Southern Fried Hanyou….an Inuyasha fanfic tale.
This story is complete so read on without fear!
Summary: Kagome has grown up, moved on and receives a mysterious gift in
the mail from her deceased fiancé. This is my version of how the whole story will end with Inuyasha's choice.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Inuyasha, please don't sue because all I own is one grumpy hedgehog.
One
Kagome clenched her teeth and ordered, "Osuwari!"
The man beside her lifted his head from his magazine in surprise.
She glanced around and saw the whole waiting room watching her.
Damn it!, she cursed silently. Her order garnered the attention of everyone but the furry individual it was intended for.
She gave the leash a hard yank and hissed loudly in English.
"I told you to SIT!" Her golden retriever Kiki heaved a great sigh of resignation and threw herself to the green title floor. She was usually well behaved and obedient but once she crossed the threshold of the vet's office all bets were off. Kagome leaned back in the tiny uncomfortable chair. For now she had won the battle. The next one would no doubt take place when the receptionist called them back to the examination room.
Uk. What a waste of a perfectly good Saturday afternoon…But Kiki was due the last of her shots and today was the only day Kagome had free. She crossed her legs at her ankles and stared out the window hoping Kiki would ignore the cat in the carrier an old woman just hauled into the tiny waiting room.
When did my life become so mundane? It seemed only a short while ago her life was so full. The days flew by and she never had the time for boredom. They spent all summer on the digs and their winters in the warehouses opening boxes always searching for lost pieces of historical treasure. Now her life was grading papers and inhaling chalk dust. It's my own fault, she chided herself. I choose to stay here.
"Kagome and Kikyo Higurashi, room five is ready for you." The sound of her name snapped Kagome out of her thoughts. After five years she still winced at the American way of reversing her proper name. She stood and Kiki whined.
Kagome tugged on Kiki's lead. "Come!"
The dog's liquid golden eyes pleaded with her.
"Not today sister. Now heel!" The dog reluctantly stood and was half walked and half dragged down the hall to room five.
Kagome fished her wallet from her purse in search of her visa check card with one hand and held Kiki's taunt leash in the other. The receptionist stood and held the leash while Kagome signed the credit slip. She made conversation in a killer nasal Jersey accent.
"She's a beautiful dog. I always loved Golden retrievers. They have the biggest hearts. And what an unusual name Kikyo. It must be Japanese like you, huh?"
Kagome smiled. "Ah yes, it is. But it doesn't suit her. I changed it to Kiki."
"What a shame but then ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right? Would you like me to update her name in her records?"
"Please. I would appreciate it."
Kagome brought the Jeep Cherokee to a stop in her small driveway and Kiki's ears perked up at the sight of their house. Kagome climbed out and Kiki bounded out behind her. She loved the gas guzzling SUV but it had outlived its purpose. She no longer needed its room or four wheel drive. It was so hard to let go of the past. I really should just trade it in and get it over with. It would do wonders for my insurance and gas budget.
She opened her mail box and pulled out a card. She smiled. Even though he was swamped in his first year of med school he still remembered my birthday. The card's envelope was covered in Souta's tiny school room grade English print. She ripped the envelope open and removed a card. The front was a picture of them back when she was still in junior high. Souta was sticking his tongue out at her and she was shaking her fist at him. She opened it and read in Japanese script:
Even though I got all the brains and looks in this family, you still have my heart. Happy 30th sis! I will see you Christmas, so start shopping for me now cause I am bringing an extra empty suitcase for all of your gifts! Love, Souta.
Kagome blinked away a tear. It was 99 degrees in the South Carolina sun and December seemed so far away. It was good of Souta to come. He did not want her to spend another Christmas alone on the other side of the world. She gathered the rest of the mail, all junk, and plucked the Saturday edition of the Charleston Post and Carrier from the newspaper box.
"Kiki! Here girl." The dog bounded across the yard at her name. Her tail wagged and its furry fringes waved behind her like a flag. Kagome tossed her the paper and Kiki diligently carried it to the door. It's a damned shame the dog couldn't reach the box, thought Kagome for the hundredth time.
She entered her kitchen and was greeted by the site of numerous empty Chinese food take out containers. Kagome pulled the trash can up to the counter and with one sweep of her arm knocked them into the can. The dishes are done!
Now what? The voices of her colleagues filled her ears. Her assistant professor Kim Hampton:
"Kagome, you shouldn't stay cooped up in that old house all the time. Come out with us Saturday. We'll teach you how to Shag. It'll be fun."
"No I have too much work. Another time maybe, thanks."
Darryl Taylor who also taught history:
"It isn't healthy to lock yourself away. Come to my wife's dinner party, she's serving shrimp and grits. She has a nice single friend who attending she'd like you to meet."
"Thanks but I'm just not ready."
She was alone but it was by choice. She just wasn't ready to deal with dating or socializing or leaving the house for that matter. Wasn't that why she had left DC? So she moved here and started working in the College of Charleston's history department. Just to get away from it all? The work, the pressure and the memories. She'd given up her first love, archaeology in the hopes it would be easier than continuing their work by herself.
Archaeology my first love, who am I kidding? My first love was Inuyasha. Hojo was next then Archaeology. She reached down and patted Kiki's head. "Girl if you stopped misbehaving you could still be my fourth love."
Kiki huffed and gave her an odd look before trotting off into the den. Kagome pulled out a chair from the table and sat down. She slid out a stack of badly written essay exams. She was uncapping her red ink pen in anticipation when she noticed her answering machine message light was blinking.
Damn, probably another telemarketer, or worse a desperate student. She reached over the tests and pressed the tiny button. Japanese spoken in an elderly man's voice filled the kitchen.
"Dr. Higurashi Kagome-san, this is Nagasaki Matso. I sent you a package on the order of Hojo-san. He wanted it to be a surprise but the package is too valuable for me to risk blindly mailing it to you. Please call me upon receipt. Also accept my deepest condolences. He was an asset to the archeological world and a good man."
Beep. "Next message."
"Ms. Higurashi, this is UPS. We have a highly insured package and would like you to notify us with a delivery time. Or you may sign for it and pick it up at our Meeting Street location. We are open until three. Thank you."
Kagome blinked. What the hell? A package, no a surprise from Hojo? How? He died last year. He must have arranged this before the cancer hospice. Or maybe after, he was always so clever.
She was overcome with hot tears and wiped them away with a rough kitchen towel. Her eyes found the clock on the stove. Its red light assured her it was only 2:30. She still had time if she hurried.