This one's kinda a two parter, so don't get yet panties in a bunch at the end of this one. The second part will be posted tomorrow, sometime in the afternoon when I get off from work. I'll probably put up another couple of chapters then too, just so you all stay happy!

Thanks again guys, I love the reviews, and i'm so happy you're loving this fic. I'm always open to adding a chapter, so if there's something or someone you want more of, please don't hesitate to ask me to give them a little more spotlight time.

I realize I skipped over a lot of time already, but now, the pace is slowed down, and there's gonna be a lot more Inu and Kag, one on one...but not like that just yet!

Give me some time!! I promise you'll love where this goes!

Once again, I hope you've made the character connection. Pay attention to who Naraku is talking to in this chapter. OOOHHH.....

Hope you like! Ja ne!

~Sabichan~

<i>She's got a way of talkin'

I don't know why it is

But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere</i>

**I POV**

I punched in and made my way to my regular place at the scanner. It had been a good day.

The talk with Miroku had brightened my spirit far more than I had expected. I decided to take his advice and think and think selfishly.

The first thing that popped into my head was none other than that smart-mouth little wench. She seemed to dominate most of my thoughts theses days. `Gods, who am I kidding!? She has since the first day we met!'

I thought about her smile like he had suggested. That was one of the first things that had drawn me in.

`So, how to make her smile..."

I did my best to think like a normal, sweet guy would. Needless to say, I didn't actually come up with much.

A few hours passed, and just as I was about to reach for another handful of envelopes, I heard a voice behind me.

"I just think it's better for you not to get involved with her again, son. We had enough trouble with her last time."

I froze and almost dropped the mail when I recognized the owner of the voice. `But what the hell is he doing here?'

Suddenly he rounded the corner and he smiled widely having spotted me.

"Listen, we'll talk when I get home. I found just the man I was looking for" He hung up his cell phone without a goodbye. He had been talking to his spoiled, insane son.

"Inu, my boy, how are you? How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

"A couple of months." I replied as he approached me. He extended his hand and biting back a growl,

I shook it.

"Much too long. And how is our dear Shiori?"

"She's fine." I gritted out.

"Very good to hear. It's been ages since I last saw her."

"She doesn't go out much..." His eyes flashed with some undecipherable emotion.

"She's still quite...hung up over the past is she?"

"You could say that." I glanced over my shoulder at the clock, trying to look as disinterested as possible. That usually got rid of him.

"Inu...my boy. You never approved much of my...intentions with your mother did you? Neither did your brother Sesshomaru. I must say I've never quite understood it."

"She still hopes he'll come back someday. I'm not about to take away the only hope she has."

"But such a false hope. Inuyasha, we're both adult men here. I think we can both agree-your father isn't coming back." I might've been imagining it, but I pained look crossed his face when he said that.

"Did you need something? I heard you say you were looking for me."

His face lightened and he looked delighted that I had asked.

"Oh yes, Right! I was hoping to see you here so you could deliver something for me." He reached into the pocket of his suit and withdrew an envelope.

"Please, give this to your mother."

"What is it?" I asked, taking it from his hand.

"An invitation. The annual charity ball is next Friday and I would like for her to accompany me. As you said yourself, she so rarely goes out. I know she may require some time to think about it, but I'm sure it would do good for her to go."

I stared at him in disbelief. Sure he had taken a bit of a hiatus, but here he was right back at it again. After my mother again. I had to swallow my rage. After all, he is still my boss.

"I'll be sure to give it to her."

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you." He nodded and began to walk away towards the exit.

After a few feet, he stopped and turned back to me.

"Oh, and Inu?"

"Yes, Naraku?"

"Why don't you take the rest of the night off. You look tired."

"Umm, Thanks..." I murmured. He gave a slight wave and walked out the door.

I sat there for a few minutes still in shock, holding the envelope in my hands. I had to fight the urge to tear it to pieces. I didn't want to think of the consequences if my mother never got the invitation. Losing this job was not something I could afford. Just one other way Naraku could fuck up my life.

Sighing I shut off the scanner and walked back to the punch clock. Grabbing my jacket, I stuffed the Invite into my pocket and made my way to the bus stop to catch my ride home.

It had been a long time since I had last been home so early. I briefly wondered about what I would find my mother doing this time.

I finally got off at the bus stop Kagome and I always met at in the morning. I stood there for a moment, just looking at the bench and remembering how good it had felt to hold her today. She felt so small in my arms, almost fragile. I smiled and a warm feeling came over me. I could hardly wait until next week, until her birthday.

I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I didn't notice the bus stopping behind me.

"Inuyasha?"

For the second time today I froze. Slowly, I turned around to find the most welcome sight I could imagine.

"Kagome?"

Her head was cocked to the side and she gazed at me in curiosity. I noticed a single, tangled braid on one side of her head

"Bye Kieko!!" A mans voice called from the now leaving bus. She turned back and waved with forced excitement. I followed her gaze to see a weird looking guy with shaggy black hair wearing the ugliest plaid shirt I've seen in my entire life, leaning out of the window of the bus.

"Bye Johnny!"

Turning back to me she sighed exasperated.

"That's the guy. As you can see, he's an abusive spouse." She gestured to the mess in her hair. "But more importantly, what the hell are you doing here?"

"So you're happy to see me then?" I teased. She rolled her eyes and walked closer to me.

"Seriously? I've never seen you here at this time? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"They gave me the night off. I'm on my way home. What about you?"

"This is the time I always get home on Thursday nights."

I had to laugh inside. My luck was certainly swinging back and forth today. A thought suddenly struck me.

"You walk home alone at night?"

"Oh no, not alone. I walk with my good friend Tazey."

She pulled out a compact taser gun from her purse. She flicked off the safety and, pointing it away from us, she pressed the trigger. A thin blue volt of electricity appeared between the two metal prongs.

"Oh I see. Nice to meet you Tazey." I said taking a step back.

"Scared? Don't worry, I'm in a good mood tonight." She slipped it back into her purse and then reached up and began to untangle the braid in her hair.

"You let him braid your hair?"

"Yeah. In return all the dirty old men on the bus leave me alone. He's kinda like my bodyguard, except he doesn't know it yet." I nodded. Johnny was a pretty big guy.

"Well...how far do you live from here, Kagome. You never told me."

"You never asked either. I'm just a couple of blocks down. The shrine's not that far."

"Then I'll walk you home."

She stopped de-braiding her hair and looked up at me. I could see the shock in her eyes, but there was something else there too. She looked...relieved.

"You sure? I thought you lived that way." She motioned in the other direction.

"Yeah, but I mean since I'm here and you're here and you live close and I live close-oh just let me walk you home." I gushed. I felt myself growing nervous.

"Well if you insist." She smiled. She bent down to pick up her enormous yellow backpack. I reached it first and before she could protest, I had already shouldered it.

"Are you smuggling midgets in here or something? This thing is fucking heavy."

"What else do you think we sacrifice at the shrine?" She quipped. She was smiling though. "Thanks...you're so helpful."

"I could use the exercise..."

She began to lead the way home and I followed, my palms beginning to sweat. Gods I was nervous...

We walked on beneath the dim streetlights and she began her usual chattering. She talked about her co-workers and the big project she was working on for her Art History class.

"Then tomorrow I start chanteuse practice, and I think I'm the only freshmen in there."

"You sing?" I asked suddenly

"You know what chanteuse is?" She was equally as surprised.

"Yeah. My mom used to be a singer when she was younger."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So you never told me you sing before."

"Once again, you never asked. But yes, I have since I was little. I inherited my dad's ability to carry a tune or two."

"Sing , then." She blushed immediately.

"I don't think so! You can't just put me on the spot like that. It's like finding out a girl is a stripper and just saying `hey why don't you strip right now'. Just doesn't work that way."

"That's quite an analogy. You wouldn't be trying to tell me something now would you. Kagome do you have some kind of secret life? College student by day, stripper by night..."

"Don't get so excited. I'm a miko, remember. Being a stripper would go against my heritage." She lifted her chin proudly to emphasize her point.

"You'd be like a pioneer though. The worlds first miko stripper. Healing your soul by taking off her clothes." I teased. The blush that stained her cheeks was quite a reward.

"You're way too into this."

"You could be the singing miko stripper."

"You're such an asshole."

"I'm just trying to help. You know, broaden your horizons and such."

"Much appreciated, but your services are no longer required."

"Do you want to carry this the rest of the way?" I threatened, starting to remove the pack.

"No sir.." She squeaked, pushing the strap back up my shoulder.

"Then be good and sing for me."

"Why are you so adamant about it?"

"Because no one's sung for me for a long time. I miss it." I said truthfully. She definitely wasn't expecting that answer.

"But I ..." She struggled for words to say back. I could tell I had made her nervous. <i>`Bad move...'</i> I chided myself.

"No don't worry about it. I'll make you do it another day."

She smiled and pointed ahead of us suddenly.

"There we go. The shrine is right up ahead."

"How come you don't call it home?"

She pondered on that for a moment before she shrugged.

"Don't know actually. We've just always called it that."

"Weirdo..."

"So you know how many volts I can shock you with Tazey?"

"I was calling myself a weirdo not you..." I countered.

"Like I thought."

We reached the millions of stone steps that lead to her home. She stopped and turned to me suddenly.

"Do you...want to come in?"

Yes. Yes I did. I wanted very badly to go upstairs with her and see where she spent her days, where she made my coffee every morning. I wanted to stay and talk longer with her. To keep gazing into those chocolate depths that even now shone with an innocent uncertainty.

I realized something else in that instant. Something that shocked me and relieved me all at the same time

I also wanted to kiss her.

Gods how I wanted to kiss her...

I opened my mouth to answer when someone called her name from the top of the stairs.

Tbc…

OOOOO!! Sabichan's first cliffy!! aren't I dastardly? Aren't I evil and villainous, and all that mean bad stuff?!!

Tell ya what, I'll tell you what happens tomorrow, and you read it?

Deal?

Good, now that we're agreed, Sabichan must get some much deserved sleep.

Love ya Minna-san!!

P.S. no offense to any small people for the midget line. I love you guys, my best friend since fifth grade only comes up to my waist and she's blonde! Go Lisa!! That's my babe!