Assassination

A/N: I have reviews!!! I'm as happy as a...happy person! Brand spanking new chapter. And, before anyone asks, no, Inuyasha and Kagome don't get all lovey-dovey till later.
ONWARDS!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth. and nuttin but de truth?"
"That I do."
"Do you own Inuyasha."
"Why, yes I do."
*THUNDERBOLT*
"Um, no. No, I do not."
*Cue silent weeping*


CHAPTER THREE: Pain and Guilt

Inuyasha sat, head still hung, in his family’s mansion. The huge ballroom was filled with nothing but people in black, all milling around quietly, none brave enough to venture to the corner he had every intention of occupying until he died.

He really didn’t mind if he died that very moment, in this very chair. He even found himself praying for it.

Perhaps if he died, he could find Kikyo easily in the afterlife.

Surely she would be happy to see him. Besides, it wasn’t as if he had anything to live for. The love of his life was gone. Never to return. Sure, she might be reincarnated, but what were the odds that he would find her again?
Slim to nonexistent, that’s what. But if he died so soon after her, maybe he could find her and they could be together forever.

He found himself warming to the idea, to the point that he even cracked a small grin.

Besides, Kikyo had promised to wait for him in the afterlife if she died before him. And he had promised to follow her to the depths of the worst hell to bring her back if he had to. If there was one thing Inuyasha Kingreaves was, it was that he was a hanyou of his word.


*************


“Sesshomaru, how is he?” Sesshomaru turned at the soft voice behind him, to see the worried blue eyes of Kagome Higurashi fixed on Inuyasha, who still sat motionless in the corner.

“His fiancée just died, Kagome. How do you think he is?” Sesshomaru asked coolly.

Kagome switched her eyes to his, blue eyes wide in horror.

“What a cruel thing to say.” She breathed, obviously hurt.

“Sorry. It’s just…hard.” He mumbled, golden gaze switching back to his younger brother.

Their father was on his way, having been in an international business meeting in America. Perhaps he could get Inuyasha to talk, to shake him out of this terrifying downward spiral he seemed hell-bent on sinking into.

A hand at his arm had him looking down. Kagome put her hand comfortingly, saying without words that she, too, understood.

“But why would someone want to kill Kikyo? Everyone likes her.”

Sesshomaru looked down, realizing belatedly that she seemed detached, almost distant. Everyone had, to some extent, grieved openly, but not her. She had stood tall and strong, a visible pillar of strength that they all had leaned on, especially the children. He filed it away for further investigation, before sighing and shrugging marginally.

“I have no idea.”

“Do the police know anything?” she asked quietly.

“Just that the bullet used was a special one whose make matches the bullets from several other high-profile murders over the past few years.”

“Someone had her assassinated?” Kagome asked, voice colored with utmost shock.

“It would seem so.” Sesshomaru said grimly.


***************


Kaede Innesly sat hunched in a corner, her best friend Rin Kingreaves’ arm slung over her shoulders. Their boyfriends Shippo and Souta Higurashi sat in front of them, staring at the floor silently.
After bawling uncontrollably in the church, Kaede had gathered herself, dried her eyes, and led the descent of the coffin from the church all the way to the graveyard with dry eyes.

--------------------

Kaede stood silently at the gravesite, staring down in horror at the dark, menacing hole stretching, to her eyes, straight to the bowels of hell. The gravediggers stood silent and respectful, waiting for a signal. She knew that she could have them open the lid so she could say her final goodbyes, but she knew that whatever was in that box of wood and silk was not her Kikyo.

With a nod, she indicated that they could begin lowering the casket, a task they sprung to quickly, quietly and efficiently.

Soon, the box was gently gliding down, and stopped, hitting the hard earth with a solid smack. Kaede stooped down, scooping up a handful of the soft earth. As she tossed first one, then another, and another, onto the lid of the casket, she inwardly winced at the echo, at each sound, at each reminder that there was no one in the coffin.

As she finished, she dusted her hands frantically, trying to get rid of the reminder, trying to wipe the death off her hands. A handkerchief appeared, and she took it, knowing Kagome had offered it.
Kagome, who she had leaned on heavily all the way from the red carpet to this grave.

Kagome, who she loved as a sister, as she had loved Kikyo.

Kagome, who she had yet to look fully at.

--------------------

Her friends didn’t push her, for which she was eternally grateful. However, she was carefully avoiding her boyfriend Shippo’s adoptive mother, Kagome, because of her immense physical resemblance to Kikyo. She loved Kagome almost as much as she did Kikyo, but she couldn’t deal with seeing her sister’s face so soon after her death. Thank God the Kingreaves Mansion was huge. She could easily avoid Kagome tonight.

She knew, however, that she could not do so forever.

That was okay. Just once she didn’t have to do it on the night of her only family’s funeral.

She knew that she was the sole beneficiary of Kikyo’s vast fortune, and on some level she was grateful that her precious older sister had provided for her for the rest of her days.

The rest of her wanted badly to burn all the money if she could get her sister back.

Why Kikyo? She was all Kaede had in the world. Without her older sister, she was alone.

Lost.

Orphaned.

Which all sucked.


**********************


Kagome stared hopelessly at the bowed silver head of Inuyasha, wanting greatly to draw him into her arms and soothe away all his pain. Her friends, Sango Grange and Miroku Cardiff, were trying valiantly to carry on a conversation, but Kagome paid them no attention.

Inuyasha dropped his chin into his cupped hands, and she saw, with a sharp pang, that he still wore the simple gold engagement band on his ring finger he had placed there when he and Kikyo got engaged.
Now was not the time to offer comfort. He still loved Kikyo deeply, and Kagome needed to give him both space and time. Both of which she had in abundance.

The problem she faced now was how to get over her own raging guilt.
Somehow, it was her fault that Kikyo had died.
No, she hadn't pulled the trigger, and she remembered racing up the red carpet to Inuyasha's side as soon as she felt Kikyo's life force abruptly disappear. She remembered skidding to a halt next to the intertwined couple, she remembered her hands reaching desperately for Kikyo. She remembered ignoring the photographers, the celebrities, everyone, as her hands levitated above the obscene hole in Kikyo's chest.

And she remembered looking straight into Inuyasha's eyes and seeing the horrible truth there.

She was too late.

And now, her useless hands clasped convulsively into tight fists, her nails digging almost painfully into her palms. She stared, unseeing, at Inuyasha, and knew that he was in unspeakable pain. And her heart ached in tandem with his pain. And she wished her spiritual powers extended to healing a broken heart.

She turned away, her startled eyes colliding with the picture of Kikyo smiling back at her, lit by countless candles. She looked into her friend's eyes and resolved to drag Inuyasha out of his misery. Kicking and screaming, even if it destroyed her as well.


********************


The black-clad woman blended in perfectly with the mourners in the Kingreaves Mansion. Somehow, she felt drawn to this victim in particular. She knew it was exceedingly foolish to show up at Kikyo Innesly’s post-burial wake, but she couldn’t help herself. She comforted herself by saying that she was on a reconnaissance mission for her next target, one Inuyasha Kingreaves, who she spotted immediately, sitting stiffly in a chair tucked deep in an isolated corner.

Grief radiated off the man in waves, so thick that she could practically see them. Again, she felt the twinge of remorse she always got when she saw this particular man grieving over a death that was all her doing.

She quickly shook it off, however, steeling herself for her job.

She was still debating over whether or not she would accept the contract on Inuyasha’s life. She was, after all, the best of the best, and she could say no.

But she found herself intrigued by the group of close-knit friends that comprised Kikyo Innesly’s charmed inner circle.

She had no idea why she was so fascinated.

She was going to find out.

Then she’d kill Inuyasha Kingreaves.


A/N: So? Watcha thinkin?

I think this is the last one I rewrote extensively. No wait, I lie. The next one is plenty fixed. And the one after that should be fine. Hopefully. I'll get the rest up very soon. But I'm really sleepy now.


Next chapter: CONFRONTATION!!!

Titaness.