Beautiful

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the movie Beautiful (starring Minnie Driver)

Kagome Higurashi always told herself that she was beautiful but deep known she never believed she was much to look at, especially with these horrid braces on her teeth. She was stuck with them for a while, so she'd make the best of it. "How will you be paying for this?" the dentist asked her.

"Cash." The child said and opened her purse "Monthly." And she handed over her first payment, smiled at herself in the mirror and left the office for home.

Outside, Kagome hopped on her bike and sped off towards the house, she stopped when she reached the driveway. She saw her mom's boyfriend's car and saw her little brother sitting on the porch. "Naraku's here?" she asked Souta.

"Yeah." He answered. "Will you be okay?" he asked when he saw her shiver.

"Yes." She said and flashed him a smile "Just fine Souta." She looked at her watch. "I have deliveries to make, wanna come with me?" she asked.

"Sure!" Souta said eager to get away from the house and ran to get his bike. Kagome smiled again at her brother and he did a double take as he looked at her "Whoa," he said shocked. "In didn't think you'd actually get them."

"If I'm going to be crowned Miss America, I have to have perfect teeth." She told him as he got on his bike. The two of them sped off in the direction of the grocery store. "Wait here." She said and went inside to pick up what she ordered. She came back out quickly and put the bags in the basket on her bike.

Following his sister closely, Souta helped her take groceries from house to house and helped her with the heavy things, like chicken and ham. After she counted out the next payment for her braces, she split her earnings with him. "No, this is your money." He said.

"No, it's our money." She said. "You didn't have to come with me, you didn't have to help me unload and delivering was your idea."

Souta smiled at his sister and pocketed the money. He wouldn't spend it, but he knew that's exactly what she'd do with her half, and she did, on the way home, she treated him to ice cream.

Souta and Kagome looked at each other once the got home, Kagome took a deep breath, the car was still there, but she had to go in, she had to get ready for school so did Souta.

Souta saw Kagome shaking, he tried to warn their mother that Naraku was no good and a danger to him and Kagome, but she just laughed, blew cigarette smoke in his face and said he couldn't stand the thought of Kagome being around another male.

Souta gripped Kagome's shaking hand. "We'll go in at the same time, okay?" he said.

"Okay." She whispered.

"We go in, and go straight to your room, no stopping, no slowing down, no looking back." He told her. She nodded and held his hand tighter as they walked to the front door.

The walked in together and Kagome froze when she saw Naraku sitting at the table but started to walk, and breath again when Souta tugged on her arm. "Where have you to been?" their mother, Gina, asked.

"Out." Souta said and kept walking.

"Doing what?" she asked.

"Working." Kagome answered.

"Kagome, Come back here."

"What for mom?" the girl asked.

"Naraku has a gift for you, isn't that nice?" Gina said cheerfully

"I don't want it!" Kagome snapped.

"Kagome!" Gina scolded.

"Return to sender!" Kagome yelled and ran to her room, dragging Souta with her.

Souta stared at his sisters sign covered door, it was full of handmade signs she made on colorful paper, all of the words were either in markers or glitter or both, they said cute things or had warnings, like "An Angel Sleeps here." "Do not disturb!" "Enter at your own risk." "Don't touch anything." "This room belongs to the Future Miss America."

The one that caught anyone's attention was a big yellow one right in the center of the door in bright green glitter letters that said "KNOCK FIRST! ENTER WITH PERMISSION ONLY!"

"Can you believe that…that…BASTARD!" Kagome shouted and threw a pair of shoes across the room. She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it and fell on the bed.

Souta closed the door and put the shoes back where they belong. "I'm sorry." Souta said. "You shouldn't have to-."

Kagome stopped him in the middle of his sentence and pinched his cheek. "We both have to live with him." She said. "That love struck bitch won't listen to a word we say…I'm glad you're my little brother Souta, or else I would have lost my mind by now."

Souta smiled and started to talk when Gina opened the door unexpectedly. Kagome glared at her mother and yelled. "What does the sign on the door day?!"

"Do we have to go through this again?" Gina asked but found herself narrowly dodging a hairbrush.

"You know the rules!" Kagome yelled. "Knock first!"

Gina closed the door and knocked. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"No!" Kagome snapped. "Go screw your boyfriend and keep him away from me!"

There was a long moment of silence before Gina walked away from her daughter's bedroom door. "That was harsh Kagome." Souta said.

"She should have knocked." Kagome told him.

"I don't have to knock."

"Yeah, but you're Souta."

Souta smiled and got up to get ready for school the next day, he and Kagome did their homework quickly and ate dinner in her room before showering and going to bed.

Late at night, Naraku slowly opened the door to Kagome's bedroom and crept slowly over to her bed. Tonight he would finally have her.

He pulled back the blankets and saw Souta sleeping beside her, arms wrapped around her, protecting her. The boy always got in his way. He fixed the blankets and turned to leave the room and left the children to sleep. The boy would have to go.

Next Day:

Kagome and Souta woke up early so Kagome made the two of them breakfast, knowing their mother would sleep in. They both knew Naraku slept with their mother when he couldn't get near Kagome.

"Finish your homework?" Kagome asked Souta in a motherly tone they never heard from their mother.

"Yes Kagome." He said and sat at the table, opening up a sketch book to work of a picture of his sister.

Kagome smiled but it was quickly replaced by a frown as Naraku walked into the kitchen. She tried to pay no attention to him as she took the bacon out of the pan before it burned.

"What are you doing?" he asked Souta.

"Nothing." Souta said and covered up the picture.

Naraku noticed the sketchbook and laughed. "Drawing. What a waste of time. I always knew you were a pansy."

Kagome glared at him. "Screw you!" she yelled. "Souta is a great artist and you're nothing! And you're not our father, so don't talk to him that way."

Naraku looked at her clearly amused and stepped closer. Kagome looked at the pan still on the stove, the grease still hot. She held the handle and flung the hot grease at Naraku. He hissed and narrowed his eyes at her.

"If you touch either one of us again." She warned. "I'll kill you."

Naraku left to get the grease off of his arms and face and Kagome walked to Souta and kissed his cheek. "I meant what I said," she told him. "You really are great."

Gina woke up and walked into the kitchen. "Kagome." She said smiling. "You made breakfast?" she said when she saw her daughter taking food to the table.

"Yes." Kagome said. "I made breakfast for me and Souta. You have to make your own."

"But you made so much."

"Souta's growing mom." Kagome pointed out. "He eats more than he used to."

Kagome and Souta ate without another word to their mother and left together on their bikes.

Gina looked at the door as they left. Naraku came up behind her and she sighed. "I don't understand why she hates me now and why Souta won't let me near her."

Naraku wrapped his arms around Gina and got a wicked idea. "It's Souta's fault." he lied.

Gina looked at him. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"I probably shouldn't say anything." Naraku said.

"No…" Gina said. "Tell me."

"I think Souta is…hurting Kagome." Gina looked even more confused and Naraku said. "Raping her."

Gina Higurashi's eyes widened. "What?! That's not true!"

"I heard her crying last time I was here." He said convincingly.

"But she's been crying a lot lately." Gina argued, still not wanting to believe him…but it did make sense to her. That could be why Souta wanted Naraku out of the house so badly and Souta always took Kagome away from the house.

"I saw them." He lied. "Last night I was going to tuck Kagome in, and he was in there." He paused as if he was horrified by the false memory. "Gina, she's afraid of him."

Gina looked down sadly. She couldn't believe it. She never thought Souta would do something like this to his sister; he loved her too much to hurt her. Or so she thought.

At the school:

Kagome sat in her sewing class and looked and the medal in her bag from her last beauty pageant. She didn't win; it only said the she was a contestant. Souta said it meant she'd just have to try harder, her mother said that it was a waste of time and that she'd never drive Kagome to another one.

"Class." The teacher said and walked in with a girl behind her. "This is Sango. She just moved here. Try and make her feel welcome."

Sango didn't say a word but quickly moved to the back of the room and sat down. Everyone started working on what they were supposed to make. Kagome got easily frustrated and threw down the pieces to the pattern. She looked up and saw Sango working with no trouble and watched her.

Sango looked up quickly and looked at Kagome through glasses she wasn't wearing when she came in. Kagome turned around and decided not to work today.

At lunch:

Kagome walked around looking for a table to sit at and saw Sango again, walking. Sango sat her things on the table and sat down when two boys sat on the bench and pushed her off. Sango hit the ground and her glasses rolled off. She picked them up before they were broken.

"Go sit with your girlfriend." One of the boys said to another and tired to push him on top of Sango. Kagome watched as Sango moved away and the boy that was pushed pulled his friend down and started to fight with him.

Kagome walked up and stood beside Sango and tilted her lunch tray, her lemonade fell onto the boys and the stood up, glaring at her. She wasn't afraid of them they weren't as scary as Naraku was at night. "You creeps made me spill my lemonade." She said and glared back.

A teacher dragged them away and Kagome sat at the table. Sango sat with her. "I hate lunch." Kagome said and pushed her tray away.

"Me too." Sango agreed. Kagome was shocked, she expected the shy girl to have a high squeaky voice but her voice was a bit deeper than her own.

Where'd you learn to sew so well?" Kagome asked.

"My grandma." Sango answered and opened the bag that had her lunch in it and took out and orange and held it towards Kagome. "Want my orange since you dropped your lemonade?"

"Nah," Kagome said. "I'm on a diet."

"Really?" Sango asked. "You don't look like you need it." Sango placed the orange on Kagome's tray and smiled "That's better."

Kagome smiled back showing her braces and reached up, taking Sango's glasses off. "That's better too." Sango blinked but smiled back, she only needed the glasses for reading anyways and she did admit that she looked better without them. From that moment on, Sango and Kagome were like sisters.

A/N: R&R please and tell me what you thought.