If You're Not The One

A/N: Enjoy this chapter. I really appreciate all of the reviews and love reading them. So, please continue to feed the author and her muse. Damn it, the muse is hungry. LOL
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When Kouga brought Kagome home, he handed her the box that she had bought at the restaurant. When she explained that it was for her neighbor and her reason why she bought it, his respect for her rose through the roof. The elderly lady that he had met lost her husband of sixty years to a heart attack and Kagome had taken the liberty of making sure the woman ate and was taken care of. Together, they walked to the lady’s door and he watched as Kagome knocked.

When the door opened, the lady peered out and then opened her door up further. Kagome smiled at the lady and said, “Hi, Kaede. I brought you something to eat.” Kagome handed her the box and the lady’s good eye seemed to glow with appreciation.

“Thank you, my dear. But, you know, I am old enough to take care of myself.” Kaede laughed, knowing full well that Kagome knew that fact, but would still come and look after her anyways.

Kagome smiled at her and then turned to go to her apartment, the nice looking young man grinned at her before following Kagome. Kaede suddenly remembered the other young man, and called out to Kagome.

“Kagome, dear. You had another visitor earlier this afternoon. He was a tall fellow, with long white hair and beautiful golden eyes. He left his number and asked that you call him as soon as you got in. Let me get that piece of paper that he left for you.” Kaede said, shuffling back into her apartment. She quickly returned and handed the piece of paper to Kagome. “I must say, my dear, you certainly attract some of the most handsome men I have ever seen. Save for my Totosai. Now, he was a god among men.”

Kagome gave Kaede a sympathetic smile. She watched as the older woman shook her head and then said, “You two don’t need to be hanging out with an old battle ax like me. Go have your fun.”

Kagome and Kouga laughed. They watched as Kaede closed her door, and Kagome waited until she and Kouga were inside her apartment to look at the piece of paper. A frown marred her features and she said, “Sesshomaru-Sama came back and wants me to call him. I wonder if something is wrong.”

Kouga shook his head. “Give him a call and I will wait.” He said, giving her a charming smile.

Kagome grinned at him. Turning to the phone, she dialed Sesshomaru’s number. When the line was picked up, Kagome asked to speak with Sesshomaru-Sama. When her employer came onto the line, Kagome greeted him and said, “Kaede told me that you stopped by and asked that I call you. Is everything alright?”

Sesshomaru’s voice was cool. “I would like for you to come to my home. There is a matter that needs to be discussed and I need the both of us prepared for it. Be here in one hour.” He said. Before Kagome could respond, he hung up on her, leaving her to look at the phone with a shocked expression upon her face.

Kouga noticed that she seemed upset. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me he fired you for going to the party with me. If he did, Kagome you have a place at my side. I think that you will be a much better assistant that Ginta.” He said, grinning at the prospect of having Kagome beside him at work.

Kagome giggled. “Ginta’s job is safe. But, I am afraid that I need to go. Sesshomaru-Sama wants to see me and when he talks, everyone listens. I’m sorry, Kouga.” She said, looking down at the floor.

Kouga sighed. “Listen, I will make a deal with you. You go and see Sesshomaru, and I will stay here and wait for you. When you get back, I will make us a nice dinner.” He said, flashing her a brilliant smile.

Kagome grinned. “I would like that. Ok, let’s do that. I am guessing that you can work a dvd player, so help yourself. I have got to get changed and go. He gets so pissy when anyone is late.” She said, rolling her eyes.

Kouga chuckled and watched as Kagome disappeared down the hallway. He took off his shoes and leaned back on her couch. Before she left, he would get the thing he had been thinking about all day long.

When Kagome reemerged, she had changed from a t-shirt and jeans to a black skirt and silk blouse. The heels that she wore made Kouga want to drool as his eyes traveled from her heels to her thighs. He would like nothing more than to run his hand up that silky leg until his fingertips met her panties, and oh, the possibilities were endless.

Kagome giggled as she watched Kouga’s eyes travel over her body. She knew that he was attracted to her, but when he started to pant, she decided that it was time for her to go see her boss and time for him to cool off.

“I will be back as soon as I can. Until then, behave.” She said as she grabbed her purse and walked to the door.

Kouga snorted. “Woman, I don’t know the meaning of the word, ‘behave’.” He said, enjoying the stern look that she was giving to him. When she started to laugh, Kouga moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her small frame. Without warning, Kouga’s lips gently caressed hers until she pulled back. “Kouga, I have to go. I will see you later.” She said, a slight blush crossing her face.

Kouga gave a sigh. “Alright, my sweet. Hurry back.” He said as he opened the door for her. Kagome smiled and left the apartment. He watched her go and then grinned. He loved the way her lips felt on his. He began to wonder what it would feel like to have her nude body pressed up against his. He took in a deep breath and tried to calm down the raging hormones that were driving him insane. He walked over to Kagome’s collection of dvds and picked out a movie. Yes, a nice, calming movie was what he needed to get his mind off of Kagome. After all, Hojo had told him that Kagome was not ready for any kind of sexual relationship and Kouga was more than willing to wait for her. He had a distinct feeling that he, his hand, and cold showers were going to be getting very cozy.
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When Kagome reached Sesshomaru’s home, she was quickly ushered inside and told to wait in the study. She looked around and realized that his study held several bookcases filled with old-looking books. Kagome approached one of the bookcases and took a book off of the shelf. She realized that it was a collection of poems and she flipped through until a poem caught her eye. She was reading the poem when Sesshomaru walked into his study.

Cocking an eyebrow at her, Sesshomaru moved to his desk and waited for her to finish whatever it was that she was reading. When she was done, Kagome closed the book with a sigh. She placed the book on the shelf and then turned to see Sesshomaru sitting at his desk. A blush crept onto her cheeks.

“Sorry, Sesshomaru-Sama. I love poetry, and I could not resist.” She said, giving him a small smile.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes a bit. It was rare for a woman not to notice his entrance into a room, but this woman was more concerned with a poem than him. It was unusual. He sat back and nodded. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Have you had dinner, Kagome? If not, you may join me. We have much to discuss.”

Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Umm, well, Kouga and I are supposed to have dinner. He is waiting for me at my apartment. So, please, if you want to eat, go ahead. What did you want to discuss?” She asked.

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened a bit. No woman had ever refused his dinner invitation before. He felt a tiny twinge in the pit of his stomach at the mention of Makasuno’s name. Did he ever mention how he hated that man? However, now was not the time.

“I am sure you remember that little display that Kagura put on at the party. I have told her to be in my office on Monday and you are to be present. I am going to fire Kagura and I want a witness should she decide to start threatening people.” Sesshomaru explained, paying very close attention to Kagome’s reaction.

Kagome nodded. Was this what was so important that she had to leave her date at her apartment and rush right over? She wanted to roll her eyes, however, she managed a nod. When she nodded, he continued. “I am promoting Yura to fill Kagura’s position and you are to inform Yura after our meeting with Kagura. I plan on being cruel with Kagura, Kagome. You will act as if everything is normal and you will not blink if I say anything that is rude or inhumane. This is the world we live in and I think that it is high time that Kagura got a taste of her own medicine.”

Kagome cocked an eyebrow. “May I speak freely?” She asked, knowing full well that she would anyways, but hey, she was trying to be polite. When he nodded, Kagome said, “Sesshomaru-Sama, you are the one who invited Kagura to go to the party. It is clear to me and everyone else that she has feelings for you, and yes, she did overdo it at the party, but is that really something that should cost her a job? Would it not be more beneficial to you to demote her? That would be humiliating. All Kagura would have to tell people that she had been intoxicated and when you dropped her off, you tried to take advantage of her, but she refused you, and that is the reason why you are firing her. If you demote her, she will not only look like a fool should, but also everyone will soon know the reasons for her demotion. Especially after I inform Nazuna about what happened, and Nazuna is friends with Koharu, and she is the office gossip, so by lunch, everyone will know about how Kagura acted. And should you promote Yura to Kagura’s spot, which will be more than enough punishment for Kagura. Kagura will suffer more this way than if you fire her, and you get some entertainment out of it.”

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair. He never even thought of that. He would have to consider it. Having Kagura’s humiliation exposed for everyone to see would be entertaining. He narrowed his eyes at Kagome. “Since we are speaking freely, may I ask why you are still seeing Makasuno? He is powerful, rich, and from what I have heard, handsome, but would you not be better off with someone else?” He asked.

Kagome felt her anger begin to bubble. She quickly swallowed the smart ass comment that she was about to make and gave her employer a sweet smile. “Kouga is very handsome, and he is a great kisser. I think that for the time being, I will see where this is headed.” She said, batting her eyelashes at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru’s expression never changed, but he was seething on the inside. Makasuno kissed her. That bastard. He cocked his head to the side and said, “Well, don’t expect it to last. Makasuno is quite the ladies man. From what I hear, he likes to wine and dine before having his way with them then leaving them in the dust. However, it is your choice with whom you dally with, as you once told me. Just don’t come crying to me when he dumps you.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “But, Sesshomaru-Sama, he told me that he loved me. He even said that we were meant for each other. Why, he took me out and we looked at rings together. Are you saying that he does this with other women?” Kagome asked, allowing her lips to quiver a bit. She hoped that he would take that bait.

Sesshomaru clenched his fists together. So, Makasuno was going to play that game, was he? Well, he would show Makasuno and Kagome that he did not care. Yeah, he was back on solid ground. “Kagome, I am not getting in the middle of this. You will have to wait and see. Until then, I wish you the best of luck, my dear. You are going to need it.” Score one for Takashiro.

Kagome wanted to smirk. She knew exactly what the man was up to. He was still on that ‘you can’t date my associates’ kick, but now he was changing tactics in midfight. He was going to try and play it off that he didn’t care. Good, that just made this little situation all that more enjoyable. Shaking her head, Kagome stood up. “Well, then since you don’t care anymore, we can both get back to normal. Are we done here, Sesshomaru-Sama. It is getting late, and I am sure that Kouga is wondering where I am and I am anxious to get back to my date.” She said.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. “Sit down, Kagome. We are not done and I will decide when this meeting is over.” He said, enjoying the way her face fell. Let Makasuno wait.

“I received a phone call from Kikyo this afternoon. She wanted to meet with me. Apparently, she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar and Inu Yasha broke up with her. Now, she is trying to wiggle back into my good graces. Kagome, she is not allowed to speak with or see me. Understand?” He asked.

Kagome simply nodded. Inu Yasha broke up with Kikyo. What had happened to make him leave her? “What did she do?” Kagome asked, hoping to get an answer.

Sesshomaru wanted to smirk. He picked up the paper and handed it to her. He watched as Kagome’s eyes grew wide with disbelief.

“I can’t believe that Mr. Onigumo would stoop so low. Kikyo is so beneath him.” Kagome said, her disgust obvious.

Sesshomaru chuckled lightly. “Onigumo is a very calculating man. It seems that his dislike for Inu Yasha exceeds my own. His intent was to humiliate Kikyo and put Inu Yasha in his place. Normally, I don’t approve of such things, but in this case, I will make an exception.” He said as he took the paper back from Kagome.

Kagome cringed. Sure, Mr. Onigumo was nice to her, but he creeped her out. She could not even imagine what it would be like to kiss him much less fuck him. She looked up and saw Sesshomaru’s eyes trained on her, but before she could say anything, the door opened and Jaken walked in, carrying two plates. He handed one to Kagome and then took the other to Sesshomaru. Kagome looked down and then looked at Sesshomaru. It was clear that from the look on his face, she would not leave without eating, so with a sigh, she took the fork and lifted some rice to her mouth. She prayed that whatever Kouga was going to fix would be nice and easy. Otherwise, she and her stomach would be up all night long.

Sesshomaru wanted to smirk. It was obvious to him that she was hungry, and he was not about to let her run back to Makasuno so quickly. He was coming to find that he enjoyed Kagome’s company, but he was unsure as to why. Sure, she was beautiful and smart, but so were all of the other women that he had come into contact with. With Kagome, there was something else that he could not put his finger on. Oh, well. He would figure it out one of these days. For now, it was enough to have her near.
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As he drove, Inu Yasha thought of many things. He thought about how many lies Kikyo had told him in the past, and he had to wonder if the reason why she pushed him so hard to marry her was due to financial reasons. He knew that Kikyo had never worked a day in her life. Her parents were rich, but her father made some very bad business decisions and landed the family in dire straights. But, the coward decided that instead of taking responsibility for his actions, he would take what money he did have left, and run off with it, and his secretary. Kikyo had once told him that her mother was a lying whore. She said that it was her mother’s fault why her father left and had she been smarter with the money, her father would have stayed with the family. However, Inu Yasha found out that what Kikyo had told him was simply not true. Her mother was actually a lovely woman, who managed to pull herself out of the gutter and start a small business that was now thriving. He had met her once and during that talk, she warned him about how fickle her daughter could be. He should have listened.

His thoughts turned to Kagome. What was she doing at that moment? Was she watching television and cooking dinner for herself? Was she on a date? After all, he had seen her with Kouga Makasuno and from the way he had his arm around her, it looked as though they were pretty cozy. Shaking his head, he recognized the area that he was in. He was in Kagome’s neighborhood. What could it hurt to stop by and apologize for his harsh words at the party?

Pulling into a parking space, Inu Yasha got out of his car and began to walk up the sidewalk that led to Kagome’s apartment. He could see that her blinds were open, but stopped when he saw a man walk up to the shelf she kept her movies on. He was not wearing a shirt and he looked quite comfortable in Kagome’s apartment, hell, he looked right at home.

Narrowing his eyes, Inu Yasha squinted and finally recognized the man. It was Kouga Makasuno and from the way he was acting, he was very familiar with Kagome’s apartment. Inu Yasha took a step back and shook his head. He had no right to be upset. He had no rights to Kagome, nor did he have any say in who she slept with. Turning around, Inu Yasha made his way back to his car and got in. He didn’t notice that Kouga had come to the window and saw him.
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Kouga’s eyes followed Inu Yasha’s car out of the parking lot. He wanted to go out and beat the shit out of the little punk for even coming to Kagome’s apartment. However, he smiled when he realized that the little dip-shit must have seen him and thought that he and Kagome were now sleeping together. Well, let him think that. Let him see that Kagome has moved on and no longer needed him around.

Smirking, Kouga walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator. He walked back into the living room and hit the pause button to restart his movie. Had he not spilled his last drink on himself, he would never had to pause it in the first place, but he did and now while he waited for his shirt to dry in Kagome’s dryer, he had to walk around shirtless, not that he minded, but he would have liked for Kagome’s to see him without his shirt. He was sure that she would like what he had to offer.

As he watched the movie, Kouga’s eyes began to grow heavy and soon, he was asleep.
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Kagome yawned into her hand. Sesshomaru had been on the phone for the past hour and told her to make herself comfortable with a book. Apparently, something had happened to one of his companies over in the states and now he had to deal with it. When he finally got off the phone, he looked over at Kagome and took note of her tired appearance. The thought of walking over to her, picking her up, and carrying her to his room crossed his mind, but he knew that she would never go for it, nor would he allow himself to do that to one of his employees. But, once. Just once he would like to taste her lips, even if it were only for a moment.

Shaking his head, he stood up and walked over to where Kagome was sitting. He held out his hand and watched as she placed her hand in his. He gently pulled her up, but he must have pulled too hard because Kagome ended up stumbling and fell into his arms. Her surprised gasp hit his ears and he wanted to wrap both of his arms around her soft body and hold her close. She was so much softer than Kikyo, and she smelled better. He helped her straighten up, and she quickly apologized. “I am so sorry, Sesshomaru-Sama. I guess I am a bit tired.” She said, not looking up at him.

Sesshomaru helped steady Kagome on her feet and said, “Do not worry yourself, Kagome. I have many women fall for me, you are simply no different.”

Kagome’s head snapped up and he roused himself for the comment that she was about to make. “That is not funny, Sesshomaru-Sama. I did not ‘fall for you’, as you put it. You pulled me and I tripped.” She hissed as she yanked her arms from his grip.

Sesshomaru cocked his eyebrow and shook his head. This woman had too many damn emotions. He stepped back from Kagome and said, “We are done for tonight, Kagome. Give Makasuno my best and tell him that it is my fault that you are late. After all, we would not want lover-boy to get upset with you, would we?”

Kagome glared at the tall man in front of her. However, she was simply too tired to say anything to him and turned to leave. She grabbed her purse and walked out of his office and saw that Jaken had already opened the door for her. She thanked the small man and exited the home. Walking to her car, she debated on calling Kouga, but decided to just show up. Hopefully, he would not be that upset with her. She opened her car door and got into the driver’s seat. Starting up the engine, she buckled up and then put the car into drive. As she made her way down the long driveway, she looked back and was startled to see Sesshomaru at the door, watching her drive away. Shaking her head, she directed her car towards the highway and made her way home.
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Sesshomaru watched Kagome leave and felt a slight twinge of loneliness in his stomach. He clenched his fists and turned around. He could not understand why Kagome would fall for someone like Makasuno. He was loud, arrogant, conceited, and on occasion, violent. He had caused a slight uproar about a year ago when he punched a man for a rude comment he had made about Makasuno’s current girlfriend. He had escaped prosecution, but the girl had broken up with Makasuno and had claimed that he was simply too controlling. Perhaps when Kagome saw Makasuno’s true colors, she would come to him to help get her out of the mess she had created, and he would take great pleasure in reminding her that it was he who told her not to date Makasuno. Yes, he would take great pleasure when he told her, “I told you so.”

He made his way up the stairs and towards his bedroom. He had heard Jaken close the door and lock it. When he was in his bedroom, he stripped down and went into his bathroom to take a bath. As the tub filled, Sesshomaru grabbed a towel and set it beside the tub. Stepping in, he hissed in pleasure as the hot water instantly began to sooth his aching muscles and frayed nerves. His eyes narrowed as he recalled that damn phone call that had interrupted his time with Kagome.

One of his companies in the Americas had been hit with a pretty severe computer virus and all of the data had been lost. As he spoke with the CEO of the company, he watched Kagome select a book and sit down on his couch. After a few moments, her eyes began to close and she kept trying to fall asleep, but would catch herself and shake her head. Her actions had amused him and he found that being around Kagome made him less tense. However, he could not stand her insolence that seemed to surface whenever he was near. She had been perfect at the party, and had she been on his arm, he would not have allowed her to leave his side. She was a beautiful woman and men, especially the men in his particular circle, did not care if she was attached or not. They would attempt to seduce her away without a second thought. Naraku Onigumo was a perfect example. He had seduced Kikyo and then discarded her without a care in the world. He would probably to the same to Kagome if he got his slimy hands upon her. However, she had not been on his arm, but rather, she had been on Makasuno’s arm and that bothered him to no end. Kouga Makasuno was a jerk. There was no doubt about that. He did not hesitate to insult someone, nor did he hesitate to use all of his resources to get what he wanted, and obviously, he wanted Kagome. Well, he would have a fight on his hands should he try and lure her from his company.

Sesshomaru shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He closed his eyes, and found himself wondering if Kagome ever thought of him the way he thought of her. He could see her come into his bathroom and remove her clothing. He could hear the sloshing of the water as she joined him in the tub and then felt her hands upon his chest as she leaned over to kiss him. He could not deny that he was attracted to her, but he was beginning to suspect that this mere attraction was quickly becoming an addiction, or for a better word, obsession.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed that the hot water had cooled considerably and he had to wonder how much time had gone by. It was clear that he had fallen into a light slumber, but he knew that not much time had passed. He stood up and glanced down at himself. Groaning, he looked over at the shower and shrugged. That damn woman had done something to him. He had never had this kind of reactions with other women, and now, he was sporting a hard on that was about to kill him it he didn’t find some way to get rid of it. He got out of the tub and went to the shower. He turned it on and fought the urge to shiver as the cold water splashed over his body. When his erection had died down, Sesshomaru turned off the water and grabbed his towel. He quickly dried off and went to his bed. As he climbed into the spacious bed, he turned off the lamp that sat beside his bed and he laid down on his back. Once he was comfortable, he closed his eyes. Images of Kagome underneath him flooded his brain and he felt the all too familiar stirring of his cock. He quickly opened his eyes and groaned. This was just not his day.
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Kagome had made it back to her apartment and noticed that a light was on. She had expected that Kouga had given up and gone home, but his car was still parked and she smiled. She quietly opened the door and found Kouga asleep on her couch. She quirked an eyebrow at him when she noticed that he was not wearing his shirt. She felt her cheeks burn and she quickly walked to her bedroom. She changed out of her outfit and heels to a pair of shorts and a tank top. Grabbing a large blanket, she made her way back to Kouga’s side and reached out to shake his shoulder. When he opened an eye, she smiled at him and said, “Stretch out. I am going to cover you with a blanket and will see you in the morning.”

Kouga sighed and did as she said, but just as she was about to cover him up, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to lay beside him. Kagome was stunned and when she moved, Kouga’s arms tightened a bit.

“Just sleep. That’s all I want to do, Kagome.” He muttered into her hair. She sighed and nodded. Why not. It isn’t like she is doing anything wrong, but if he thought that he was going to go where no man has gone before with her, he had another think coming. She did her best to cover them and then relaxed against him. She heard him sigh and she threw her arm around his waist. She felt him turn a bit so that he was on his back and she was on her side. She was snuggled between him and the back of the couch and…it was comfortable. She rested her head against him and closed her eyes. She felt herself drift and smiled. It had been too long since she had done something like this, and it felt good.
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Kikyo had never felt so lonely before in all of her life. She was sitting in her hotel room and had the contents of her purse laying on the bed. She had a couple hundred dollars on her and her credit cards, but to her dismay, Inu Yasha had cancelled her cards. She had attempted to buy dinner with the Mastercard, but it was quickly rejected. With her cheeks flaming, she pulled out some money and grabbed her food. She could feel the eyes upon her and knew that everyone recognized her. It was that damn Onigumo’s fault. He had probably set her up and she was going to confront him over it. He would probably lie, but she was an expert at lying, so she would be able to catch him and bust him in his lie.

She had called her friend Bankotsu and left a message on his answering machine. She then tried to call Inu Yasha, but the minute he heard her voice, he called her a whore and slammed the phone down in her ear. She called back and when the answering machine picked up, she said, “I understand that you are upset with me, but I am sorry and I do love you. However, you cannot simply toss me away, Inu Yasha. I know that you cut off my credit cards, and I demand that you turn them back on. I am still your wife and need to eat. You did the same thing to Kagome as I did to you, but I don’t see you feeling bad for your actions, so how can you condemn me for something that you have done? Please give me a call. I know that you are there and listening. We need to talk, and if you will not talk to me here, I will have to talk to you through a lawyer and you have placed me into a way of life that the courts will force you to continue. Remember, my love, you promised that you would always take care of me, and I will see that you keep your promise, even if I have a court force you to do so. I don’t want this to become ugly. This is the last thing you need right now. I am at “The Shikon Arms” room 308. I hope to talk to you soon.”

After she hung up, she noticed that her cell phone light was blinking, signaling that she had a voice message. She opened up the phone and dialed her voice mail. She had five new messages and none of them were friendly. They were from her friends and they were very ugly to her. Nani told her that she had always known that she was a whore and the front page confirmed her suspicions. She said that she never deserved Inu Yasha and that now that he was single, she would be more than happy to comfort him. She called her a lying bitch and then hung up. The other messages were not much better and Kikyo soon found herself reduced to tears.

Kikyo looked up when she heard a knock on the door. She got up and wiped her eyes. She went to the door and slowly opened it. When she saw her visitor, she took in a shaky breath and then said, “I really screwed up.” Kikyo watched as her visitor nodded and pulled her into his arms. He pushed open the door and led Kikyo back inside before closing the door. He walked her over to the bed and sat down beside her.

“Have you spoken with Inu Yasha?” Bankotsu asked, knowing by the look upon his friend’s face that she had and that it had not gone very well.

“I left a message for him, but I don’t think that he will be calling back, Bank. I really fucked up this time.” Kikyo replied. She lifted her face to her hands and sobbed.

Bankotsu shook his head. “I warned you, Kikyo. Hell, I told you to stay away from Inu Yasha and Sesshomaru, but you are so damn money hungry that you can’t see anything else. You are in a place that you helped put that other woman, Kagome. You cheated with her fiancé and then got him to leave her to marry you. I told you that you were headed for trouble, but you never listen to me and look where you are now.” He said, his anger apparent.

“Please don’t be mad at me, Bank. Please, I can’t take anyone else mad at me right now.” Kikyo whimpered. She heard him sigh and then pull her closer to him.

“When are you going to grow up, Kikyo? I am saddened to say this to you, but I can’t stay and watch you do this to yourself anymore. I do love you, but we have been through too much and you have made me worry about you for the last time. I have to let you go.” Bankotsu said gently. He knew that if he could force Kikyo to stand on her own two feet, then she would find a way to fix her own mess.

Kikyo yanked away from her oldest friend. “So, you are abandoning me as well?” She asked. When he did not answer, she turned away from him. Her mind was spinning and she could hear her own heart beating rapidly.

Bankotsu stared at Kikyo’s back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a check. “This will help you out some, until you can get back on your feet. For your sake, Kikyo, please reevaluate your life. You are out of control and only getting worse. I love you, but I cannot stand by and watch you destroy yourself. This is goodbye, Kikyo. Please do not contact me or Jakotsu. We are finished, and need to part ways to preserve our sanity and our relationship.” He said, moving to the door. When she did not respond, Bankotsu left her room and quietly closed the door. As he was about to walk to the elevators, he heard her sobs and felt his heart clench. However, he squared his shoulders and walked down the long hall.

Now, she was all alone. The only friend she could count on had given up on her and now she had nobody. She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. She was so tired. Tomorrow, she would come up with a plan, but just for the night, she would let herself cry. Tomorrow, those who hurt her would pay.