Not Part of the Bargain by Endless Void

An Offer You Can't Refuse

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue

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Not Part of the Bargain

Chapter 1: An Offer You Can't Refuse

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Stalking past the sofa, her slender frame tense and trembling with anger, Kagome roughly stabbed her fingers through her hair.

Ever since that slickly dressed lawyer had knocked on her door bearing an all too familiar, sealed manila envelope, she had been pacing; a dark scowl painted across her delicate features. Returning to the beginning of her circuitous route, she whirled around, her hand unconsciously clenching and tugging her thick, ebony locks.

"Where the hell am I supposed to get that much money?"

Curled up in the armchair on the other end of Kagome's path, Sango winced as her friend nearly ripped a large chunk of hair from her scalp. She had arrived just as the slimy, suit wearing creep was leaving and seeing his patronizing smile, had instantly sensed that something was wrong. Her suspicions were confirmed when Kagome showed her the contents of the envelope.

After reading the brief letter, Sango could well understand her friend's agitation. And it hadn't helped matters any that they were quickly running out of suggestions. Pressing her index finger against her lower lip in concentration, she murmured. "What about your trust fund?"

Heaving a frustrated sigh as she released the death grip on her abused hair, Kagome shook her head. "I won't get access to it until I'm twenty-two. The bastard has only given me a week."

The bastard she was referring to was Onigumo Naraku. He had first approached Kagome's grandfather a little over a year ago, offering to buy the shrine for an exorbitant sum, but her ojii-san had flatly refused, saying he wouldn't part with the shrine for any amount. Naraku wasn't deterred though and would show up every few weeks with another offer that was similarly rejected. The ritual became almost routine and her grandfather, despite his annoyance with the man's persistence, paid his guest every courtesy at each meeting, but the outcome remained the same. That was until her grandfather had fallen ill and Kagome was asked to step in.

Though she had met with Naraku only once their brief encounter had been disastrous and ended with her kicking him out of the shrine. Naraku had seemed to accept his latest defeat fairly well, he had made no dire threats or promises of retribution, and when three months had passed with no sign of him, Kagome had thought she had seen the last of him.

Then a week ago, an unmarked manila envelope was delivered containing a 'polite reminder concerning impending payment'. Somehow, and no doubt with a fair bit of money exchanging hands under the table, Naraku had acquired the rights to a loan that used the shrine deed as collateral and was demanding payment of the amount in full.

While her family wasn't exactly poor, the outstanding balance on the loan was more than Kagome could afford and Naraku obviously knew this. When she had explained in a tersely written note that she wasn't able to raise that kind of money on short notice, Naraku had graciously offered to give her an extension though he would have to charge her a late fee. What he had failed to mention was that the fee essentially doubled the amount due for each week the debt remained unpaid. Therefore, the longer she took to raise the necessary funds, the more difficult her task became until she would have no choice but to sign the shrine over to him. Thus, Kagome now found herself in a very desperate situation.

She had to get twenty million yen to Naraku in the next seven days.

Resuming her pacing, Kagome worried aloud. "Damn it, Sango, I can't just let him take the shrine away. Ojii-san would be devastated."

Coffee colored brows knitting together in a thoughtful frown, Sango asked. "Ne, what about Kikyou? Couldn't she loan you the money?"

Chewing on her bottom lip, Kagome wondered if perhaps she shouldn't give her cousin a call. Although she would have preferred no one else finding out about Naraku's scheme, she had to admit that Kikyou would be the best person to ask for help. The only problem was that she really didn't like asking her cousin for any favors. It wasn't that Kikyou would refuse to help her; it was because repaying the favor more often than not involved Kagome sacrificing some of her pride.

Oddly enough, the peculiar condition had nothing to do with Kikyou disliking her. The two of them were actually very close and along with Sango, Kagome considered Kikyou one of her best friends. Nor was it due to any past grievance. Like most friends, they have had their share of falling outs, but neither of them could manage to hold a grudge against the other for longer than a week.

The simple fact of the matter was that Kikyou possessed a rather perverse sense of humor. A consummate prankster, she delighted in making people squirm, claiming that her victims' reactions were always their most honest and you could tell a lot about a person by how they handled a humbling experience. Having been on the receiving end of that hypothesis more times than she cared to admit, Kagome wasn't looking forward to repeating the experience.

However, the thought of losing the shrine far outweighed her reticence.

With an impatient flick of her wrist and before she lost her nerve, she opened her cell phone and quickly dialed Kikyou's number. The line rang several times, teasing Kagome with the option to hang up before someone answered, when suddenly a tired sounding, very male voice barked into the speaker. "Oi, what the fuck do you want?"

Pulling the phone away from her ear, Kagome grimaced at both the volume and foul language. Such greetings were typical of Kikyou's half demon husband particularly when he had just woken up. Suppressing a chuckle at his aggravated tone, Kagome cheerfully replied. "Hello to you, too, Inuyasha."

"Kagome?" Her name was drawn out on a yawn as the hanyou attempted to regain his bearings. "What're you doing calling so early?"

Rolling her eyes, Kagome grumbled. "It's three thirty in the afternoon, baka. Most normal people are up by now."

She could have sworn she heard him smirk. "Keh, not if they were up all night."

"Ugh, more information than I needed to know, thank you." Making a face at the phone that had Sango giggling, Kagome got to the heart of the matter. "So, Mr. Love Muffin is Kikyou there or did she leave you for someone smarter, richer and more handsome?"

An indignant snort preceded his reply. "Ha, ha, very funny wench." There was a shuffling noise as Inuyasha apparently rolled over. "Oi, Kikyou, wake up, you've got a phone call." A faint question that sounded like it was mumbled against a pillow was answered with. "It's Kagome."

A few seconds later, a sleep thickened female voice mumbled into the receiver. "Hey, Kagome, what's up?"

Kagome did laugh then, her tone full of mirth as she teased. "Apparently not you. I thought you two would be well past the 'newlywed bliss' stage by now."

A low chuckle came over the line as Kikyou fairly purred. "Two words, little cousin. Multiple and orgasm."

Scrunching up her nose, Kagome groaned. "Eww, thanks for the disturbing mental images."

Another throaty chuckle was followed by. "Always glad to help."

With the onus back on her to continue the conversation or hang up, Kagome hesitantly said. "Actually, that's kind of why I'm calling. Do you think we could meet for coffee tomorrow?"

If Kikyou was surprised by the request, her reply didn't show it. "Yeah, sure, how about Café Aoi around eleven?"

Kagome remembered the place; it was a quaint little coffee shop near to Inuyasha's office. "Sounds good. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

After saying their goodbyes, Kagome closed her phone with a soft click, feeling a bit like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Of course, she wasn't looking forward to all the embarrassment Kikyou would undoubtedly put her through, but in a way, it was worth it. If it allowed her to get Naraku out of her life, she would be willing to put up with just about anything.

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He was thirty seconds away from killing everyone in the room. What little patience he had left was stretched to the limit; his claws itching to remove these incompetent fools from his presence.

Instead, he gently massaged his right temple with the tips of his fingers to alleviate the dull throbbing which had started not long after this farce began. Granted, he had not expected much from this meeting and had attended simply because he had a free slot in his otherwise jam packed schedule. Regrettably, he had neglected this particular arm of his father's business the last few months and now he could see that this oversight had seriously damaged whatever market potential might have been garnered from its latest developments.

That one of his subsidiary companies had actually hired such inept employees was incomprehensible.

The presentation which was to have started at eight sharp had finally gotten underway at a quarter to nine. Within mere seconds of opening their mouths, it was painfully evident that the jackass speaker and his equally grating assistant had absolutely no idea what their product was supposed to do. Rather than disguising this fact by regurgitating their prepared notes, they had opted to use a slide show, he had seen better from a three year old, to illustrate the device's specifications. This was followed by several ridiculously overstated projected sales charts and a cheaply made demonstration video that looked disturbingly similar to the opening scene of a porn film.

When an argument broke out over something as trivial as available colors, Sesshoumaru refused to spare these idiots any more of his time. With a curt motion of his hand to indicate that he was leaving, he rose gracefully from his chair, pausing only long enough to adjust the front of his suit before moving towards the door.

The dense speaker actually had the temerity to try and stop him. "Ano, Taisho-san, we're not quite finished yet."

Icy gold eyes pierced the moronic ningen with a cold glare; its intensity swiftly draining the color from the man's pudgy face. In a low, modulated tone, Sesshoumaru addressed the yellow-eyed imp behind him. "Jaken."

Scurrying forward, the two-headed staff he carried exaggerating his waddling gait, the green skinned lackey gleefully croaked. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

His pale features showing not the slightest flicker of emotion, the demon lord softly commanded. "Deal with this."

A malevolent grin splitting his face, Jaken chortled. "Hai, my lord."

Paying little heed to the terrified screams that erupted as the door clicked shut behind him; Sesshoumaru silently strode down the corridor. The elevator, reeking with the lingering stench of numerous humans, was thankfully empty and he reached the lobby fairly quickly, giving the starry eyed receptionist no more than a cursory glance as he passed her. His limousine was parked directly outside the front door, Jaken obviously notifying the necessary person to have it waiting. Inclining his head slightly to acknowledge his driver as he slid into the back seat, Sesshoumaru directed him to return to the Taisho Building.

Nodding, the red haired young man inquired. "Should I notify Hiten to pick up Rin-chan then?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger to stave off the budding migraine, Sesshoumaru softly sighed. He had forgotten he was supposed to collect his ward from her lesson and glancing briefly at his watch, his irritation increased when he noticed it was almost eleven. He didn't have enough time to head all the way across town to get Rin and then back to his office for his twelve o'clock meeting. Not looking forward to the disappointed looks he knew the little girl would send in his direction the next time he saw her, he quietly replied. "No, send Kagura, Rin prefers her when I'm not available." Mentally scrolling through his agenda, he added. "Notify Kouga that he is to meet me in my office after he finishes with his clients and make sure he brings his passport. Also, get Inuyasha to call Myouga about the revised contracts. I want them in my office before three today."

The driver had already started dialing the necessary numbers on his phone. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Confident that everything would be carried out exactly as he had instructed, Sesshoumaru picked up the newspaper that was lying on the seat beside him. Automatically flipping to the business section, he spent the next few minutes checking his companies' stock prices and reading announcements concerning recent developments being made by his competitors. Meticulously refolding the paper, he scowled when a headline at the bottom of the front page seemed to jump out at him. Eyes flicking furiously over the short piece, the newspaper rapidly disintegrated beneath his poison claws.

The faint tremor of anger in his voice belying his deadly calm expression, the demon lord requested his driver's attention. "Shippou."

Pausing mid-sentence and leaving the person on the other end of the call hanging, the kitsune glanced in the rearview mirror; involuntarily flinching when he caught the taiyoukai's reddening gaze. Swallowing hard to remove the lump that was suddenly blocking his throat, he cautiously answered. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Cancel everything I just told you apart from Kagura getting Rin. Have Yura clear Inuyasha's and my schedules for the rest of the day and I want my brother in my office waiting for me." Briefly studying the passing scenery, he asked. "How long before we reach the Taisho Building?"

Shippou immediately replied. "Twenty minutes."

His eyes still focused out the window, Sesshoumaru softly said. "I trust that you can make it in ten."

The wariness that had crept onto the fox demon's face was quickly replaced with a wide grin. Sea green eyes twinkling with mischief, Shippo smirked. "Actually seven has always been my lucky number."

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Breezing through the door in a designer pantsuit of cream silk that molded to her curvaceous figure, glossy black hair pulled into a low, loose ponytail and strappy, stiletto sandals tapping smartly against the marbled floor, Kikyou looked like she had just stepped off the pages of the latest fashion magazine. Needing no other accompaniment, her only accessory was an enormous diamond ring gracing the ring finger of her left hand. In a gentle waft of air, lightly scented with a very expensive perfume that evoked images of spring rain on wildflowers, she gracefully claimed the chair opposite her cousin.

Bewilderedly eying Kikyou's elegant attire as she sat down across from her, Kagome felt like the poster child for grunge chic.

Her flared, hip hugger jeans were faded from repeated washings; a pair of ridiculously dainty, black lace up combat boots peeking out from beneath the frayed hems. A tight, baby blue t-shirt exposed a couple inches of her toned stomach; the cute, brightly colored anime character emblazoned across her chest more suited to someone a third her age. Using a pair of strategically placed chopsticks, she had twisted her thick, wavy locks into an untidy bun, leaving a few shorter strands sticking out at odd angles. The cherry blossom and vanilla perfume she wore was compliments of her shampoo and conditioner while her jewelry consisted of a heavy silver ID bracelet on her right wrist, a gift from Sango on her last birthday, and a pink, ball-like pendant suspended from a thin chain around her neck.

The sheer irony of their vastly different styles wasn't lost on either woman and they briefly exchanged a meaningful look. Years of being constantly compared to each other had developed into a strong desire to express just how different they were. Consequently, their diverse taste in clothing tended to reflect their individual personalities; something they tried very hard to distinguish given their nearly identical features.

Unmindful of the curious glances they received from the other customers, the waiter swiftly brought their order; a mocha latte for Kagome and an espresso for Kikyou. Stirring a little sugar into her coffee, a mischievous smile tugging at her red lips, Kikyou softly explained. "Sorry I'm late. Inuyasha was feeling frisky this morning."

Giving her cousin a thoroughly exasperated look over the rim of her cup, Kagome huffed. "You know, you could have just said you overslept."

Spying the light blush coloring the other girl's cheeks, Kikyou couldn't help laughing. "You know, you're probably the only person our age who still gets embarrassed talking about sex."

Glaring now, Kagome primly replied. "I'm not embarrassed. I just don't think we should talk about it like we're discussing the weather."

Kikyou looked carefully at her cousin, her expression considering before her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, wow, I never realized before, but you're still a virgin, aren't you?"

Kagome very nearly dropped her coffee cup; incredulous that her cousin was even asking. One delicate eyebrow twitching in annoyance, she snapped. "Mou, I didn't ask you to meet me so we could discuss my sex life."

Hoping that would be the end of this particular discussion, Kagome sat back in her chair, her fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of her napkin.

Unfortunately, Kikyou had other ideas, her smile turning positively wicked. "Eh, so there would be something to talk about if you had?"

Her eyes bulging, Kagome quickly retorted. "What?!? No! For Kami's sake, whatever gave you that idea?"

Lips pursed, Kikyou thoughtfully mused. "Hmm, well you did say you wanted help with something. I just assumed it was an area in which you obviously have so little experience."

Kami-sama, can we please get off this subject? Toffee colored eyes narrowing dangerously, Kagome glared at her smugly smiling relative. "Are you through or should I come back when your hormones aren't controlling your brain?"

Lifting her hands in a placating gesture, Kikyou called a truce. "Okay, okay, we can deal with your lack of sexual experience another time." Ignoring Kagome's withering look as well as her fingers agitatedly drumming on the table top, Kikyou blithely continued. "So, why did you want to meet?"

Slumping in her chair a bit, her arms falling to her lap, Kagome released a heavy sigh. This was the part she had been dreading. She must have run at least a thousand different speeches through her head last night, trying to find the best way to make her proposal. Now that the moment was upon her, her mind was a complete blank. So, without pretense or preamble, she quickly blurted out in a breathless rush. "I need to borrow some money."

Shrugging her shoulders, Kikyou automatically replied. "Sure. How much?"

Relaxing a little now that the worst part was over, though not daring to look at her cousin directly and instead watching her from beneath her lashes, Kagome carefully said. "Um, twenty million yen."

Once the words were out of her mouth, Kagome couldn't help wondering if Kikyou would have looked less surprised had she gone ahead and confessed to being a virgin. She had never seen quite that degree of startled shock on the older girl's face before and it almost made up for her embarrassment earlier. Almost being the key word in that statement.

To her credit, Kikyou recovered fairly quickly. Folding her hands together as she rested them on the table, she asked in a skeptical tone. "You don't even have a credit card and you want to borrow twenty million yen?"

Twisting the tablecloth in her hands, Kagome defensively muttered. "I can pay you back with the money from my trust fund."

Her cousin was starting to look a bit irritated. "Baka, I'm not worried about you paying me back. I just don't understand why you need that much money."

Figuring there was no point in keeping it a secret since Kikyou would find out anyway if Naraku took over the shrine, Kagome woodenly replied. "I need it to pay off a loan. The shrine was used as collateral and the person holding the lien wants the money by next Tuesday or he'll claim the title to the land in lieu of payment."

If Kagome had thought Kikyou looked shocked earlier that was nothing compared to the outraged fury on the older girl's face now. Dark brown eyes nearly black with anger, Kikyou's lips curled into a fierce snarl. "Who the hell is this son of a bitch? What's his fucking name?"

Under different circumstances, Kagome would have found her cousin's expletive filled questions hilarious. Kikyou hardly ever cursed and Kagome was far more likely to hear such language coming from Inuyasha, but it seemed that the hanyou's brash behavior had started to rub off a bit onto his beloved wife.

Noisily releasing a pent up breath, Kagome replied. "Onigumo Naraku." Seeing her cousin's blank look, she added. "He's a commercial developer who has been trying to buy the shrine for some time now. He took over the loan from the bank so he could force the deal."

Mulling the name over in her head, Kikyou's expression grew puzzled. "Onigumo, huh? I've never heard of him before which is kind of strange since Inuyasha's company handles a lot of commercial property ventures." Pausing briefly, her confusion evident, she continued. "And why would he want to buy the shrine? The zoning commission isn't going to let him tear down a historical monument."

Kagome shook her head helplessly. "I have no idea, but it would kill ojii-san to lose the shrine."

Looking determined, Kikyou said. "Well, then I guess I need to find a way to get you the money."

In her excitement, Kagome completely forgot about any concerns she might have harbored over asking her cousin for help. A wide smile gracing her face, she eagerly asked. "So, you'll loan it to me?"

"Actually, I can't." Seeing the younger girl's bright grin falter, Kikyou hastily added. "What I meant was I can't get that much on such short notice. But, I'm sure Inuyasha knows someone who could float a short term loan."

Her relief evident, Kagome sighed. "Thank you, Kikyou."

Her lips curling in a sly grin, Kikyou replied. "Don't thank me yet. You still owe me for the favor."

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"How the fuck did that bastard find out about the contract?"

Tossing aside the newspaper Miroku had dropped in his lap a few minutes ago, Inuyasha scowled over the contents of the short press release. Taisho Corp had been assured that they were the only company under consideration for a prestigious land development taking place in Western Japan. Information concerning the contract had been kept strictly confidential since the influential youkai businessmen fronting the capital had requested anonymity. Yet, according to the article he had just read, their fiercest rival, Kagami Enterprises, had also received an invitation to bid on the project.

Elbows resting against the arms of his chair, his fingertips pressed together in front of him, Sesshoumaru frowned lightly at the hanyou's foul language, but chose not to comment. Instead, he addressed a more pressing matter. "There are a limited number of people in this office aware of the contract. It would appear that we have a breech in security."

Miroku nodded in agreement, his violet eyes narrowing as he offered. "I'll run a scan on all recent email communications and phone calls. I'll also do another background check on the employment records of any staff currently assigned to this project. Unfortunately, we might have overlooked someone who previously worked for Kagami or one of its affiliates which would make it relatively simple for that person to be retained as a spy."

His expression grim, Inuyasha sharply cracked the knuckles of his right hand. "Whoever this bastard is, he'll regret making such a stupid decision."

Holding back a snort at his younger brother's posturing, Sesshoumaru directed his reply to Miroku. "I want a meeting with the shareholders scheduled for tomorrow morning. We cannot risk Kagami winning the bid away from us nor can we allow any more lapses in security to jeopardize this venture. I want immediate damage control measures in place and I want no one other than the three of us to have any further information pertaining to this contract. Is that understood?"

Inuyasha's acceptance of this demand was to cross his arms in front of his chest and mutter a soft 'keh' while Miroku's was an affirmative shake of his head and a clipped 'Hai'. Wasting no further time discussing the details of their respective duties, the two men rose from their chairs and quietly exited Sesshoumaru's office, the door closing behind them with a soft click. Once he was certain they were gone, Sesshoumaru eased back into his chair and lowly muttered. "Fuck."

He immediately straightened again when a soft, feminine chuckle met his ears. "Ah, so the ever impressive demon lord does lower himself occasionally to the basest of phrases."

Stepping from the shadows that graced the left side of the room, Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed briefly when he recognized Inuyasha's wife, Kikyou. He wasn't entirely sure how long she had been in the room, but he didn't like the idea that she was aware of their current crisis. Opting to not show his surprise at her unexpected appearance, he regarded her coolly. "What brings you here, Kikyou? I thought my dear brother didn't allow his little plaything out unsupervised."

Ignoring his dig, Kikyou smirked. "Oh, I come and go as I please." Shrugging indifferently, she added. "Besides, Inuyasha knows I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

The faint crackle of holy power brushing along the edge of his youki was all the demonstration that she needed and Sesshoumaru silently acknowledged that the woman had a point. Few youkai would be able to withstand such heightened purification energy and only his powerful lineage kept him from being similarly affected; however, a direct purification blast from her would be quite painful and would probably require a day or two for him to recover. Inclining his head slightly, he murmured. "This is obviously not a social call so to what do I owe the pleasure of your company."

He infused his words with such sarcasm that Kikyou fought the urge to roll her eyes. In some ways, he was a childish as Inuyasha at playing the big, bad youkai, but at least the demon lord infused a bit of finesse into his efforts. Gracefully settling into one of the two leather armchairs, knowing full well he had no intention of inviting her to sit down, Kikyou calmly crossed her legs before getting down to business.

"I believe that I have some information which holds great relevance to your current problem." One slightly raised eyebrow indicated that she should continue and Kikyou leaned forward so that her forearms rested against her thighs. "I'm willing to give you this information provided you will meet my conditions."

Quickly losing his patience at what was sounding more like a blackmail threat than a business negotiation, Sesshoumaru snarled. "And what exactly are these conditions you expect me to agree to?'

Scoffing at his menacing tone, Kikyou airily waved one hand as she elaborated. "Neither is all that trying, so don't get so riled up. There are only two and the first is hardly worth a moment's consideration."

Disliking how the woman was dragging out her explanation, he fairly growled. "And what is the first condition?"

Without batting an eyelash, she answered. "Twenty million yen."

Sesshoumaru nearly exploded out of his chair, planning to rip the woman into shreds, when she quickly amended. "Actually, I want you to loan me twenty million yen which shall be returned to you along with a reasonable amount of interest in six month's time."

A good deal of Sesshoumaru's anger drained away after that qualifying statement. Given the course this particular discussion could have taken, he was intrigued that the wench had even offered to repay the money. He would have expected a less honorable person to take advantage of the situation and being married to his brother, she was well aware that he could have easily afforded a much larger pay off. Twenty million was actually a rather paltry sum when taken into consideration against the amount of money he would earn if his company was awarded the development contract.

In truth, he was a little surprised that she hadn't already put her request through to Inuyasha. His brother was no pauper and though rough around the edges, Inuyasha was as shrewd a businessman as he was, having accrued a substantial fortune from his own ventures, so it wasn't as if the hanyou couldn't have met her request.

Therefore, she apparently wanted something else that she knew she couldn't ask for from his brother. Somewhat curious as to what exactly that something was, he decided to hear her out. Watching her through slitted eyes, Sesshoumaru murmured. "The first condition is acceptable. So, what is the other condition?"

Later, Sesshoumaru could have sworn there was a faintly triumphant gleam in the woman's brown eyes when she smoothly replied. "I want you to marry my cousin."

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