Chapter 1

It had been four years since she first fell into the well. She was now eighteen and was going on nineteen. So much has happened and so much has changed. She no longer cared about how much make up she had or if she had a date for the weekend. She had grown up and her mother was proud of her for that. Kagome had just taught herself how to control her miko powers. No one, not even Inuyasha knew that she would go off at times and train on her own. She didn't want to hurt Inuyasha or Shippo. She just wanted to feel as if she could do more. She knew she had more power and would work to control it so long as she could protect the family she had in the feudal era.

Kagome had grown to love Inuyasha as a hanyou and wanted nothing more than to protect him just as he protected her. She had even taken an arrow for him when Kaguya had tried to kill Inuyasha. Although she had no idea if he had some feelings for her Kagome would stay by his side until the very end. Sango was like a sister to her. They could talk about anything and would often take hours in the hot spring just so that they were away from the guys.

But no matter how much she talked to Sango it still didn't matter. Kagome always got her heart broken every time Inuyasha went off to see Kikiyo. Kagome may be jealous of Kikiyo but she would never want anything bad to happen to her either. She had proven her kindness when she saved Kikiyo those two times. 'No matter what I do…he'll always love her and I'll always be the shard detector.' Kagome thought sadly.

"Kagome? Are you ok?" Sango asked as she caught the sight of her friends sad eyes.

"Yeah, I was just thinking. Are the guys back yet?" Kagome answered as she began to heat up some water for Inuyasha's ramen.

"No, but they should be getting back soon." Sango replied.

Not even a minute after she had said that, Miroku, Inuyasha and Shippo walked through the clearing with hands full of fish. Kagome and Sango quickly took the fish out of their hands and began to finish dinner while Shippo sat next to Kagome. All was quiet and it seemed as if they were going to have a good night's rest. However that all changed when they heard a girls cry of help.

"What was that?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know but it sounded close by." Miroku answered.

"Inuyasha…how close was she?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha sniffed the air and snapped his eyes open. "Not far…Kagome, Sango stay here." He answered as he turned to Miroku. "Let's go monk."

"We're going to Inuyasha." Sango hissed.

"Inuyasha what if she's hurt…we may need Kagome and Sango's help." Miroku said.

"Feh…hurry up." Inuyasha said before he took off.

"Come on Kagome." Sango said as offered her help to get on Kirara.

"Yeah." Kagome replied. 'What has him so worked up?' she thought.

As they continued to move forward Kagome began to sense the presences of the shikon jewel shards. 'It feels like it's about five shards…no…nine shards!' Kagome thought as she looked up to see Inuyasha's worried filled face. However all was soon made clear when they entered the small clearing. As they landed Kagome watched as a small hanyou girl began to turn human. But that wasn't way she had cried for help.

Her clothing was ripped and she was hardly dress. Her eyes were life less as she was begin control by some unknown force. As the man tried to rip the rest as her clothing off she kicked them off of her and dug a dagger through his heart. She did the same thing until the four men were dead. Kagome couldn't look any more. Just as she turned around she came face to face with Inuyasha's chest. 'Inuyasha…'she thought as she threw herself into his chest while crying. Inuyasha could smell all of the men's scent on her and it killed him.

"Shippo…come with me." Sango said as she covered the small child's eyes to keep him from seeing such a sight. Miroku had just turned around and kept his back to her.

"Kagome…I want to stay with Kagome." Shippo cried.

"Shippo…honey…please just go with them." Kagome was heard even though she didn't even realize she had reply to his cry.

"Inuyasha…she needs to be tended to." Miroku whispered before he took Sango and Shippo away from the site.

"Just get the runt out of here." Inuyasha growled as he tried to control his growing anger.

The small human girl, no more than thirteen, kept her head down in shame as she tried to cover herself back up. In human years she was about the same ago as her younger brother Sota. Bruises, cuts and wounds covered her body as she stayed on the floor in a small ball. It wasn't until she had footsteps that she looked over to find Inuyasha with his back turned and Kagome walking over to her. She quickly moved away and said, "Stay…stay away…don't touch me." in such a broken voice that it only made Kagome want to cry more. She felt as if she wanted to die; she just wanted to die to hid her shame.

"It's ok…we're here to help you." Kagome said as she placed Inuyasha's hairo over the bare girl.

"Why? Who are you?" she asked as she began to cry. She just couldn't take it; she just wanted to be left alone and to be left die in shame.

"We're here to help…I'm Inuyasha and this is Kagome." Inuyasha growled as he kept his back turned.

Kagome pulled the young girl into her arms and allowed her to cry as she wrapped her up in Inuyasha's hairo. She had a right to cry, she should be able to cry all she wanted because of what happened. Once she had cried herself to sleep Kagome turned to Inuyasha, who now stood by her and said, "Inuyasha…can you…did they…is she…" Kagome had no idea how to ask him. In truth she didn't want to know, she didn't want to know if these man had been able to do more to her.

"No, but their scent is all over this girl. They didn't get a chance…they didn't get a chance to finish what they wanted to do." Inuyasha answered as he helped Kagome up before picking up the sleeping girl.

"Inuyasha…what are we going to do with her? She's just a child and she was just…"Kagome could finish because she heard Inuyasha say, "Don't worry…let's just get back to the others."

After they had reached their camp Sango and Kagome wrapped the girl's wounds and set her in Kagome's sleeping bag. Kagome couldn't sleep, not after what she had just seen. 'Why do they do this? She doesn't deserve this…she shouldn't have gone through this.' Kagome thought as she tried to keep her tears and cries to herself. Kagome turned to the sleeping girl and said, "You poor thing…you don't deserve this…you didn't deserve this."

"Kagome?" Inuyasha was heard as he jumped out of his tree and walked over to her.

'What he must have gone through…oh Inuyasha.' Kagome thought as she turned away in tears.

Unable to stand her tears Inuyasha pulled her into her lap and held her while she cried. Her heard Kagome's angry words and she could feel her pain and sadness for all hanyou's that were treated like this. Kagome looked up to Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha…she didn't deserve it…no one does…she's just a child."

"Shh…I know Kagome…I know." Inuyasha whispered to her as he began to rock her to sleep.

"Inuyasha…please tell me what happened to you…please tell me I can help you heal those wounds." Kagome cried as she allowed him to put her to sleep.

Inuyasha was completely caught off guard by her request but did not hesitate to answer. "Don't worry Kagome…you're already healing my wounds…just sleep."

Soon Kagome sleep and left Inuyasha with his thoughts. After he had laid her down Inuyasha jumped back up into his tree to keep guard. 'Kagome…you have no idea what you've done to heal my wounds.' He thought as he slowly began to fall asleep. That morning Inuyasha and the others were woken up by the growls and howls of the fully awake hanyou girl. Just as Inuyasha landed behind the small hanyou child he was thrown back as she growled, "Stay away from me!"

"Please…we're only trying to help you." Miroku said as he stepped forward.

"Stay away!" she growled as her eyes began to flash between her red.

'Shit…what the hell are we suppose to do if she turns.' He thought as he kept a close eye on her.

However everyone didn't move and didn't try to move toward the uncontrollable child once Kagome had jumped forward while pulling her into her arms. The hanyou child froze…no one had ever tried to huge her let alone confront her what so ever since the death of her parents. 'What is she…why is she crying for me.' She thought as she began to smell the miko's salty tears. Kagome held on to the child tightly and said, "We're not going to hurt you…your safe so please just rest." as she tried to fight off her tears.

"Why…why are you hugging me? Why are you crying for a worthless hanyou who couldn't even keep herself safe?!" she growled as she pushed Kagome away from her. "I DON'T DESERVE TO BE HELD OR CARED FOR! I'M PATHEICT AND WEAK! NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME!" she growled in anger as she fought her own tears.

"Sango…Shippo…let's go for a walk." Miroku said as he pulled them away from the three of them.

"Come on Shippo…let's go catch some breakfast." Sango added.

Before she could jump and leave Inuyasha grabbed her from the back of the neck and said, "You're not worthless…never believe any bastard who tells you so." in an enraged voice.

"You don't have to change…you're fine the way you are." Kagome added as she got Inuyasha to let her go.

"But…but…I was so scared…I didn't want to kill them…I didn't mean to kill them…why." She began to cry as she held on to both Inuyasha and Kagome for confront. They were the first ones that ever showed any sign of actually caring about her and she just felt so safe.

Once she had stopped crying Kagome looked at the hanyou child she asked, "What's your name?"

"My name…my name is Jezebeth." She answered as she pulled away while whipping her tears.

By the time Sango, Miroku and Shippo had gotten back they found the young hanyou girl dressed in Inuyasha hairo and sitting up in a tree just watching the sky and birds fly by. She was in a trance and just wanted to be left alone. After they had all eaten breakfast the group of humans, demon, and two hanyou's set off to head back to Kaede's village where she would be kept an eye on until they figured out what they were going to do with her.

'I want to stay with them…but if I stay then he is going to hurt them just to get me to go back…I'm so sorry but I can't stay with you.' She thought sadly as she followed the group from behind. Just as she was about to start crying again she heard a girls voice say, "Jezebeth…come on you shouldn't fell behind…you might be attacked." As a demon slayer came up to her.

"Oh…yeah…" Jezebeth replied as she caught up and walked along side Sango and Miroku while Inuyasha and Kagome watched her get adjusted to the group.

As they walked back to the village Jezebeth began to get use to Sango, Miroku and Shippo. She knew she had to try but a part of her just told her to run and leave them alone unless she wanted to get another heart ache. 'Maybe I can trust them.' She thought as she began to get use to the monk, fox demon and he demon slayer.