Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha
A.N.: Yay! I'm back! Thank you for the reviews im so excited! I was trying really hard to finish this. I noticed a lot of people wanted her to be in the kendo tournament. Well I am sorry to say there isn't very much mentioned about the tournament itself due to Kagome's mind wandering. It would be nice to have a kickbutt Kagome but not very IC. Sure if her friends were in danger she would step up, but alone she would be a bit more timid. Her bravery would come in bursts as would her fear and anger. Mostly I think she would try to shrug things off and go about it a more peaceful way. Hmm. But maybe later on she will learn to fight maybe Fluffy will have a hand in it...hmmm...good idea...
Anyway enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!
Wandering Minds See in Black and Blue?
Kagome tended to pride herself on patience, but waiting on this one phone call made her want to pull her hair out. Not to mention the damage it had already done to her fingernails. She had gone straight home from her classes everyday to check her machine. Not to mention to avoid the stares and Hojo. He still followed her around. He begged her for forgiveness in front of her ex-friends and when they were out of hearing range threatening her. He would bump into her and trip her, things that looked like accidents. All this she took with a grain of salt. It didn't matter, only this one phone call mattered. She was starting to have trouble covering up all the bruises, though.
She managed to keep up with her schooling and her research. She had done nothing but that in her dorm every spare second. She knew she had to get out of there or risk insanity. There was a kendo tournament tonight. It was a crowded place so she would be safe. She took a few things with her and headed out the door. She was soon at the school gym and taking a seat in the bleachers. She really wasn't that interested in kendo. She watched a match every now and then, but mainly she found herself doodling. Different faces of Shippou. She missed him so much. There was supposed to be an update in the program tomorrow and she would try again. She was so lost in thoughts and doodles she didn't even notice the two men watching her. She didn't even notice when the tournament ended or even that Inu-Yasha had won. When she looked up she found herself in an empty gym and with a feeling of dread she gathered her things to hurry home.
She had almost made it to the door of the gym when she was grabbed roughly and pulled behind some bleachers. "You don't seem to listen Kagome. I said you were mine and I meant it. You have no family here. Now you have no friends."
Kagome winced at how tightly he was holding her wrists. "Yeah, thanks to you." She felt the sting of the slap long before she heard it. "This is not your time to talk. You will listen. Got that?"
She just nodded. He squeezed her upper arms hard and she felt tears come to her eyes. "You have no friends now, because they realize how much of a whore you really are. I am the only one left for you here. You have no choice but to come back to me." His eyes went soft as he caressed the cheek he had just slapped.She flinched thinking he was going to hit her again. "See what you made me do? I'll forgive you if you come back to me now." He bent down to kiss her and she was finally able to move.
She pushed him away. "No. I will never go back to you. You are scum. I am leaving this place soon. You will never hurt me ever again." She made a move to leave but Hojo blocked her path. He grabbed her by her wrists squeezing tightly. Kagome moaned.
"That's where you are wrong Kagome. I won't let you leave." He let go and slapped her again. "No one wants you. You belong to me, bitch!" He reared his hand back this time in a fist only to have it caught in mid swing. She had shut her eyes waiting for the punch that did not come. Tears stung her eyes and fell freely down her face as she managed to look up to see a very angry Sesshoumaru.
Still holding the man's wrist, he looked down at Kagome. He saw her tears and was angry. Angry that this coward of a man had hit her. Angry that she hadn't fought back. He had heard her speech about leaving to where this guy wouldn't hurt her again. He had no idea where the sudden urge to protect her had come from. He squeezed the coward's wrist until the coward turned his head and spoke to him. "This is none of your concern now let go and go away."
Sesshoumaru growled at the impudence of this man. "I think it is my business. You are hitting my personal assistant. Now you will go away or I will teach you some manners." He let go of the man and went to Kagome who hadn't moved since he arrived. The girl was clearly in shock. He held out his hand to her. "I will escort you back to your room Ms. Higurashi." It was a command and snapped her out of her shock. He could see her slowly coming to herself, as she assessed the situation her eyes flooded with gratitude as she took his hand.
They were walking out when the coward had the balls to speak to her. "This isn't over Kagome."
Sesshoumaru gave him a cold stare. "Yes, it is." With that they exited the building. He had never wanted to kill someone so badly in his entire life.
Kagome was still in a state of shock as she stared at the man escorting her to her apartment. She managed to stop crying, but her voice was still shaking. "I'm s-sorry"
He looked at her curiously. "Why?"
She looked down. "For not being able to take care of Hojo myself."
He just nodded. "You have taken care of him before?"
She nodded. "Yes. He does this quite often. Normally, I can avoid him or run away, but I got distracted. Everyone was gone and he had me cornered." She heard him growl. He must have forgot he was holding her hand. He went to do something she wasn't quite sure, but when he moved enough for her wrist to bend pain shot up her arm. She took in a sharp breath of air making a hissing noise and he stopped whatever he was going to do and held her hand up for his inspection. She tried to pull away. "I-it's nothing."
He didn't let her go as he pulled back her sleeve to show an already swelling wrist. He ground his teeth trying to reign in the anger for her lying to him. He then realized it was a little hot for long sleeves. He pulled up the sleeve all the way to her shoulder. Bruises were up and down her arm. Some were in the shape of hands grabbing her others were just round regular bruises. Most were already that sickly greenish yellow color of almost healed bruises, but some were fresh. "This is nothing?"
She wouldn't look at him. "I am trying to get away. I am trying to stop it."
He could tell she was crying. "Why didn't you tell someone?"
She shook her head. "No one would believe me. He made sure of that before he started to get violent. He shredded my reputation. I have no friends here anymore. My family is too far away. He is right I have no one. Please just let me go."
He should let her go. He didn't need this. It was none of his business...Then why was something gnawing at him to hold her close to comfort and protect her? Fighting an inner battle he let her go. "Pack your things tonight. I will have a car bring you to your new residence tomorrow. You will start classes and work on Monday." He watched as she nodded numbly. She looked exhausted and pale as she fled to her apartment.
Sesshoumaru was still standing outside her apartment building. He was trying to find a reason for his actions. He was the great Sesshoumaru the ice prince. He did not care for anyone but himself. Right? "Sess? What are you doing here? We are going to go celebrate my victory. Come on."
He was knocked out of his thoughts by his younger brother. He started walking with his brother and his bubbly girlfriend. Surely they might know something else. No, I will not stoop so low. I do not want to know. Even as he thought that, the words were coming out of his mouth. "What do you know of a girl named Kagome Higurashi?"
His brother shrugged. "Only what I hear. That she dumped some poor guy who pines after her and is a major slut."
Kikyo elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop repeating rumors. She did dump Hojo, but I don't believe those rumors. Every time I see her she has her nose in a book or computer. I never see her talking with anybody. She pretty much keeps to herself. She helped me out in history once. She seems really nice if only a little shy. If you ask me I think Hojo started those rumors so she would have to come back to him. The way he follows her around and stuff. It's just a bit creepy." Kikyo shivered and Inu-Yasha held her close.
Sesshoumaru digested all this information as they drove to the restaurant. Kikyo's story seemed to go more with what he saw earlier. He sighed trying to pretend he didn't care, that it does not concern him. Every time he thought he had succeeded he would get the mental image of her being slapped, or her crying, or the bruises on her arm. He went to sleep that night having strange dreams. Dreams where he looked like a demon and she was lying in his arms.
A.N.: Thank you for reading this chapter! I'll have the next one up as fast as I can which probably means in about a week due to my schedule but ill see what i can do. Please don't forget to review and tell me what you think!
