Okay, first off my computer was completely trashed by my brother. SO I HAVE AN EXCUSE FOR NOT WRITING!!!
So, this fic's based roughly on Beauty and the Beast (my favorite movie, I'm proud to admit), only in a more modern setting.
I hope you guys like this fic, 'cause I'm going to work very hard on it.
(Angelic eyes)
If you remember to review.
BWHAHAHAHA!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Chapter #1
Kagome dreamily gazed out the window.
"Yo Kag! Hurry it up with that coffee!"
Snapping back into reality, Kagome straitened her apron and called back, "Just a sec! It's still heating up!" She could practically hear Sango rolling her eyes. "'Kay, I'm coming!"
She was a waitress.
Yep.
A waitress.
A fine job if you needed the money—which she did. Kagome had just always imagined working at someplace a little more...advanced once she was out of college.
But it wasn't like she really had a choice.
She certainly wasn't poor (Could she afford such a great apartment if she was?), but jobs were hard to find in Chicago.
Especially for a girl just out of college, who was in love with art and astronomy, and had no clue what she really wanted to do.
If you think about it, that isn't really what people are looking for on job applications.
Pasting a smile on her face, she marched out the swinging doors, and into the restaurant. Spotting empty cups, she made her way about the room with the refills.
Earning smiles and tips (that was about all she got around here) Kagome walked over to Sango.
Sango loved this restaurant. To Sango this restaurant was her brain child, her baby, her little money tree.
Kagome didn't really mind, having your best friend for a boss could be pretty cakey, but Sango's life was about making the thing into a chain.
"Sango, I'm really..." Kagome paused "...in need of a break."
"Okay," Sango said agreeably. "Five minutes, and then you're back out here."
"Five minutes?" Kagome sweatdropped. "Sango? You know that holding someone against their will is a federal crime, right?"
"Since when are you a law major? Anyway, this is your job." Sango smiled, and then went back to counting menu prices. "You're stuck here."
"Sango?" Kagome got down on her knees. "Do I need to beg? 'Cause I will Sango, if that's what it takes."
Noticing that the customers were starting to give her insane friend very odd looks, Sango opted for the smartest thing she could do. "Fine, you can go."
"Oh!" Kagome threw her arms around Sango in the tightest bear hug she could manage. "Now I remember why you're my best friend!"
"Fine! Fine!" Sango said laughingly. "Just leave already!"
Grabbing her coat, Kagome shot through the glass doors and into the nearest taxi.
Snuggling down comfortably, she waited until her apartment came into view.
Paying the driver, she skipped up her steps, opened her door, danced her way over to her bedroom, and plopped herself in her favorite cushy La-Z-Boy.
It was a rare and appreciated treat to have Sango let her off early, so Kagome was prepared for an evening of stroking her cat, eating Chinese takeout, reading, and a hot bubble bath.
Just as she settled down with her copy of the latest New York's Bestseller, the phone rang.
Twisting over on her side, Kagome plucked up the offending object.
"'Lo?"
"Kagome?" The voice surprised her. Kagome had just talked to her mother yesterday, and the woman sounded like she was crying.
Why was she calling now anyway? Her mom had gone on her yearly business trip to Japan, and usually didn't call unless it was an emergency.
Did that mean she was calling from Japan?
"Mom? What's up?" Kagome's forehead creased. "Is Souta okay? He's not hurt, is he? Or you? Is something wrong with grandpa?"
Her mother didn't answer, she just cried even harder.
"Mom? Mom?" Kagome's stomach was in knots. "Mom? What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry," her mom whispered.
"Mom? Mom, tell me what's going on." Kagome gripped the arm of her chair tightly. "Mom?"
Her mother didn't say anything for a few seconds.
"I'm in Japan."
Kagome sighed in relief. It didn't sound so bad. "I kind of get that, Mom."
"And, you know I was working near a park?"
"Yeah."
"I was walking around one day...I just wanted to get a look at the place." Her mother's voice grew low, and Kagome pressed the phone hard against her ear to hear it. "And I got lost in the forest."
Kagome smiled gently. "Mom, I know that must have been scary, but what's the big deal? You're out now."
"That's not it!" Her mother snapped. Kagome looked at the phone. Her mother never snapped. Even when Souta had thrown her car keys out a seven-story building, her mother had kept her cool. "I came to a castle."
"A castle?" Kagome tried not to laugh. "In Tokyo? That's a little hard to believe."
"And I went inside," her mother continued, "and nobody was there. It was beautiful and scary at the same time. I found a garden, and I picked a rose."
"Why?"
Now her mother's tone turned sheepish. "You love flowers. I thought I could give it to you whenever I got the chance to visit."
It was official: her mother was a sweet hair-brained lady.
Kagome grinned to herself.
Just my luck.
"And then it got really dark." Her mother sniffed. "Not just dark, but kind of cold too. I noticed a man wrapped in a black cloth, and I started to run."
Kagome's throat grew tight. "He tried to hurt you?"
"No. But he caught me, and..." Her mother stopped.
"Mom, what is it?" Kagome frowned. "What did he say to you?"
"He made me an offer. To save my life, and Souta's."
"How did he know about Souta?"
"I don't know." Kagome's mother sighed.
Kagome's brain suddenly made a connection. "Mom, what offer did he make? What did he say?"
Silence.
"Kagome, I gave you away."
I'm going to do my best to stick to the plot of Beauty and the Beast, but don't hate me if I try and have a little fun.
If you've noticed, I mention Chicago in my other Inuyasha fic also. Ya see, I used to live there, and I completely loved it.
If you ever have the chance, go to Chicago and buy a bagel, or a cinnamon donut.
Trust me, you'll like it.