AN: Once again I sit in front of the computer struck by the inspiration faerie. After thinking about it, I feel the need to explain a few things about this story: 1) Yeah, almost every character is out of character. Miroku's still a perv, Sango's still tough-as-nails, but the others are subject to change without warning, though Inu will stay as in character as possible, and Sesshie will be . . . well, Sesshie for the most part. Also, Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Naraku are the oldest being 18. Kagome's the youngest at 15. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku are 17. Shippou's 16. I'll let you know the others ages when I figure it out, but no one is younger than 15.

Enough of that. Now, on with the story!!!

War on the Home Front

Kagome hesitantly walked back into the house. It was hard to think of anyplace with her mother in it as "home", but it would do for now. She hoped Mother hadn't been watching her; the last thing she needed was for her to find out about Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Not that she feared for the Takahashi brothers, she knew they could take care of themselves. She feared for herself.

She carefully pried open the front door and took a careful step inside. She almost made it to the stairs when she saw her mother step in front of them, neatly blocking off the stairwell.

Busted.

"Who were those boys?" Mother asked sweetly. Kagome unwittingly took a step back.

"They're my friends." she said, trying to keep the whimper from her voice. She knew what was coming. Just this once, let me go to my room and do my homework in peace. I wish you wouldn't do this!

"Now, what would nice young men like them be doing with riff-raff like you?" Her voice was cold, and Kagome couldn't blame her father for leaving them. She only wished he had wanted her enough to take her with him. "You know they don't like you."

"They've been nice to me so far." Kagome shot back, her words heated with tears.

Mrs. Higurashi laughed at that. "Oh, don't let them fool you. No one could care about you. They're just using you, or maybe you just wouldn't leave them alone. Who knows how this came about?"

"They were helping me!"

"Only because you didn't give them a choice." came the cold reply. "They could never like you. Who would? You're nothing but filth."

There was more, but Kagome didn't wait around to hear it. It was the same, every time she had made progress, taken one step forward, away from the hell her mother had created for her with her words, she would tear it all down. It was amazing, Kagome thought as she pushed past her mother and raced up the stairs, how one person's words could tear another person down.

The boys at school never bothered her. No matter how many people there put her down, or tried to beat her up, she always fought back. She could prove to them she was worth something – why them, when it was her mother whose words chipped away at her very soul?

Kagome threw herself on her bed and cried like she hadn't done in years. Inuyasha . . . I wish you were here. I could use a friend now.

OOOOOOO

Sesshoumaru glanced up as Inuyasha walked into his bedroom. "Didn't Mom tell you to go to bed, half-breed?" he said quietly, no real venom in his voice. Inuyasha gave him a token glare for the insult but simply sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes downcast.

"Did you see the look on his face?" he asked. "She didn't want to go back."

Sesshoumaru thought about it a minute. "No, she didn't."

"Something's wrong. There's something going on she's not telling us about."

"Give her time. She just met us. She'll tell us when she's ready."

Inuyasha looked at him then, his eyes full of worry. "What if it's too late?" he whispered.

The older brother considered it for a moment. Truth be told, he was worried about the same thing. In just a day, little Kagome had grown on him, and he wanted to protect her as much as Inuyasha did.

"We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen."

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AN: Well, another fun-filled chapter. Hopefully that explains the mock-cliffie at the end of the last chapter. I'm not good at this sort of writing, so bear with me – I'll figure it out.