Chapter Eight
Sesshomaru snarled softly at the vile scent that hit his nose the moment he had exited his car. The Hirgarashi shrine had fallen into an almost blasphemous state of disrepair but that was not what caused the foul stench. The very air around the shrine was heavy with past anguish and pain as well as the presence of its cause. Sesshomaru flexed his claws and began to ascend the shrine steps. He had confronted Kagome on the subject of her stepfather and, though she had not actually said anything to confirm his beliefs, her silence and the intense anguish and shame in her eyes had spoken volumes.
Sesshomaru reach the front door of the small two-story and rang the doorbell. When no one opened the door he rang again, annoyance beginning to combine with his rage, making his control on his temper that much more slippery. Finally, on the third ring, a rough, slurring voice shouted for him to 'hold on a minute!' The door opened, revealing a very intoxicated middle aged man with a rather protruding round belly. Sesshomaru felt his upper lip curl in disgust.
Mamoru stared out at the tall aristocratic looking man with unfocused bloodshot eyes. "Wha the hell do you want?"
Sesshomaru flexed his claws, wishing to simply disembowel the worthless trash before him and then hang him with his own small intestine. Instead he held out a check, written out with a rather large sum. "You have two options; you can take this money and relocate your pathetic self as far from the city of Tokyo as possible or I can inform certain… authorities of your disgusting treatment of a certain Kagome Hirgarashi and I assure you that my authorities have a very special way of dealing with your sort."
Mamoru blinked a few times, attempting to process the man's words and count the zero's on the check held out before him, a process that was taking far longer than Sesshomaru cared for. Finally, the brain devastated by years of severe alcohol abuse registered everything and he swallowed hard to keep the growing lump from forming in his throat. "Ah, okay than." He took the check with a shaking hand. "When do you want me out?"
"In three days."
"Right."
Sesshomaru turned and swiftly left the shrine, wanting to be away from the man's foul, unwashed scent. Part of him felt disappointed; he had really wanted to have the man eliminated but his and his company's reputation were at stake, he couldn't mbe connected to a murder. "Ah well," he murmured as he got back into his waiting limo. "At least she will be able to return to the past now." And really, that was all that mattered.
When he entered Kagome's room, he found the miko pacing restlessly across her suite. A small smirk graced his lips. She was so engrossed in thought that she had not even sensed his presence. "Are you trying to wear a hole in my carpet?"
His question visibly startled her as she jumped and quickly turned to face him. "Damnit Sesshomaru, you almost gave me a heart attack!" She had placed one long fingered hand on her chest a glared at the amused Taiyoukai.
Inwardly, Sesshomaru was chuckling. There was a bit of that spark he had remembered from long ago. On the outside however, he merely raised a brow. "It is not my fault you were not aware of my presence."
He watched with interest as she suppressed a comeback, retreating once again behind that meek wall she had erected around herself. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to ruin your carpet," she muttered softly. She dropped her head and stared at the floor. "Listen Sesshomaru, I've been thinking. I can't let him stop me from fixing the past so…"
Sesshomaru cut her off mid-sentence. "It is already taken care of. Your stepfather will be gone in three days time."
The thankful and bruised look in her eyes tore at that nagging guilt that had developed over the past five-hundred years as well as something else he couldn't identify. He suppressed the strange urge to take her into his arms and hold her tight.
"I'm sorry I had to inconvenience you…" Her eyes had once again dropped to the floor and her aura was filled with shame.
Sesshomaru suppressed a growl and walked forward, lifting Kagome's chin so she had to look him in the eye. "What are you so ashamed of Kagome?" The question was stated in a flat, even voice, one that demanded an answer.
"Kagome's eyes clouded over, making them a hazy, stormy blue and she tried to pull out of the demon's grasp.
"Kagome, answer me." Sesshomaru's grip held strong and his voice turned coaxing, almost soothing.
Kagome couldn't take it anymore, couldn't take her once enemy's kindness. "Because I let me do what he did to me!" Tears began to roll down her cheeks, salty and hot. "I let that bastard get away with beating and raping me! I never went to the police or anything; I was too scared, too weak! It's my fault he did what he did because I allowed it!" She struggled to get out of Sesshomaru's grasp.
During Kagome's confession, Sesshomaru felt himself growing more and more enraged. Not only had the bastard raped and abused her, but he had warped her mind to the point where she didn't even have sense of her own self-worth anymore; where she couldn't trust her own senses. "Listen to me Kagome, you never let him do anything to you. I know why you never reported it, you were afraid that when he was arrested your family wouldn't have the money to take care of your mother, grandfather, or brother, especially with your mother being sick. That doesn't mean you ever let him do anything."
The look in her eyes this time was ten times more heartbreaking than the one when she had found out Mamoru wouldn't be there when she went back through the well. "How can you say that," she whispered half brokenly, half hopefully.
"I say it because it is true," he replied simply, "and you should understand that as well."
Kagome sagged weakly against him, tears still rolling silently down her face. "Thank you Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru allowed her to lean on him and smiled at her whispered thanks. Finally, he sensed, Kagome was beginning to heal.
Sesshomaru stared out of the limo's window as he and Kagome headed to the shrine. Today was the day, the day he had been waiting for over five hundred years and yet he didn't feel quite as pleased as he had expected to feel. Perhaps it was due to the waves of nervousness and anxiety rolling off of the woman beside him that dampened his mood. He shifted slightly so he could watch her out of the corner of his eye.
She held herself rigidly, hands twisting anxiously in her lap. Though they had spent the last three days preparing for this trip she was still edgy. It had helped to ease her nerves a bit when he agreed to take care of her younger brother's education and living arrangements, but it couldn't put her completely at ease. In truth, he was still amazed with this woman. Despite all the horrors of her past, she still did anything for those she loved. She had listened to more in-depth descriptions of what had happened in the past over the last three days and bore it with a strength he hadn't believed possible for a human woman, especially one with her past. It pleased him to see that inner flame coming back to life in her.
The limo pulled up to the shrine and stopped. He watched Kagome visibly steel herself before he exited the limo to open her door and help her out. The hand that grasped his was shaking, but her expression was firm. Together, they ascended the stairs.
Kagome looked about her in despair at the state of her childhood home. Mamoru had seriously let the place go. The old well house came into view, just as rundown looking as the rest of the property. Sesshomaru took her hand, causing her to look at him in surprise, and led her into the well house.
Kagome stared down into the depths of the well, hundreds of memories of her previous travels rushing to the front of her mind and strengthening her determination to save her friends and fix the past. Sesshomaru watched all this flit across her face in a series of different emotions. She was ready.
"Before you go Kagome I want you to take this." He withdrew from his pocket a delicate silver necklace with a crescent moon charm. Kagome looked at the necklace curiously, questioning with her eyes as he clasped it around her slender neck. "I want you to find my past self and travel with me. This necklace will be proof of your intent for it the necklace I gave to my ward Rin and she will be wearing it as well. My past self will train you and, with your knowledge of the future, be able to aid you in preventing the catastrophes from happening."
Kagome gently fingered the necklace hanging about her neck and smiled softly at Sesshomaru. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."
He nodded. As she turned away, preparing to jump down the well, the odd urge to hold her tightly surfaced once again. This time he didn't try to fight it.
"Kagome," he called softly just as she was about to slide over the edge of the well. She turned and looked at him, the old fire and determination in her eyes. He closed to distance between them and quickly kissed her before pushing her back into the well.
Okay, I am SO sorry about the long wait! I've been spending my entire summer working and doing all this shit I have to do to transfer schools such as finding an apartment, scheduling classes, and all that other fun stuff. Word of advice to those who have yet to go to college: Don't transfer unless you absolutely have to. Anyway, this one is for you Mei Mei! Much love!