AN-Thanks muchly for the reviews on my last fic! Okay, so here's something new, (it'll probably be a long one) - hope it's enjoyed and please reveiw!
A Family Like Mine
Chapter One- Not Okay
Kagome drifted around her room in a dream-like way. Mindlessly she lifted various items before putting them back down. She was attempting to tidy her room, but the problem was that with the perpetual daze she'd been living in of late her room never got messy at all in the first place. When her bedroom door cracked open she barely noticed, she just continued circling about her room without any real conscious thought. Her door closed again.
Sota ran down the wooden stairs and made his way to the kitchen. His mother was supposedly cooking dinner but he saw her leaning against the kitchen counter with a distant, worried expression on her face instead. Like mother, like daughter he supposed. "Mom?" Startled Mrs. Higurashi spun to around to look at her son. "Kagome's not doing much - again. You think she's ever gonna be normal?" Mrs. Higurashi was terrified for her daughter. A year had passed since she left the Feudal Era for good, a year had passed and Kagome still hadn't woken up from her almost catatonic state. Kagome maintained excellent grades at school, did her chores, spoke when spoken to - but she was empty. She hadn't even cried for the passing of her grandfather, just stared blankly at her surroundings as if she couldn't quite grasp the concept. It was almost like she'd left her soul on the other side of the well. Or her heart, she thought as she remembered the silver-haired hanyou. She was starting to feel like Kagome was not going to be moving on with her life for a long time. But her youngest had to be reassured; it was her duty as a mother to keep him happy and hopeful. "Of course honey, any day now Kagome will start to act like her old self." Her voice sounded unsure to her own ears, and she could tell by Sota's doubtful expression that she hadn't convinced him. She felt like a failing mother.
Sota ran back upstairs to check on his sister. She was sitting on her bed cross legged and leaning against the wall, staring longingly at her window. Sota sighed, he may have been young but he wasn't stupid. Kagome was heart-broke no two ways about it. And sticking around here with all the reminders certainly wasn't helping. He went back downstairs and told his mother as much.
An hour later after her and Sota's discussion, she realized her son was right. Kagome wouldn't leave the house for any reason other than school and never talked to her friends, let alone saw them. She'd isolated herself and replaced the people she cared about with hurtful reminders of her first love. Mrs. Higurashi reached a decision. She was going to send Kagome to live with her cousins on the other side of Tokyo for a while. It would force her to spend time with teenagers her own age and keep her from having to see the well and the tree everyday. Kagome could transfer to Furinkan High too if she wanted, but she'd leave that up to her. But it would mean getting up extra early to get to a school so far away which Mrs. Higurashi knew she wouldn't enjoy, and she could always transfer back when she wanted to come home. Feeling slightly guilty she picked up the phone to ring her deceased sister's family.
"Hello, Tendo residence!" Said Kasumi, as she answered the phone. Within a moment Ranma was by her side asking if it was for him, and with all the noise he was making she could barely hear who was actually calling. "A moment please," she said into the phone, still unsure of whom it was that she was speaking to. "Ranma? Would you mind being a little quieter please?" He was instantly quiet. Akane and Nabiki appeared next asking if it was the person Ranma seemed to be expecting. Putting a finger to her lips Kasumi went back to the phone. "I'm sorry things are little hectic here, who is it speaking?"
"You're Aunt, Kasumi dear," Mrs. Higurashi laughed softly, "How are you doing?"
"Oh! I'm fine; we're all doing great here in fact!"
"I'm so glad to hear that dear."
"How are you Aunty? How are you –"Kasumi paused, unsure of how to pose her question without upsetting her Aunt. Akane took that opportunity to rip the phone from Kasumi's hands.
"Aunty! Akane here!"
"Yes, so I hear," she laughed.
"Hey how's Kagome? She seemed a little … off at the funeral and I'm kind of worried about her, she barely spoke to me, I suppose given the… circumstances…but we haven't talked since either…anyway how is she? And Sota? How is he doing? And Aunty how are you?" Mrs. Higurashi smiled; she was glad that her niece's had moved on after their grandfathers' death. But then, she supposed they'd already lost their mother, death wasn't as new to them.
"Sota's fine -and thank you for asking dear- but Kagome is still very upset I think," No need to tell them the details - even if they believed it, "And that's what I was ringing about, do you think I could talk to your father?"
"Of course you can." Akane pressed the phone against her chest. "Ranma, go get dad Aunty wants to talk to him," she hissed. Mr. Tendo followed Ranma into the room a few moments later.
The Tendo sisters and Ranma left the room and settled into the living room. Kasumi nestled herself onto a cushion and started on some clothes she'd been mending while the others flicked the TV on. "Aunty said Kagome wasn't doing so well." Akane said after wrestling the remote from Ranma. "Well she was far closer to Gramps than we were. We barely saw him - Kagome lived with him." Nabiki drawled. "That's that really weird chick from the funeral ain't it? With that necklace she kept tugging at." Akane smacked Ranma on the arm. "Don't call her names; she's having a hard time of it." Ranma snorted. "It's sad alright? But jeez it's been what, half a year?"
"Well Ranma," said Kasumi softly, eyes never leaving her sewing, "She didn't know her father very well, he left when she was young and so she grew very attached to Grandfather, then last year she was getting very sick all the time and was often in hospital missing school and he was very supportive of her and optimistic about her health - what I'm saying is that I think she'd learnt to rely on him greatly for his support." Ranma was about to say something when Mr. Tendo burst through the door.
"Well children, I have some news!" he said folding his arms across his chest, "Kagome isn't doing very well and she's become…withdrawn you could say. Mrs. Higurashi thinks it might be best if she gets away from the shrine a while so-"
"She's coming to stay?" Akane interrupted excitedly, she'd always been close to her cousin, though since Ranma's arrival they'd talked less and less. Damn him, Akane thought. He always seemed to ruin everything. "Yes she is! She's possibly transferring to your school too, while she's here but Mrs. Higurashi doesn't know about that yet. So, Son! Come and help me get the spare mattress from the storage, Akane? I'm going to fit the rest of the frame back to your bed - you don't mind sharing a room do you?" Akane shook her head, she didn't mind. "How long is she staying?" Nabiki asked. "As long as she wants I guess, starting next week." Akane was looking forward to it, it would be fun having her cousin around. However Ranma found something to complain about. "Another girl in the house? And an invalid? Akane is already bad enough as it is!" Thwack. "Ya calling me an invalid, you moocher?" Akane retaliated. Oh yes, he always ruined everything.