A/N: Hit by Adrian. *grins at muse* I was readin a story bout abuse, and this just popped into my head. It's not a big priority, but I don't think there are going to be many chapters, so this one might be done by, oh, Saturday, maybe? I don't get many chances to write during the week

Disclaimer: I do not, and most likely will not ever own Inuyasha, no matter how much I pray, or cast spells, or try to steal the rights or-*Adrian claps hand over bluefuzzyelf's mouth before she can say any more*

Reflection

Chapter One

Battered

Kagome knelt at the edge of the hot spring, looking at her reflection. Her shit was folded neatly beside her, along with her socks and shoes. She wore only her skirt and a white bra now.

Any other time, Inuyasha would've reveled in the sight of Kagome so scantily clad, but not this time. This time she had come back home with a large bruise on her face, one she had obviously tried to hide, but had failed in it. This time, she stared into the water with tears silently dripping down her cheeks.

Inuyasha had known something was wrong the instant she came back that day, so long ago. She had flinched when he came near her, shied away from him when he offered to carry her. The scent of fear was often in the air when he or Miroku was around her.

He had tried talking to her, to no avail. She wouldn't answer, or would slam him into the ground with the rosary charm.

Then she cam back with a bruise on her face. She had freaked out when he had grabbed her face, trying to get a better look at it. She had fought him like a wounded animal, and she had been scared stiff. He didn't know why, and it was scaring him. She had been like this for three months.

And now, he was looking at her crying, his eyes roaming over her body. Her scarred, bruised and battered body. She had cuts and abrasions all over her back, and scrapes and bruises on her arms. A large cut on her wrist, and marks on her ribs. Marks that greatly resembled fingers.

Inuyasha felt his anger grow. Who had done this? Who dared to hurt Kagome? Who could hurt such an innocent, loving person?

He started as he heard Kagome start to hum.

She stared at her reflection, oblivious to the hanyou in the trees. As she looked at her battered body, she remembered a song from a movie. It seemed to fit her predicament at the moment. Her tears fell faster as she started to hum, and then to sing.

Look at me

You may think you see

Who I really am

But you'll never know me

Every day

It's as if I play a part

Now I see

If I wear a mask

I can fool the world

But I cannot fool my heart

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

I am now

In a world where I

Have to hide my heart

And what I believe in

But somehow

I will show the world

What's inside my heart

And be loved for who I am

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

Why is my reflection

Someone I don't know?

Must I pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

There's a heart that must be

Free to fly

That burns with a need to know

The reason why

Why must we all conceal

What we think, how we feel?

Must there be a secret me

I'm forced to hide?

I won't pretend that I'm

Someone else for all time

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

When will my reflection show

Who I am inside?

Did she have to hide all the time? Why did it happen? The hurt, the agony, over and over. Why didn't her mother ever help her? Was it really her fault, like he said?

Kagome shuddered as a new thought ripped through her, sharp and painful as a knife.

Did Inuyasha think she was worthless too? That everything was her fault?

Would he ever hit her?

Kagome's breath stopped. What if he did? What if-what if he found her as repulsive as he did? Kagome hoped with all her heart he didn't. She wouldn't be able to live if he did.

Kagome brought her hand down sharply on her reflection, watching the ripples spread over her face, distorting it.

"I hate myself." She whispered it, so low she almost didn't hear it herself.

But Inuyasha did. And his heart gave a wrench. Why would she hate herself? He thought back to her song. It was so beautiful, and he could hear the raw emotion behind it. Did she really think she had to hide? From what?

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. All these emotions were confusing him. He settled on the one he was most familiar with. Anger.

The hanyou stepped out from the wood. He approached Kagome, silent as any ninja.

"Kagome." His voice was low. Kagome jumped and turned to him. Her eyes were wide in fear, and Inuyasha could smell her scent spike.

"Kagome. What's going on?" Kagome shivered and shook her head, her eyes filling with tears again.

"Kagome, tell me! What the fuck's going on?"

"N-nothing." She stuttered. Inuyasha snarled and laid his hand on her shoulder, preparing to turn her around. He didn't expect Kagome to curl up into a ball, trembling, like a small animal being hunted.

"Nononononono. Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, don't hurt me" She continued her litany, blue-grey clenched shut. Inuyasha quickly removed his hand.

"Kagome. Kagome, please stop, you're scaring me." Kagome opened her eyes and looked at him.

"G-gomen ne, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked at her. For the first time since she came back three months ago, really looked at her. He had seen her flinch, he had smelled her fear before, but he had never really looked.

And he didn't like what he saw.

She was scared of him.

What had he done? To make her so frightened around him?

"Kagome, what did I do?" Kagome was confused. Do?

"Why are you scared of me? What did I do?" His voice sounded so insecure, her heart broke.

"Oh, Inuyasha, it isn't you. It's never you." How could she have thought he'd hit her? He never would. He protected her. It was a nice feeling, being protected. One she had taken for granted until it was torn away from her.

"Then what's wrong?"

Kagome longed to tell him. Someone. Anyone. She couldn't keep it inside any longer. She fell against Inuyasha's chest and held onto him like a lifeline.

"H-he hurts me. He hurts me so bad, Inuyasha. I-I don't wanna go back, I don't wanna get hurt again. Please, protect me. I can't stand it anymore!" She buried her head in his haori.

Inuyasha was angry. What she had just said confirmed his suspicions. Who had hurt her? He's kill them.

"Who, Kagome? Who hurts you?"

"Katsuaki. He's.he's dating my mom. And she doesn't help me. She just stands there. She can't help meno one can." Inuyasha pulled her tighter against him as his eyes began to seep red, even though he had Tetsusaiga. "Is it my fault? Inuyasha, is it my fault?" Inuyasha had gone into his own fantasy land, where he was currently ripping out this Katsuaki's throat for hurting Kagome that he didn't hear her.

Kagome misunderstood, and her face contorted in pain.

"It is, isn't it? It is my fault. I understand. I'll go back now." She started to pull away, but Inuyasha had caught her last words and wouldn't let her go.

"Kagome, I would rather send you to Kouga than let you go back to him."

"Butisn't it my fault?"

"No! Kagome, why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I was afraid you wouldn't care."

"I wouldn't care? Are you insane!"

"I don't know! I just don't know!"

Inuyasha softened.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"They can't hear me. They wouldn't hear me. They'd think I was lying, trying to get attention. They wouldn't hear me" Her voice ended in a sob. "And if told, he'd hurt me more."

"Not anymore. He won't ever hurt you again. I'm here, and I'm never letting him get his hands on you again."

"Thank you Inuyasha. You don't know.how much this means to me." You will never know

"I will always be here, Kagome. Always."

A/N: Review?