Fated Hearts

I don’t own any of these names or Inuyasha, but I do own the story.
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~~~Fated Hearts~~~

~~~Chapter 5: Jig is Up~~~

Kagome tossed and turned in her bed sweat pouring from her body. She was having yet another one of her nightmares. No matter what she did, or how much time passed, she could not get that bloody night out of her memories. It was forever etched in her mind, haunting her, never allowing her peace of mind, and never letting her rest.

But then again, if you saw your family slaughtered right in front of you and were unable to do anything about it but watch from your hiding place, you would most likely have nightmares about that too.

The malicious faces of the ones who killed them, the ones they never found, the ones that came after her time and time again, especially in her dreams. Ever since it happened six years ago she has been running, trying to forget, trying to hide from the people who murdered her family. But regardless of how much she thought she had forgotten, she was constantly reminded by her dreams. Her family’s names echoing off inside her head, the bloody images replaying in her mind, and the blurred visions of their killers.

She abruptly awoke letting out a muffled scream as she snapped out of the reality of the dream. She was drenched in sweat from head to toe and as she calmed herself down, she realized it was almost time to get up anyway. She managed to drag herself out of bed and into her shower, eyes still closed and still wearing her clothes.

About halfway through the shower she realized her mistake and slowly removed her clothing. Waking up this early was a lot harder than she thought it was going to be. “I hope he appreciates this, cause Kimmi’s gonna kill me when I get there. She always snips when she has to do extra work. But then again, she does have a point. It does make me late.”

She dragged herself out of the shower and slowly dressed herself, carefully picking out one of her cuter dresses to wear. It was a pale yellow with pink butterflies on it that flowed gracefully in the wind. The neck was low enough to show off, but modest enough so she didn’t look eager to please him. The thought struck her odd. Why was she trying to please him anyway? He’s engaged, off limits, and from what Sango said, very loyal.

It took near an hour to shower and to dress, but she managed to get out the door on time. As she looked at her watch she decided that being on time might make her seem a bit anxious, and she definitely didn’t want that so she decided to show up ten minutes late.

Inuyasha had the same idea as Kagome, and at ten after seven, both of them ran smack dab into each other as they entered the walkway to the gardens. Inuyasha quickly helped her off of the ground. “I am so sorry, I didn’t see you coming.”

Kagome looked up at him and smiled. “That’s okay. I’m as much to blame as you are.” She studied him for a minute then laughed. “You’re not a morning person either, are you?”

“Hell no! I enjoy sleeping in till noon and going to bed late. This early bird shit kills me.” He gently grabbed her hand and led her back to the hotel and smiled back at her. “We both need some coffee then?”

Kagome felt her whole body tingle as he grasped her hand within his and she smiled at him tenderly. “I would love some.”

They got their coffees and then went back to their spot overlooking the ocean in the gardens. They sat there for a minute in a comfortable silence, waiting for the coffee to perk them up. Kagome gazed at him over her coffee cup and smiled, his warm golden eyes meeting hers. She felt her body melt, but then what Sango said about him flashed through her mind, freezing that feeling. “Inuyasha?” she asked with uncertainty.

“Yes Kagome?” he answered, loving how her name came off of his lips.

“Do you miss your fiancée?” Her eyes saddened at the remembrance of this woman that held his heart, but she quickly regained her composure before he noticed.

Inuyasha cursed himself for ever telling anyone that he was engaged, especially to a dead girl that no one would ever be able to meet. He hated to have to involve her with this lie, but then answering her question really wasn’t lying. “I miss her with all my heart.”

Kagome’s heart sank as he said those words and she felt like she was about to cry. For what reason she was unsure, she couldn’t possibly have any feelings for him already. So she continued the conversation, ignoring the sinking feeling that was beginning to overwhelm her as she continued. “I bet she is very beautiful to have caught your eye and have kept it on her. From what Sango tells me your eyes never wander. Do you have a picture of her? Would you mind if I saw what she looks like?”

Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement. The picture was several years old, but he still kept it in the back of his wallet. It was his favorite picture of her sitting under a sakura tree on swing wearing a beautiful sundress. He pulled it out and showed Kikyo’s seven-year-old picture to Kagome, not expecting the reaction he was about to get. “This is a really old picture of Kikyo. I’m sorry I don’t have any others. But this was always her best picture anyway.”

Kagome’s eyes widened with shock. She couldn’t believe who it was she was looking at in the picture and the name that came out of his mouth. As the memories flooded her mind her whole body began to shake and she quickly got up and backed away from Inuyasha.

The dreaded night flashed in front of her eyes, and she couldn’t get their faces out of her mind, and Kikyo’s face was burned into her brain. She needed to get away. If he was associated with that imitation of a woman, it could only mean trouble to her.

Inuyasha looked at her with confusion as he saw the wave of pure terror flash in her eyes. “What’s wrong Kagome?” He got up to help her as she stumbled back, away from him, away from the picture.

She waved him frantically away in defense. “No! Stay away! Don’t come near me!” As he stopped approaching she curled up in a ball and tears began to pour down her cheeks.

She didn’t know what to do. For some reason something in her was telling he would never hurt her, but then again, he was associated with the woman that helped killed her family.

Inuyasha stood there with his jaw slack at the display going on in front of him. He had no clue as to what was wrong, but he knew it had to do with Kikyo’s picture. The question was how would she know Kikyo?

He knelt down and looked at her, trying to get her to look him in his eyes. It took several minutes, but when she finally did, he tried to calm her down. He needed to find out what was wrong. “Kagome, I don’t know what you’re thinking but I’m not going to hurt you. Please tell me what’s wrong. How do you know Kikyo?”

Kagome began to sob heavily, almost so heavily that he couldn’t understand what was coming out of her mouth. “It’s her! You’re engaged to her! He’ll get me! I just know he will! She’ll tell him!” She just sat there hugging her knees tightly to her chest, rocking back and forth.

He made his way over to her side slowly, scared she would take off. She really didn’t need to go anywhere in this condition, and for some strange reason he had and urge to protect her and ease her pain.

When she didn’t back away he knelt down next to her and held her to him. “Shhh, it’s okay.” He soothed, running his hands through her hair. “I don’t know how you think you know Kikyo, but she’s not here anymore. She’s dead.” He continued to run his fingers through her soft, silky hair, trying to calm the many sobs shaking her whole body. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t bare to see her cry. If it had been someone else, he wouldn’t have cared less.

As she calmed down she looked at him with uncertainty. She didn’t know whether to trust him or not. “If she’s dead, then how are you engaged to her?”

He helped her to her feet and looked around, there were too many places for a person to hide in the gardens so he took her to the sands of the beach. With his arm wrapped around her waist for support, they walked down the beach. “I kinda lied. I was engaged to Kikyo about seven years ago, but she was murdered while I was away.” He hung his head as a pang of guilt hit his heart. He should have been there to protect her. “I told Kirara I was engaged. I was hoping that being engaged would keep me out of trouble.” He smiled and looked at her face and in her beautiful silver eyes. “But, then again, I hadn’t planned on meeting you. If I had only known.”

She blushed slightly at his last comment, but the terrified look never left her face, and her frown spread more across her lips. “She’s not dead. I don’t know what you saw, but I know she isn’t dead.”

Anger washed over Inuyasha’s caring features quickly, and his eyes shown like the fire in the sun. He turned to face Kagome, grabbing her by the shoulders, unable to control himself. “How can you tell me not to believe what I saw with my own eyes? She is dead! I saw her bloodied body! I held her cold, limp body in my own hands. I have had to deal with that fact for seven years now! And now you are going to try to tell me she’s not! Why in hell should I believe you!?”

Kagome just looked at him wide-eyed in shock, never moving. She hadn’t expected him to yell at her. Tears began to stream down her face as the memories flooded back yet again. Yes, she was certain it was Kikyo with that thing. She would never be able to forget or mistake that face.

Seeing the tears caused Inuyasha to release his grip, thinking he was hurting her. He was about to apologize for his outburst, but she spoke before he could. “I saw her about six years ago, with another man named Naraku.”

As the named rolled off her tongue she whole body began to shake. She hadn’t spoken that name in a very long time. Just the mention of his name scared her to death. She collapsed in on herself as more memories flooded her brain. She began to sob heavily and fell down into the warmth of the sand. “I watched them both murder my family! He didn’t leave fingerprints, and hers came up to be a dead girl’s! Now I know why!” Not even Sango knew about all of this.

His mind raced, unable to process what she had just said. Kikyo had been alive all these years, hiding, killing, and with that monster. Inuyasha was infuriated. The one who he watched kill his mother, who he thought had killed Kikyo, was with her now.

Inuyasha kneeled down beside Kagome and held her close to his body. He knew exactly how she felt. “I am so sorry Kagome. I wish I had never brought this up.”

Kagome wiped the tears from under her eyes, and looked into his, finding comfort in them. “Did you ever see Naraku? I think I did, but I only remember in my nightmares.”

“Yes.” Inuyasha swallowed hard, bringing up memories that were trying to be erased hurt his heart. “I watched him kill my mother when I was six.”

“Must be a pattern of his. Be glad you didn’t have a grandpa and a brother around to watch die too. I hid in the cupboards but I could see through the cracks. I remember everything but his face.”

Inuyasha turned his face away from hers as the tears began to stream down his face. “My mother knew he was coming for her. She put me in the closet and told him I was still in school. She told me to stay, not to open the door. But when she screamed…” He looked up into Kagome’s eyes. “I had to make sure she was okay. But she was dead, throat slit from ear to ear.” He cringed as the memories of that day flashed back into his mind.

They were both snapped back to reality when the tide had reached where they were sitting, soaking them from the knee down. “Shit!” Kagome cursed. “This is my favorite dress!”

Inuyasha laughed as the mood lightened and brushed himself off as he stood up and checked his watch. “Well, we didn’t get to practice our lines, but I think we will work fine together. Don’t you?”

“I agree, but Kimmi is going to kill me! Look at my hair! It’s all full of sand!” Kagome stomped her feet. “Don’t expect me to be on time today!”

Inuyasha smiled and picked up a huge pile of sand. “In that case…”

Kagome squealed and the chase began. “No, you can’t do that! Then she’ll really kill me!” He chased her all the way back up to the gardens, until he finally caught up with her and plopped the huge amount of sand on her hair. “Noooo! My hair! You are so mean!”

“No, I just want to be able to get another cup of coffee before I shoot today. I don’t have a personal assistant that brings me whatever I need.” He smiled and grabbed her hand and pulled her inches away from his face. “Do me a favor?”

She nodded her head slowly, smiling, her body tingling at his closeness and touch. “Uh huh.”

He brought her even closer, his breath mixing with hers, and then whispered in her ear. “Meet me here tonight?” He released her and smiled, so tempted just to kiss her here and now. But he could already tell she was special, different from the rest, even Kikyo. It could wait, although it helped to know he would get to kiss her no matter what.

She stopped him before he left her side. “No one can know about this.” Her face was now serious.

He turned to her and smiled. “And no one can no I am not engaged.”

Kagome nodded her head in agreement and watched him walk off, her heart yearning more and more for his touch the further he stepped away. When he disappeared she made her way to the set, ready for the fit she was going to get from Kimmi.

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“What did you do to yourself?!” Kimmi cried as Kagome stepped into the trailer. “Sand in your hair, circles under your eyes! Do you know how much work you have made for me? I will never get you done in time!”

Kimmi smacked Kagome upside the head as she sat down to have her hair washed. “That’s for giving me all this work!”

Kagome just smiled and took her punishment, too much involved in her fantasies to pay attention to her at the moment. “If it makes you feel better, it was worth it, I had fun.”

Kimmi sighed as Shippou walked in. “Go tell Miroku she won’t be ready for another two hours at least. Just look at her!” Kimmi demanded him as soon as he walked in the trailer.

Shippou frowned, seeing the sand in her hair, knowing whom she had been with all morning long. “Alright. Kagome do you need anything while I’m out?”

“Coffee, lots of coffee!” She said an excited tone. This was the day she would get to actually kiss Inuyasha, although she had expected it earlier, wanted it.

Shippou eyed her as he walked outside, yelling out something before he left. “I hope you listened to what Sango…” was all she heard. But then again, she really didn’t care.

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