. She reached out for him but only managed to shove Kouga out of the way as a single gunshot pierced the night air.

VI

“Whew,” Kagome said as she stared out the window. “It’s raining cats and dogs outside, isn’t it Chance?”

‘Who came up with that stupid phrase?’ Sesshoumaru wondered as he rested his chin against the back of the couch and stared out the living room window. ‘It has never rained anything as large as a cat so why do humans bother with such nonsense?’

‘It’s just a phrase,’ Kikyou told him as Kagome stood up and walked into the kitchen. ‘Why get so bent out of shape?’

‘This Sesshoumaru does not get ‘Bent out of Shape’,’ Sesshoumaru grumbled. He glanced up at a light coming from outside, then barked when the muffled sound of a door shutting came from outside. Kagome hurried into the room, a yellow soup ladle in her hand as she glanced out the window. “What is it Chance?” she said as she glanced out the window. “Is someone out there?”

Sesshoumaru’s nose pressed against the frigid glass as a dark figure slowly walked up the walkway toward the front door. A brief thrill of fear tickled his nose, but it quickly became resolve and nervousness as Kagome shut the blinds and unlocked the door. Sesshoumaru jumped down from his perch on the couch and stood at her feet, ready and waiting for anything that might be on the other side as Kagome opened the door.

A man sat on the porch, a wide brimmed hand hanging soggily on his head as the rain beat down on his slumped form. Kagome and Sesshoumaru exchanged glances, both clueless as to who the stranger was as the rain continued on. “Excuse me,” Kagome called out against the chilled wind. “Who are you an-“ She started when he stood up and turned toward her, his head down before lifting empty blue eyes to hers. “Kouga? Kouga what’s wrong?” She opened the screen door and ushered him inside. He allowed her to drag him without complaint and stood there like a dripping rag doll as she removed his hat and coat and tossed them into an empty clothes basket near the foot of the stairs.

“Kouga, are you listening? What’s wrong?” She reached up and lightly slapped his cheeks, wincing slightly at the coldness of them before tugging at his soaked clothes. “Kouga, what happened to you? My goodness, you’re soaked!”

He still said nothing, only standing there with blank crystal blue eyes. “Fine then,” Kagome said before grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the stairs. “Chance, help me.”

‘The things I do for this human,’ Sesshoumaru growled as he helped Kagome pull Kouga up the stairs to the hallway bathroom. She shoved Kouga onto the toilet and proceeded to strip him of his wet clothing, starting at his socks and making her way toward a pair of bright blue boxers that were dry enough for him to keep. “Kouga, I’m going to dry your clothes ok?” She sighed again when he refused to speak again, apparently still trapped deep inside his own thoughts.

Kagome reached over and turned on the shower, making sure to test the water first before pulling a towel and a washcloth from underneath the sink. “Here,” she said as she plopped them onto the counter. “Take a shower Kouga. Maybe a little hot water will help you out. Chance is going to stay here until you’re finished.”

‘I am?’ Sesshoumaru replied as Kagome walked out of the room. Kouga glanced from the door to the shower, then at Chance before standing up and grasping the waistband of his underwear.

“Oh, and Kouga-OH!” Kagome quickly averted her eyes, a light dusting of pink staining her cheeks as he turned to look at her. “Sorry. Here.” She tossed him a black bathrobe, one that was a size too small from what Sesshoumaru could tell. “It’s my brother’s. Chance’ll bring you downstairs so you can get something to eat ok?”

Kouga nodded, the first time he responded to anything she said while Kagome made a quiet and hasty exit. Sesshoumaru stretched out against the threshold and closed his eyes, uninterested in anything the human was doing as he began to doze. His dreams were of the usual, with Kikyou either arguing with him about something or collecting whatever organ he chose to ‘relieve’ her of until sound of water stopped. Sesshoumaru opened one golden eye as Kouga shrugged into the robe before standing up and waiting for him to look at him.

“Kagome-“ Kouga stopped and cleared his throat, then spoke with a clearer voice. “Kagome said you’d lead me downstairs?”

Sesshoumaru woofed and lead the way, his paws silent on the carpeted stairs as he led the way toward the kitchen. Kagome smiled at them and motioned for Kouga to sit down before putting down Sesshoumaru’s food bowl. “Here you go boy,” she said as she patted his head. “I had some extra crabmeat left, so you’ve got a little treat tonight.”

“Wow, that dog’s got an appetite,” Kouga said as he watched Sesshoumaru woof down his food. “Now that’s my kind of animal. Ow!” he yipped when Kagome wacked his arm. “What was that for?”

“That’s for scaring me like that,” Kagome frowned back at him. “What was wrong with you anyway? I said your name at least four times and you never said a word back.”

“What’s this?” Kouga asked as she sat down a black bowl and a pair of chopsticks with lotus blossoms painted on them. “Whatever it is, it smells great!”

“It’s crab and ginger,” she told him as she fixed her own bowl. “Anyway, you’re not answering me-“

“How was your day Kagome?” Kouga asked instead. “Did you do anything interesting?”

“No, not really,” Kagome said as she gave him a questioning stare. “I took a little boy go carting.”

“Really? I love go carting. It’s great.”

“Yeah, Shippou likes it too,” Kagome said with a smile. “That kid is just too cute.”

“Well the three of us are going to have to go together one day.”

“Ok Kouga spill it,” Kagome demanded, her chopsticks leaving her hand and the bowl returning to the island counter. “You’re really starting to get to me. What’s wrong? Please tell me.”

“Don’t ask me Kagome,” Kouga told her from deep inside his bowl. “Please, just don’t ask me.”

“Kouga...” Kagome slid off her chair, walked around the corner and grasped his hand, one hand cupping the much larger one while the other rubbed gentle circles on the back of his hand. “Please tell me. What happened? Was it work?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you make good soup?” Kouga asked as he grasped his bowl in one hand and drank it. “You’d make someone a great wife someday.”

A slight growl came from Sesshoumaru but Kagome ignored it and Kouga’s statement as she pressed on. “Come on Kouga, you can tell me. We’re friends right?”

“Yeah,” Kouga sighed dejectedly. “You’re my friend but Kagome-“

“Just tell me Kouga,” Kagome interrupted. “I can handle whatever it is that you got. Just try me.”

“Ok,” Kouga muttered, then sighed and took a deep breath. “We found Terrance today.”

“Really?” Kagome exclaimed, a happy smile lit on her face. “Well how is he?” Kouga averted his eyes then moved his hand away from hers. “Kouga,” Kagome whispered. “Kouga how is he? How’s Terrance?”

“He’s dead Kagome,” Kouga told her, his voice straining even as Kagome gasped. “He’s dead and I couldn’t save him. He shot himself right in front of me.”

(End Chapter)

SF: OK, that’s it for this chapter.

Inu-chan: What kind of stuff is that? What was that kid’s dad’s problem man?

SF: Oh stop. I promise, everything will be explained soon. Just don’t get started Inu-chan. I’m trying to recover from the flu. Give me a break.

Kagome: That’s right. Give her a break. Anyway, that’s it for this chapter. The summary for the next one is below.

Summary of chapter Seventeen: It’s the first week of February, and Sesshoumaru’s human once again. In spite of centuries of existence, is it possible that our little social worker may have a surprise for our former youkai? And can Kagome really stop listening to her head and start listening to her heart?

Chapter Seventeen: Unleashing an Urge/ Giving in to Temptation

Converting /tmp/phpUrFTPr to /dev/stdout