The second truth

Kagome yawned and stretched on her sleeping bag. She looked up to the night
table at the clock that read: nine a.m.. Knowing Sango had gone to school
that morning, Kagome sat up, stretched some more kinks out, grabbed her
change of clothes then headed for the bathroom. Today she was on her own.
Today she might do a little city sight seeing or...go visit her cousin.
Closing the bathroom door, Kagome frowned. She didn't like her cousin that
much. The girl, now woman, had turned into a real.... Okay, so she wasn't going
to let that word enter her mind but really, Kikyo was not a nice person.
Even though she was five years older, she didn't always act like an adult,
if at all. Her cousin was now the epitome of a snob: Filthy rich, stuck up,
better-than-thou attitude, and extremely rude.

Kagome sighed. Even though her cousin was a black sheep, she was still her
cousin, and that meant it would be unkind not to visit.

_________________________________________________________

The knock barked into her dreams. Rin blinked into the morning light that
was coming from her window.

With sleepy slowness, she got out of bed, walked to the door, then opened it
to find Sesshoumaru standing there. "Sesshoumaru...I thought.." Rin glanced
at the couch to see it empty.

Sesshoumaru walked in and shut the door. "I went to talk to Naraku."

The bottom dropped out of her stomach. "You did?"

He sat down on the couch and motioned for her to sit by him.

She did, eyeing him nervously. "If I may ask, what did you talk about?"

Running a hand through his black bangs, Sesshoumaru let out a long breath
and leaned back on the couch. "We need to talk."

"okay."

His hazel blue eyes stared forward with a serious gleam. "I have made a
deal with Naraku."

To Rin, it almost seemed like he was trying to avoid
looking at her. "What kind of deal?"

"I made a deal to buy you, Miroku, and Inuyasha from him."

Rin began to feel hope. "You mean...You are going to help us get away from
here? You bought us?"

Still not looking her in the eye, he nodded then turned to her. "Yes, I made a
deal so I could get you, Miroku, and Inuyasha out of here. I have something
very valuable that I am going to trade with, something more valuable than
money."

He was fidgeting. There was something more. She could sense it.

Sesshoumaru looked away again. Rin waited.

Finally, he continued. "Naraku placed a condition on the exchange. In order
to trade all of you for that item, he wants you to....he wants you, Miroku,
and Inuyasha to...."

At Sesshoumaru's abrupt silence, Rin's hope was replaced with anxiety.
"Uh....He wants us to do what?"

The tall male stood up from the couch and walked across the room to the window.
Again, he ran his fingers through black bangs and sighed heavily with his head
down. Rin watched him look up and slide a hand up and down the curtains edge,
pulling it back to see the morning light. He was definitely avoiding
looking at her.

Sesshoumaru cleared his throat then his words came out in deep, scratchy halts.
"I.... told Naraku that I wanted to buy all three of you to start my own
business. He place a condition on the deal. In order for the deal to be
complete, all three of you must...perform...in the viewing room...together...
for two hours."

That anxiety began to gnaw on her insides.
"What do you mean? What viewing room? I don't understand."

Sesshoumaru, frowning, turned to look at her, his features were stone hard
serious. "You, Miroku, and Inuyasha will have to have sex in a room that
has a two way mirror. The viewing is set for Monday. Naraku wants me to watch all
three of you with him. It was the only way he would agree to the trade. If you do
this, you can go with me and be free along with Miroku and Inuyasha."

Was this some sick, perverted joke? She shook her head. "You mean...us...together?
Not with other people?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Just you three, together."

Rin sat there in shock. The thought slithered into her mind: touching her own brother...
like that...the way her and Brian had... Suddenly, she didn't feel so well.

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

He had been worried how Rin would take it. Now, as he looked at her pale
face, he knew she hadn't took it well. Rin closed her eyes and wavered back
and forth, one small hand on her stomach and the other over her
mouth. "Rin?"

She held up her hand and shook her head, features cringing as she opened
brown eyes that now reflected the light. "Could you please...just leave?
I want to be by myself."

Sesshoumaru did not want to leave her alone but nodded. "I will return sometime
before Monday."

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

Rin didn't watch him leave. Instead, she lay down on the couch. When she
was sure the door was shut and he was gone, Rin let out a very long,
very choppy breath, one coupled with thick, hot tears.

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Miroku gasped at the abrupt stabs of pain in his upper arms that pulled him from
the resting blackness. At the same instant, the ache in his ribs flared anew when
his arms were twisted and his hands were tied behind his back.
Next, he felt his entire body jerk one way then another, his hips up and
over something hard and his head upside down. In his ears, he could
hear labored breathing along with footsteps. A groan escaped his lips as he sluggishly
opened his eyes to see a large back, two huge shiny black heels, and
the wooden floor of the hallway. "Wha....?"
Everything went cold at the husky chuckle. He knew that laugh. It was Jake's. The
guy was toting him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and each
step made his bruised side flare in painful jolts.

Questions rushed through his brain in that instant. Where was Jake
taking him? Why? What the hell was going on? Then, one thought slapped all others
away.

Rin.

He remembered: That guy who was with his sister.
He fought that guy...and lost. The bastard must have told Naraku about
what happened. Now Naraku was dealing with him. Maybe worse than
before.
"Rin!"

"Shut up, boy!"

Miroku tried to move but in his current condition, it was too difficult.
"Where are you taking me?"

His skin crawled at Jake's gruff snicker. "Me and my buddies
are taking you someplace real special." He barked a low laugh. "Remember
the last time we got to take you someplace? Huh, boy, huh?
Remember?"

Miroku's fear was rising. "Come on, Jake. I ain't done nothin. What's this all
about?"

The asshole just barked another laugh.

It all came in on him at once. He couldn't help his sister. He was too hurt
to get loose. And now, Miroku could only imagine the worst.

"Jake...please...I won't do it again. Whatever I did.
Come on. Can't you just...let it go this time?"

He was carried through a door and outside. Jake growled. "I said shut up, boy!
We're going for a ride."

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

Inuyasha, clad only in his underwear and tired from the hour of sex on the couch,
walked into the kitchen. Upstairs, he heard the shower start. The flowered
tile was cold and the white counters were bare except for a toaster and
glass cake plate which contained a half-eaten chocolate cake.

He opened the fridge and glanced about. Spying a carton of orange juice,
he grabbed it and took a few swallows before putting it back and shutting the
fridge door.

Absently, he turned and stared out the window above the sink, his thoughts
wandering out loud. "Friday. Only two more days and I can leave."
Gazing at the sway of leaves of a nearby tree, he walked to the window and
stopped in front of the sink. Wondering was all he had, and wonder he would.
"Where are you? What are you doing?" He didn't know why, but he smiled in
his sadness. "You're better off, believe me. I'm not the kind of guy you
want to know."

Inuyasha shook his head and headed for the living room.

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

The shower had stopped over thirty minutes ago. Inuyasha pulled his blue
t-shirt over his head then began stuffing some clothes back in his bag.
Just as he was about to sit on the couch again, the door bell rang.

Not knowing what to do, Inuyasha stared at the doorway leading to the foyer.
A second later, Kikyo came down the stairs wearing a white dress dotted with
small red flowers. He watched the flow of long black hair as it disappeared
into the foyer.

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

Kagome, grumbling silently to herself, pushed the doorbell button.
She would wait five minutes. If Kikyo didn't show up by then, she would
leave.

Kagome didn't have long to wait. One minute later, the door
swung open. A very angry looking Kikyo appeared. Kikyo's irritated features
then fell to surprised shock.

Kagome smiled politely. "Hey cuz. How are you? I'd thought I would come visit
you since I was in town."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed somewhat, cutting once back into the house before
crinkling with fake happiness. "Kagome? How nice to see you!"
She reached out and gave a short hug. Stepping back, she gestured into
the house. "Would you like to come in?"

Not really wanting to but heeding her mother's nagging lessons on being
courteous to family, Kagome nodded. "Sure, Kikyo."

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

Inuyasha heard the name. He heard Kikyo call the name. While standing there in
shock, his mind rushed with denial. 'It can't be her. It just can't be.'
Everything turned numb, starting with his feet and rising up to his
arms. He whispered to himself. "It can't be her. No. Oh God please don't
let it be her."

In the slow motion of his mind, he heard the footfalls on the
wooden floor. They thudded through the foyer....

First...came Kikyo with a strange smile on her face.

Then....a flutter of pastel pink and blue...with black hair...fair skin...
and brown eyes....

Large brown eyes that landed on him....then widened.

His heart nearly stopped.

Kikyo's overly sunny voice shattered the silent shock. "Oh, Kagome. This is
my...friend: Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is my cousin: Kagome."

By some miracle, he slowly gave a nod. "Hhh...Hi."

Kagome, still staring at him, opened her mouth, then stuttered. "Uh..oh...hello."
Instantly, she broke the stare and looked at Kikyo, her words unsteady.
"Uh...so...how have you been doing?"

Kikyo grabbed his arm and pulled him to the couch, smiling at Kagome as she
did so. "Great! I can't tell you how much I love living in this neighborhood!"

Inuyasha, face burning to an unbearable degree, stared at the floor, his
heart slamming into his ribs.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed Kagome sit down on another chair.
Her voice became clearer yet still retained a hint of hesitation as she
chatted with Kikyo.

While the two talked, he just sat there, quiet, silently begging for this
nightmare to end.

Kagome, softly, spoke to him. "Inuyasha......"

Chest hurting, he looked up to see kagome watching him with gentle
bewilderment and Kikyo glaring at him with hidden anger. "Yeah?"
The reply came out weaker than he intended.

Yet, Kagome didn't continue, just smiled a little. "Never mind."

Inuyasha dropped his gaze to the floor once more, the skin on his cheeks
burning worse than ever as the two females began talking to each other again.

Somewhere in his apprehensive state, he heard his worst fear drop from Kikyo's
lips. "Inuyasha here kept me company last night."

Dazed with darkening shame, he wished he could crawl under a rock somewhere
and disappear forever.

Too embarrassed, Inuyasha didn't even dare do glance up.

"Oh..." Even in that one word, Inuyasha heard the disappointment in Kagome's tone, something
he had never wanted to hear.

Inuyasha looked to the other side of the room at the bookcase.

Kagome, voice much softer than before, nearly whispered. "I...really have to
go, Kikyo. I'm staying at Sango's and she said she might get out of
school early today."

Kikyo's mock hurt speared his ears. "I'm so sorry you couldn't stay. Please.
Next time you are in town, drop by. We can go out for lunch or something."

Inuyasha waited until both women walked out of the room before looking
at the doorway to the foyer. A large lump sunk to his stomach when he
heard the door shut.

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

Kagome, heart beating hard, stood outside the door, just stood there, trying
to understand what had just happened. That boy. The one she had thought
about for the past week, was here, with Kikyo. So...they were....together.
A small pain formed in her chest, like the festering sting of a needle.
The pain didn't make sense. She didn't know the guy. So...why did it hurt...to
see him...here?

"You son of a bitch!"

Kagome's glazed vision widened. That was Kikyo's voice. Muffled, but, it was
Kikyo's. Even though she knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, Kagome stepped closer to
the door and listened.

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

Inuyasha, glaring at the floor, drowning in mortally wounding shame, remained
quiet while the female standing by the couch nearly shouted at him in rising
anger.

"You piece of shit! You know her! Don't you? Is she one of your regular customers?
Has she paid to fuck you too? Don't deny it! I can see it written all over your
face! I could see it on hers! Kagome is like an open book! She always has been!
The second she saw you I could see it. That bitch knows you!"

Inuyasha switched his glare to the red faced female. "I don't know her."

"Liar!"

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha frowned deeper at the floor.

"Get out!"

Inuyasha, surprised, looked up again. "What?"

Kikyo pointed to the sliding glass back door that led to the low balcony.
"I said get out!"

Pissed, Inuyasha stood, grabbed his bag, then trudged outside. The sliding door
slammed shut behind him.

Anger faded as he walked down a couple of steps to the grassy ground. Walking
across the backyard, he found a large tree.
Inuyasha sat down on the roots and sighed with swelling pain. It hurt. It hurt
in his chest. Trying to push it back, he bowed his head into his hands.
For a moment, he fought the sting in his eyes but it was too much
and he let them fall.


Life was never fair to him.

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

Kagome, dazed with shock, slowly walked to her car. She had heard every
word fall from Kikyo's mouth. Paid??? Inuyasha was a....

Suddenly Kagome remembered what Ayame said. Ayame had asked if she
needed company. So that was what she meant. '"It all depends on where
their boss puts them.'"

Inuyasha was a...prostitute.

He had a...boss...a...pimp.

She swallowed the hard lump in her throat.

The boy was paid to....

Too distraught to drive, Kagome began walking down the street.
She needed some air.

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

The black cloth over his eyes kept him from seeing but he was able to hear.
Miroku muffled through the gag in his mouth. The ride had been long
and now he was being carried again: out of a car's back seat, through a
door, into a large room with loud machinery, then up some stairs.
It became quiet, carpet quiet and the air was sweet with the
richness of flowers. Again, a door was opened and shut.

"Got your boy right here, sir."

Miroku twisted and shouted into the gag. He was then dropped, his back
hitting a carpeted but very hard floor. He shifted with a muffled groan.

The door shut again and Miroku began clearing his head. They had taken
him somewhere. He just didn't know where yet. Nearly drained by the
fear, Miroku turned his head, trying with weak desperation to detect
movement in case he needed to brace himself for an impact.

Steps thumped closer. He turned on his side away from them. Better to be
hit in the back than in the front.

"Damned thugs."

Somehow, he knew that voice.

_________________________________________

I want to thank all that emailed me!! I had several comments heading
for the direction I wanted to take so I will take it there.

Fallen_angel