When Two Paths Entwine

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Chapter 3: New Beginnings

Inuyasha sat in his office, strumming his fingers on his desk. He looked around at the immaculate furnishing, barely noticing a thing. His mind kept wandering to another office, three doors away to be precise. He sighed as he straightened in his seat and made another attempt at reading the document in his hand. The words ran through his mind meaninglessly, causing his irritation to heighten. ‘This is no good’ he told himself, rising from his seat. ‘I’m getting nowhere here. May as well get a coffee. Besides,’ he reasoned, ‘the new girl will be here soon.’ Sighing heavily, he pulled the door open and stepped out into the reception area. ‘Let’s hope that her training keeps me occupied for a while.’ It seemed that nothing could keep his mind from that woman these days. He gritted his teeth at the urge to go to her office. ‘No’ he told himself firmly, ‘you’re not going to hang around her like a love sick fool!’ He turned purposefully and walked towards the tearoom.


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Kagome walked calmly from the elevator, her every move calculated and deliberate. Her nerves were screaming and the fluttering sensations in her stomach intensified with each step. Even though she wasn’t entering Sesshoumaru’s office, just being near it caused her emotions to rage. Inuyasha Taisho’s office, which was two doors down from his, attached to the main reception area of the Managerial Suite, where all the executives worked. The chances of running into Siesso were great and the thought made her more nervous than she already was. As she neared the reception desk a voice spoke up, startling her from her thoughts.

“Good morning young lady. I’m so glad to see you’ve returned.”

Kagome turned a big smile to the old lady sitting quietly behind the large desk. With all the excitement yesterday, she’d barely spoken to the woman and she really needed to thank her for arranging her interview.

“Good morning Kaede. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you. And you, how do you feel today?” The keen eyes bore into Kagome, as if they saw into her very soul.

“I… Well, I’m fine thanks. Actually, I’m rather keen to start work.”

Kaede smiled as she watched the young woman’s face. She could feel her tension and saw plainly that she was nervous. She wasn’t certain of what had transpired the previous day but she knew that Kagome had been upset when she’d left Mr Taisho’s office. Kaede had a feeling that the wicked Yura was somehow responsible for the girl’s distress. She disliked the woman intensely and hated the polite manner she was forced to use when dealing with her. She smiled at Kagome, vowing silently to provide as often as possible, a buffer for the girl against Yura’s poison tongue.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy working with Inuyasha. He’s a wonderful young man with a good business head. There’s plenty to learn from him.”

Kagome’s smile broadened as she thought of the career ahead of her. “Oh Kaede, I want to thank you so much for helping me get this job.”

“Ah nonsense Kagome. You wouldn’t have been accepted if you were no good. You got the job because you were the best suited. I only gave the word, my dear.”

“Still, if you hadn’t told Arin about it and arranged the interview, I wouldn’t be here now so… thanks Kaede. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

Kaede smiled and was about to reply when the telephone rang, drawing her attention. Kagome gave her a quick wave and turned in the direction of her new boss’s office. She reached out a hand to open the door, when a strange sensation raced up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She stilled and turned her head to look around but found only Kaede in the large reception area. Lifting her hand from the doorknob, she rubbed at the goose bumps on her arms then quickly shook off the feeling as she reached once more to open the door.


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A pair of eyes followed the girl’s movements as she took a last look around and disappeared into the youngest brother’s office. A smirk of ill intent graced the hidden features as the sadistic mind wandered how this creature could be manipulated to its will. Eyes shifted slightly to the desk in the middle of the spacious room, latching on to the profile of the old woman. A feeling of irritation rose as plans were made to get around the old hag. She was a wily one, who would not be fooled so easily. No matter, there was always a way. The smirk reappeared before the shadowed features suddenly froze in shock when the old woman lifted her head and turned her eyes to its hiding place. ‘How could she possibly know I’m here?’ With a sigh of irritation, the figure shrank back and disappeared. The old woman lowered her head and returned to her work.


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Kouga placed the receiver back in its niche and frowned. He rubbed his fingers over his tense brows, attempting to wipe away the strain that marred its smooth line. With a deep sigh, he rose from his chair and circled his desk as he headed to the outer office.

“Ayame!”

The red head popped straight up and a pair of large green eyes stared at him from beneath a frowning brow. Kouga smiled at the look of irritation she sent him. He knew she hated interruptions when she was focusing on something important, especially when they were yelled at her in the tone that he’d used.

Taking a deep breath, Ayame sent him a pained look of tolerance. “Yes Kouga. What can I do for you?”

“Call the others and tell them to meet here as soon as possible.” As he spoke, he walked through the reception area and opened the outer door to the street. He paused before exiting, turning to her with emphatic look.

“And I mean all of them. It’s important. We’ve received new information and it’s crucial that they be informed. Understand?”

Ayame gave him a blank look, speaking in a droll tone. “Why of course Kouga. Anything you say.”

He smiled again as he watched her eyes roll before she picked up the phone and started dialling. Satisfied, he closed the door behind him and headed down the street. Miroku was two doors away and he needed to speak to him urgently. Only he had the contact that could verify the facts. Kouga hoped that what he heard was false because if there was some truth to it then it meant that their job just became a whole lot harder. He struggled with the weight of his responsibility for a moment as he thought of all the facts he’d managed to gather. At times, a certain fear crept into him that he and his group were in way over their heads. Shaking off this feeling, he smiled at the concierge as he entered the exclusive hotel and headed toward the elevators.


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“No sir, this one is from Yamaguchi Corp.”

Inuyasha sighed and smiled again at the young woman across the span of his large desk. “Kagome, how many times have I told you not to call me sir, or Mr Taisho. It’s Inuyasha, okay?”

Kagome’s face flushed as she smiled back at him. “Yes sir… oh I mean Inuyasha.”

His laughter rang out, filling the room. He shook his head, thinking again what a wise choice he’d made to hire her. He had the feeling that work was going to be a whole lot more fun and interesting from now on. ‘Well… at least Kagome helped me to keep my mind off her.’ Inuyasha felt surprise as he acknowledged this fact. For the entire morning he hadn’t once thought of the woman who usually plagued his thoughts. He looked up wonderingly at his new assistant, realising for the first time how completely relaxed he was in her presence. With all the stress of their business problems and not to mention, his growing anxiety over… her, his body was always tense these days. However, after only a few hours in this young woman’s company, he felt relaxed, rejuvenated even.

Kagome watched the play of emotions pass over her boss’s face. He was a funny character, totally different to his brother. A warm sensation rose inside her as her mind slipped to Siesso again. Cursing herself, she tried to focus her attention on Inuyasha, pushing aside the image of a sexy grin and ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

“Well Kagome, I think you’ve earned yourself a break. Take an hour for lunch.”

Kagome blinked at him in surprise. “An hour sir? Ah… I mean Inuyasha.”

“Yes ma’am, one whole hour.”

She looked at his face and relaxed, taking in the amused and teasing expression. She really did enjoy herself this morning. He was so easy to work with that the time just seemed to fly. Pushing back her chair, she stood and looked at him once more with uncertainty.

Inuyasha laughed at her expression. “Go, have lunch. I’ll see you back here in an hour. You’ve worked well Kagome. You deserve it.”

A huge smile suddenly lit her face, causing Inuyasha to blink at its radiance. Aside from an odd glimpse here or there, this was the first time that he saw it properly. It was a rather pleasing sight and one he hoped to see more often. ‘I’ll make sure to do all I can to make that happen.’ He watched her leave the office and turned to answer the phone.

“Inuyasha” Kaede’s formal voice spoke through the earpiece. “A young lady from Mr Nadu’s office to speak with you.”

“Put her through Kaede.”

Inuyasha frowned as he listened to the speaker, grabbing his pen to jot some numbers down. “Fine, I’ll be there… Yes, I’ll tell him.”

He hung up the phone and sighed, suddenly feeling weary. This whole damned situation was annoying. Cursing silently, he left his office and headed to his brother’s.


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Kagome waved goodbye to the two girls in the tearoom and turned to walk down the corridor towards the Executive suite. She was feeling happy with her day so far. ‘Well, it’s certainly an improvement on yesterday, that’s for sure.’ She smiled at one of the executives and his assistant as they past her in the hallway. She was surprised at the friendliness of the staff, considering the size of the company. She had a feeling it had something to do with Inuyasha Taisho. He cheered the whole place up. She unconsciously hummed a tune as she swung open the heavy glass door and strolled in, sending a happy smile at Kaede.

Kaede was relieved to see the young woman’s relaxed face. She had a lovely personality and would make a wonderful co-worker; definitely an improvement on Inuyasha’s previous assistant. She gestured Kagome closer and handed her a large stack of papers.

“Kagome, Inuyasha had to leave for a while. He asked if you could take these around to all the offices and get a signature from each manager. When you return, there is some work for you on his desk. He said he shouldn’t be too long.”

Kagome smiled at the old lady as she grabbed the documents and headed off to her assigned task. She walked quickly from office to office, handing out letters and gathering signatures. She met a few new people and some that she had previously spoken with in the tearoom. Her pile was thinning and she had only one suite left to visit. She swung open the door and walked in, stopping short in surprise.

“Hojo? Is that you?” She stepped forward and looked at the face of the young man behind the desk.

“Oh man, Kagome! Wow, I can’t believe it!”

Hojo was out of his seat and round the desk before she could blink. He picked her up in a bear hug and swung her round in a circle. Kagome giggled as she tried to stop the papers from falling out of her hands. He finally set her down and stepped back, putting both hands on her shoulders, as he looked her over.

“You look amazing. How long has it been?”

Kagome laughed as she looked into his warm brown eyes that were almost the same shade as his hair. He had grown even more handsome than the last time she saw him and she couldn’t help but think how much he suited the picture he set. His pristine black suit and white shirt were neat, set off nicely by the light grey tie. His black thin-rimmed glasses finished it off to perfection. Looking past him, she noticed the tidy and well organised desk; another testimony to his efficient nature.

“Oh my, ah… four years.”

Hojo shook his head. “That’s incredible. You haven’t changed a bit, aside from becoming more beautiful. So, what are you doing here?”

Kagome held up the stack of papers. “I’m actually here to drop off a letter and get a signature from your boss. Is he here?”

“Yes, he is” Hojo replied distractedly. “Are you Inuyasha’s new assistant?”

She nodded happily at him. “I started yesterday.”

“This is wonderful Kagome. It’s… it’s great.”

Kagome sighed and looked at him seriously. “It is Hojo-kun but right now I have to get a move on. There’s more work waiting for me on Mr Taisho’s desk.”

Hojo flashed her a grin of amusement. “Don’t you mean Inuyasha? Around here, Mr Taisho is the older brother.”

“Oh” was her only reply.

Hojo turned and buzzed his boss to let him know that Kagome had a letter for him to sign. He turned back to her and gestured towards the door.

“Go right in.”

“Thanks Hojo.”

She smiled then turned to walk into the office. Several minutes later, she walked back out. She waved at Hojo, intending to return to her task but he jumped out of his seat and rushed over to her.

“Kagome… I was wondering if you’d like to get together and do something?”

“Oh… well…” She felt rather awkward at the situation. Hojo was a nice guy but she really didn’t feel anything towards him other than happiness to see a friend.

“No pressure. It’s just great to have a friend here.”

Her smile broadened. “Yes it is, isn’t it? Look Hojo, no promises but I’ll see how things go. It’s a bit hectic at the moment, especially with me just starting this job. Maybe in a little while when things settle down, okay?”

He nodded happily. “Sure, that’d be great. In the meantime, feel free to drop by. Maybe we could even have lunch together one day, if we can synchronise our times. That can be tricky round here.”

“I can imagine.” She laughed as she started for the door. “Well Hojo, I’ll see you later.”

As she walked back to Inuyasha’s office, she thought of the invitation from Hojo. She really didn’t feel like accepting but told herself to not be hasty. She knew that a large part of the reason she wasn’t interested was because of Siesso. Considering the fact that he was engaged, it might be wise if she started seeing other men. Unfortunately, the idea was not as appealing as she would have hoped. With a little sigh, she pushed the thought aside and continued on to the office.

The rest of her day passed fairly quickly. Inuyasha didn’t return until nearly three-thirty but the work he provided her kept her busy ‘til then. She had no time for idle thought, as there was plenty to occupy her mind. The remaining hour was filled with typing and dictation. She felt rather pleased when at quarter to five she finished the last letter. She pulled the sheet from the printer and stacked it neatly with the rest. With a big smile of satisfaction, she turned to her boss. He was watching her with an amused grin on his face.

“Well done Kagome. I think this is the first time a new worker has managed to keep up with me. You’ve done a wonderful job.”

Inuyasha’s words were genuine. He felt very impressed at her efficiency and dedication to the task. Not once had she slackened off and he was most surprised when he had returned to find her almost finished the tasks he left her. Her soothing nature was pleasing to him also. He didn’t think he would have any problems co-existing with her in the future. ‘Thank god something has finally turned out right. Now if I could just get the rest of my life to work as well…’ He almost laughed at the ridiculous thought. Especially after the meeting this afternoon, he realised that things were only going to get worse.

“Inuyasha?”

The soft voice penetrated through his thoughts and he focused his attention back to Kagome. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

“I just wanted to know what you wanted me to do with these papers.”

“Oh. Just leave them there. I’ll fix them up. You can go home now. You’ve done enough for one day.”

Kagome smiled as happiness bubbled inside her. Her first day… well, what she considered her first day and she was already receiving praise, not to mention the early mark and extended lunch. She stood and gathered her things, sending her boss a cheery farewell before exiting the office. As she stepped outside, she stopped in surprise when she saw Arin at the reception desk, talking to Kaede. She rushed over, pleased to see her friend.

“Arin!”

“Hi Kay! Are you ready to go home? I was hoping to catch a ride with you. I had to put my car in the repair shop.”

“Again? Oh Arin, you really should get rid of that thing, you know.”

“That’s exactly what I tell her.”

Arin turned to her aunt then rolled her eyes. “And who’s going to give me the money to buy a new one?”

Kagome grabbed her friend’s arm and started heading towards the exit. “Come on Arin. Let’s go before your bad auto luck rubs off on me.”

“What?” Arin turned to her friend with a look of disbelief. “Yours isn’t much better.”

“Yeah, well at least it goes more than it doesn’t”

Kaede smiled, listening to their argument as they disappeared in the elevator, waving her goodbye. The phone rang beside her and she turned to pick it up.


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Sesshoumaru breathed deeply as he leaned his forehead against the cool wood of his office door. He could feel Kagome’s aura fading with every passing minute. He fought with himself to not tear open the door and race after her. The whole day, he’d struggled with his need to see her, to hold her. ‘God, how I am going to stand this? How do I work, knowing that she’s just two doors away and I can’t even see her?’ He sighed heavily and straightened, turning around as the buzzer sounded behind him. He walked to his desk and pressed the intercom button.

“What is it Kaede?”

“It’s Ms Timaro on the phone sir.”

“Put her through.” Clenching his teeth he waited until Yura’s voice came through the speaker. “What can I do for you Yura?”

“Oh darling, what sort of a greeting is that for your fiancée?”

“I apologise Yura.” He stifled the urge to role his eyes, speaking in his most tolerant tone. “I’m still trying to finish up. You know how difficult things have been around here lately.”

“Don’t you worry my sweet, I’ll make you feel better tonight.”

‘Tonight… tonight…’ his mind scrambled desperately to remember what plans they’d set for the evening.

“Don’t tell me you forgot! Sesshoumaru… what’s wrong with you lately? This is so unlike you. You never forget things.”

Apprehension crept up his spine at her suspicious tone. He searched his mind for a feasible excuse, finally coming up with one.

“Yura, you know that our company has met some serious trouble. I have all sorts of problems to deal with. Now one of our mergers looks like it’s going sour and it’s one that we’d rather keep. So… I hope you understand that my mind has not been keeping up with things that aren’t business related.”

He held his breath as he waited for her reaction. Finally she sighed and spoke in a sulky tone.

“Does that mean that our date is off again?”

Sesshoumaru thanked his stars for the break. “I’m sorry honey but I’ll probably be here for quite a while yet.”

“Why don’t you get that lazy brother of yours to do something for once?”

Sesshoumaru chuckled at her agitation. “Come on Yura, you know that’s unfair. Inuyasha does more than his fair share around here. And if it makes you feel any better, he’s most likely to be here with me most of the night.”

A heavy sigh came through the receiver. “Fine, but when am I ever going to get to see you Sesshoumaru? I miss you. We never spend any time together anymore.”

“I know and I’m sorry. As soon as this mess is cleared up, I’ll take you away for that weekend you wanted. How’s that?”

“Yeah… I guess that’s fine.”

“Good. Now I have to go.”

He dealt with her protests for a couple minutes more before flicking off the intercom. Sitting back in his chair, he tapped his fingers together as he thought of his dilemma. He turned when his office door flew open and his brother strolled in, bundles of papers in hand.

“You ready start?”

Sesshoumaru nodded as he straightened in his chair. Inuyasha sat opposite him and started leafing through the papers. He looked up at his brother after a moment, noting his silence.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing Inuyasha, I’m just tired.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that. Why?”

Sesshoumaru shrugged and kept his manner casual, his face calm. “Who knows. Maybe this whole situation is finally getting to me.”

Inuyasha continued to watch him. He hadn’t seen him like this since the time he returned from that weekend at Miroku’s cabin. He wondered what happened to make him this way.

“Is it Yura?”

A humourless grin spread on Sesshoumaru’s face. He turned to Inuyasha with a rare look of amusement. “No more than usual brother. Now let’s start this or we’ll be here all night.”

Inuyasha nodded. He knew there was no point pursuing anything with Sesshoumaru if he wasn’t willing to talk. He turned his attention to the pile in his hand and picked one up, handing it to him. They soon engrossed themselves in the finer details of their business plans and soon forgot about Sesshoumaru’s problems.


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Sesshoumaru sat back on the large sofa and sighed. He raised the glass to his lips, the hot biting liquid seeping fire down his throat. He took a deep breath and rested his head on the soft padding behind him. He closed his eyes a moment as weariness invaded his senses. This weariness was worse than that produced by all his business dealings. It made his body feel like lead and his mind incapable of thought… except for her of course. His mind never had trouble working when it came to her. He opened his eyes and took another large gulp from the glass, sighing with relief as its potent contents went straight to work on his tense nerves. He laughed humourlessly as he thought of his hopeless situation. It was only the first day and he was already a wreck from holding back his emotions. How was he to keep himself from Kay, day in and day out for who knows how long? His senses had driven him to the brink of insanity, screaming with awareness of her presence. He knew each time she stepped out of his brother’s office.

He looked down to discover the empty tumbler in his hand, wondering when he’d finished the drink. Lifting the bottle, he poured his fourth generously topped glass and proceeded to empty it in one swig. How much would he have to consume tonight in order to stop thinking of her? It took another half hour of steady drinking before his head finally became too heavy to hold up. He let it fall back on the sofa and closed his eyes, entering a spinning world of blackness.

~~~He walked slowly through the darkness, wondering where he was. Nothing looked familiar. He kept moving forward, searching blindly for something solid. Suddenly, a light appeared in the distance as a dot of white against a black canopy. Turning towards it, he continued at a slow pace and was surprised when he drew near, to find it was a partly opened door. When he was no more than a foot away, it suddenly swung open to reveal a small room filled with toys. Blinking in surprise, he stepped into the room and looked around, jumping as the door closed behind him. He swung around sharply, gasping in amazement as he looked at the smiling face of the white-haired child from the previous night. Before he could react, the child squealed with joy and darted past him towards a huge model racetrack, throwing himself to floor beside it. He looked back at Sesshoumaru with a big grin and gestured to him to approach. Sesshoumaru walked towards him in a daze and followed his next signal to sit. After positioning himself cross-legged on the ground, he looked at the child questioningly. The boy picked up two cars and placed them on the track, handing one set of controllers to him while holding the other. His little fingers flicked the switch and the track hummed to life. Using his controller, he showed Sesshoumaru how to move his car around the track and soon they were racing, their cars speeding round the intricate bends and loops.

After several moments, Sesshoumaru realised that he was having fun. Especially when their cars were neck and neck going round the sharpest bends. He was impressed by the skill and coordination displayed by the child and was soon laughing with him as their cars skidded round another tricky turn, nearly losing their grip on the track. Finally the game was finished and the boy neatly packed the controllers and cars into their box. Sesshoumaru watched him, again overwhelmed with curiosity. He looked so tiny, yet seemed capable of so much. ‘Maybe that’s because this is a dream’ his logical brain always provided the answer.

The boy suddenly turned, beaming as he held up a puzzle. Sesshoumaru sat beside him, stunned as he watched him expertly put it together in no time at all. They sat for hours playing with one toy after another and laughing at the games they created with all the small figures. Sesshoumaru felt as if he was a child again. The carefree fun was infectious and he didn’t want it to end. He sat back and studied the small features carefully, noting the stubborn set of his jaw line and the same mannerisms that were his. Again he felt awed by the sight and couldn’t help wishing that he actually did have a son like this.

“But you do daddy. You have me.”

Again he was shocked, turning his head to look at the boy in amazement. ‘How did he know what I was thinking?’

“Cause you’re my daddy.”

Sesshoumaru blinked and shook his head. The more he saw of this child the more he was confused. He lifted his hand to touch the little face, when everything around him started fading into blackness.

“No” he cried out as he tried to reach for the boy.

The little face wore a look of sadness as the little hands waved farewell.

“See you soon daddy.”

“No… wait, don’t go. I want to know your name.”~~~

Sesshoumaru lifted his head from the sofa and blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog in his head. ‘Damn, what does this dream mean? What am I suppose to know?’ Once again, he felt frustrated by his lack of understanding. Try as he might, he couldn’t make sense of the whole thing. Giving up on it he stood and walked to his room, falling face down on the bed and drifting straight to sleep.


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AN: I just wanted to let you know that I’ve started a new story. It’s called: My Enemy, My Love. It’s a Sess/Kag fic, of course. It’s about two mortal enemies who suddenly find themselves thrown together by a cruel twist of faith and they must now put all their differences aside in order to survive. Hope you guys get a chance to check it out. Let me know what you think of it. It does need some revising but I think it’s pretty safe to read. lol.

Another reminder for those who want a notification of my updates. Please leave your email address with your review, and please be sure to check that it all shows. If it doesn’t work then just email me and I’ll add you.

Thanks for the reviews guys and see you all next chapter.
Babs