Hateful Pleasures

Chapter Three

All of my hate cannot be found, I will not be bound by your thoughtless scheming. You can try to tear me down, beat me to the ground, I will see you screaming…

Thoughtless, Evanescence

Music filled the air as Inuyasha and the others sat quietly, trying to enjoy their meals. They watched as various waiters and waitresses danced around as they did their jobs while a few of them sang along with the songs. “Kagome-sama sends her apologies for the wait. Please follow me.” A young waitress no more than seventeen said brightly.

The group got up and followed the waitress up a flight of stairs, wondering what made the miko want to see them. “Does your boss treat you well?” Sesshomaru questioned calmly.

“Oh, yes. Mistress Kagome and Master Kosuke are wonderful employers. They never raise their voices to anybody and if we need something, we can ask them for help.” The waitress answered as she smiled at them.

“Is that so?”

“Very much. Five years ago, the restaurant was closed for nearly two weeks.”

“Do you know why?”

“Mistress Kagome was badly injured. Master Haku was absolutely livid. He stood on the roof for nearly three days straight before going to the taijiya.”

A demon that willingly went to the taijiya? “What for?” Sesshomaru questioned.

“To talk to Master Kosuke and Mistress Kagome’s elder half siblings. I suppose that they each feared for her younger brother.”

“Younger brother? You mean Souta?” Inuyasha questioned.

The waitress nodded. “Kagome-sama loves him very much and has destroyed a few souls just to protect him.” The waitress blushed slightly. “He’s very handsome for a taijiya reincarnate.”

“Taijiya reincarnate?” Sango questioned.

“Of course,” a woman’s voice answered pleasantly. “Karin, I hope you haven’t said something that I’m going to be cross about.”

The waitress shook her head quickly before answering, “No, Kagome-sama.”

The group looked at Kagome, seeing that her hair was tied back into an elegant braid. She wore a deep blue dress that hugged her figure, drawing attention to her lightly scarred skin. “Will you please take Amaranth and Selena Rose with you, Karin? Natsumi will be here in about fifteen minutes to take them for an hour or so.”

“Of course. Um, Kagome-sama, may I request a-”

Karin looked confused when Kagome handed her a manila envelope, her eyes dancing lightly. “Have Kosuke look it over and translate it from lawyer.” Kagome answered with a pleasant look.

Karin’s eyes filled with tears as she took the manila envelope, throwing her arms around Kagome. “Oh, thank you!” Karin said with a pleased look. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Once your career takes off, don’t you ever go back to that dump.” Kagome said with a warning look. “If you wanna pay me back, that’s how you can do it.”

The young waitress nodded before calling for the two children. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared with wide eyes at the little boy and girl that came out of their mother’s office. “Who are they, Mommy?” The little girl questioned as she wrapped her fingers around one of her mother’s fingers.

“Mommy?” The little boy questioned.

Kagome leaned down slightly and planted a kiss on her son and daughter’s forehead. “Nobody you need to be concerned about. Now go with Karin and she’ll get you two a soda.” Kagome said gently.

The two children cheered happily before following Karin, talking to the young waitress with rapid voices. “Please,” the miko said with an amused smile, “step into my office.”

“You’ve been doing well for yourself, miko.” Sesshomaru said calmly. “That girl seems to worship the ground you walk on.”

“Karin? That girl’s got a bright future ahead of her. Of course, you wouldn’t have realized that a few years ago. Poor girl was digging through the trash trying to find something to eat. Came from a bad neighborhood and had decided to run away.”

“So how’d she come to work for you?”

Kagome smiled softly before answering, “She stole about four hundred yen. I told her that I wouldn’t press charges if she agreed to work here for a few months and once the few months was over, I asked if she’d be interested in keeping a position here.”

Miroku smiled a bit before answering, “You still have a kind heart, Kagome-sama.”

“I saw myself in her. If I hadn’t said anything, Haku would have made sure that she was locked up.”

“She hasn’t stolen anything from you?” Inuyasha questioned.

“Karin’s a good girl. A little on the odd side at times but her heart’s always been in the right place.”

Inuyasha eyed the miko before asking, “What do you want, Kagome?”

Kagome smiled at them before answering, “My human siblings request that you join us for dinner. Haku, Hitomi, Kosuke, and I are against it but Natsumi and Kimimaru both want to meet you guys.”

“So why are you the one extending the invitation?”

“Because I’m the only one other than Souta who knows how to speak civilly to those I’m not fond of.” Kagome answered with a slight frown. “Souta will be there so there won’t be any bloodshed. You guys may bring whoever you want, just call ahead with information regarding how many people there will be.”

Sesshomaru frowned slightly before answering, “You do realize that Hitomi stopped time for Rin.”

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment before answering, “I do realize that and I won’t make excuses for my sister.”

“She’s not your blood relative! She doesn’t care about you at all.” Miroku pointed out. “Kagome-sama, Haku and Hitomi each have a reputation that-”

“I’m fully aware of their reputations, Miroku.” Kagome said patiently. “Look, my half-sister asked me to request your presence at dinner. She didn’t tell me to convince any of you to go.”

“Who all will be there?” Sesshomaru questioned.

“Haku, Hitomi, Natsumi, Kimimaru, Kosuke, Souta, and myself.” Kagome answered before pausing for a moment. “Plus the twins so that’ll be nine.”

“You’re allowing Souta to go near two of the most dangerous demons to have ever existed?” Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome smiled before answering, “He’s my brother, Inuyasha. Besides, the twins like him and no one’s stupid enough to do anything to him with me still breathing.”

Inuyasha frowned, watching the miko carefully. She was far too relaxed for someone that was facing the people that had betrayed her. “Were you aware that your sister came to see us?” Sesshomaru questioned. “Not long after we…”

“Raped and beaten me.” Kagome prodded.

“Yes. Were you aware of that fact?”

Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, “I think she mentioned something about that. I don’t know for certain. I was busy at the time.”

“Doing what?” Inuyasha demanded.

“Healing.” She smiled darkly at them. “Trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I had gotten pregnant.”

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stared at the miko, seeing the dark humor in her eyes. “What became of the pup?” Sesshomaru questioned.

“Pups.” Kagome corrected before moving so she could comfortably cross her legs. “And I don’t see why you would be concerned. You all were determined to have me killed despite my promising that I would go home and you would never hear from me again.”

“Do you honestly believe that we would have believed you then?” Inuyasha demanded. “Now tell us what happened to the pups.”

Kagome snorted before answering, “You all saw them holding onto me. You know, those silver haired kids that were calling me “Mommy” and wanting to know who you guys were.”

“Who fathered them?” Good, Inuyasha sounded nervous.

The miko considered drawing it out for a while longer, to make Sesshomaru and Inuyasha sweat a bit. Which one would get landed with child support and have to pay a lawyer if they started bickering about custody over the children? They’d deserve it, she reasoned, and she wouldn’t feel guilty about making them wonder.

Besides, the twins were doing just fine without a father figure in their lives. They had three -four, she corrected herself- male figures in their lives and the two were content with the knowledge that she had been abandoned and left for dead because no one loved her anymore. “Give me a good reason to give up that tidbit of knowledge.” Kagome stated simply.

“You don’t want me angry, miko.” Sesshomaru growled.

“Why? Will you try to kill me again?” Kagome challenged with a frown. “If you’re going to threaten me, then be warned that I won’t spare my sister’s feelings and refrain from killing you.”

“There are ways to make you suffer. Having your children taken away will be one of them.”

Kagome smirked slightly before answering, “Then we’re on the same page. If you and Inuyasha really want to know, then fine. Just so you know, they’re also cousins.”

“How in the hell?” Inuyasha questioned.

“You both raped me. You each fertilized one egg. I got two babies.” Kagome said with a smirk. “Congratulations, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. One got a son and the other got a daughter. It’s just too bad.”

“What is?”

“It’s too bad that neither of you will get any form of custody.”