I'm sorry for the late update. Something was wrong with the website and I couldn't edit my stories! NOT MY FAULT! HAVE MERCY!

Luckily, there were no complaints about me missing their name…unless I didn't see it…O_o

I'm glad so many of you like my stories and keep me going. Thank you all! Don't forget, reviews keep me fuelled!


Chapter 3

"Kagome…Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice was hoarse with worry. It was the middle of the night and he woke from his sleep to a girl's crying. He rushed to Kagome's room to find her panting and dripping with sweat. Her face was stained with tears and he arms and legs were flailing about, weakly defending herself from an unknown terror.

Inuyasha constantly shook her, trying to take her away from her haunting nightmare, but it was almost like she couldn't wake up. Her eyes remained closed and she continued to thrash around.

He began to call out her name once again and this time, Kagome stopped whimpering and her eyes loosened from their iron clash. Inuyasha felt her slowly relax. He stopped shaking her so roughly and called out to her. Suddenly, everything was quiet. Kagome didn't even make a peep except for her deep panting. Inuyasha held his breath and waited for a reaction.

Meanwhile, he studied Kagome's face. It was the first time he got a chance to look straight at Kagome's face. Bruises aligned her face. Scratches and scars traced many patterns on the side of her face and forehead. With the moonlight shining on her, Kagome's scars almost looked like they were glowing. It took Inuyasha's breath away to how beautiful Kagome looked. Her skin was too pale but it shined with an unnatural glow as the scars were like silver tattoos adorning her delicate face.

She looked so helpless. Surrendering to her dreams…her nightmares, more like. Kagome looked like she was in so much pain. She looked like she has been through so much pain. But something about her aura attracted Inuyasha. She may look delicate and scarred, but her heart was strong. Something about her made him feel enchanted.

What had happened to her? Where did she come from? Inuyasha wanted to find out more. He couldn't stand watching someone so beautiful suffer like this. What happened to her that haunts her mind like this?

All of a sudden, Kagome sat up at the speed of light with a silent scream. Her mouth was open, but nothing came out. Scaring him, Inuyasha had flown backwards, hit his head on the bed's post and sank down to attend to his injured head.

Kagome looked around the room with frantic eyes and she looked like she didn't remember where she was. Inuyasha was still on the floor with the hand on the back of his head, rubbing it. Luckily, when Kagome realised that she wasn't alone, Inuyasha wasn't looking at her as her eyes lay on the boy.

Inuyasha's sensitive ears caught Kagome's gasp. He tried looking up at her but by the time his eyes reached the bed, Kagome was gone. He saw a blur dash into the washroom and heard lots of clattering and mumbling. When Kagome immerged, her eyes were glued to the medical supplies and refused to even glance at the injured master.

Inuyasha watched her in curiosity. He almost laughed out loud when he watched Kagome's little show. When Kagome knelt beside him, he barely heard her speak.

"P…please turn around, master." Kagome was busying herself with unwrapping the gauze to avoid looking at him. Her voice was barely a whisper. It was hoarse with fear.

"No, I'm fine. I heal faster than humans. I don't need any medicinal supplies for this little bump." Inuyasha's ignorant side surfaced.

Then, he noticed that Kagome's hands were shaking and they were gripped so tightly on the first aid box that her scraped knuckles were ghost white. Noticing her distress, he obeyed.

"Uh…oh, um, sure." He turned so that the back of his head was towards her. But he wasn't ready for the cold towel that was laid on his wound.

He hissed in pain and flinched violently causing Kagome to whimper and retract the towel in a flash.

When Inuyasha calmed down, Kagome was curled into a ball and whispering, "I'm sorry master. I'm sorry master. I'm sorry master…" over and over again.

Inuyasha turned to her and the look of hurt was on his face. He moved closer to her and touched her hand.

"Hey…hey…" He started shaking her hand a bit, ever so slightly. Kagome stopped chanting. Inuyasha kept his voice low and soft. "Hey…are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you remember? It just surprised me that's all." He surprised himself. Never has he been this concerned about someone before, not even to his mother.

Kagome nodded and stared at his hand on her own. It wasn't like any Kagome has ever seen. They weren't really like a human's, or a demon's. His fingers were long and rough and his nails were sharp…like claws. This frightened Kagome a tad bit. This meant that he could cut through her with ease at any second. She must be ready and try her best to live.

Inuyasha went back to turning around and Kagome went to wet the towel again. This time, when Kagome was going to place the towel on his wound, she lightly placed her hand on his head and pressed the towel ever-so-lightly on his wound. Inuyasha barely felt it. He felt her touch on his head but never the towel. He even started to wonder if she was ever going to put the towel on his head…until he felt his head stop throbbing and cool relief spread on the place where the huge bump was.

His treatment continued like that. Kagome's feather-light fingers danced through the operation. Inuyasha didn't feel a thing except his hair being moved around. While working, Kagome couldn't help but stare at his ears.

'Dog ears…he has dog ears…' Kagome thought to herself as she treated Inuyasha. 'So he is a demon.' But he was different. Most of them tried to eat her, or hurt her, or kill her…but never take her into their property and treat her with kindness before.

'Just who is he?'

Once the treatment was over, Kagome gave a little tap on his shoulder announcing that she was done.

Inuyasha said thank you (which caught Kagome by surprise), got up and offered his hand, hoping that maybe this time, she would accept his help. But he had placed his hopes too high again and sighed in disappointment when she refused it once again and helped herself up by the bed.

Inuyasha knew that she wasn't going to get anymore comfortable tonight, so he bid good-night and turned to leave.

Before he left, he remembered something. "Oh hey Kagome, I haven't told you this yet but my mom, she can make clothes. I'll bring something for you tomorrow alright? I think it's time that you change out of those rags."

The look of surprise spread across her. Kagome looked at the ripped and worn out clothes she had worn all her life hanging in the closet. Those scraps of clothing were the only things she has ever worn. Since she woke up, Kagome wore her sleep gown until she refused to put on anything other than her old clothes.

She always made gifts for her selfish master…but was never given anything in return.

'He's giving me something?' Praying that the clothing she will be given isn't filled with hidden thorns and needles, Kagome just plainly nodded.

Smiling, he said, "Well, good-night" Inuyasha repeated.

"…Good-night…" Smiling even wider, Inuyasha closed the door behind him.

Kagome climbed back into bed and snuggled herself up again…but her eyes remained open for the rest of the night. All night, she repeated Inuyasha's voice saying her name over and over and over…

'He calls me by my name…my name…'

Kagome couldn't sleep. Her mind was too full of thoughts. Thoughts of her current situation, her master, her family…family…

'SANGO!' Kagome bolted up again, suddenly remembering the most important thing she had left behind.

Rubbing the leftover sleep in her eyes, Kagome went over the closet in the room. The closet was empty except for her little backpack. Kagome sighed with relief to see that it wasn't thrown out.

Kagome took out her family picture with the scratched out father and placed it on the little bed-desk. She then ripped off some toilet paper and found a pen. She wasn't quite sure how to spell certain words since she was sold at a young ages so she wrote in the simplest words possible.

After finishing, Kagome looked at the note:

Dear Master,

Please do not look for me. I will come back.

There is something I must do. Please.

Kagome.

Kagome nodded with content. She was scared and didn't know whether Inuyasha would accept her back after she got Sango but it was worth a shot. She could leave Sango behind any longer.

She placed the note with her picture and opened the balcony window. Looking down, it was too far for her to jump so Kagome climbed down a ladder of ivy instead. As her feet touched the ground, Kagome began to run. She pushed past the rose bushes and onto the road again. She followed the same path she took before getting there, not knowing what was going to happen to her when she got there.

'Hang on Sango! Hang on!' Kagome barred her teeth.

"I'm coming Sango. Just wait a little longer!"

A gentle breeze swept through Kagome's bedroom as the night spread on.

~:~:~:~

Sango changed her bandages and went to bed. The days are always bad when Kagome runs away. She would have no one to talk to, no one to comfort her when their master was in a bad mood, and no one to be with.

She was alone.

'Is Kagome ever going to come?'

Sango rubbed her arm sorely. She had gotten new bruises added to her collection today. There were so many on her arm, Sango was surprised that it hadn't turned black yet. Sango winced as she touched a sore spot.

Her master had gone to bed thank Kami and it was peaceful at last…but tomorrow, it would start all over again.

Sango wiped away the tears that had begun to fall and started to bring out the blanket Kagome and her slept on.

Creeeeeaakk…Creak…creak…

Sango froze. 'Someone was in the house!' Getting up slowly and quietly with her back towards the kitchen counters, Sango blindly reached for the kitchen knife, only looking from the corner of her non-blind eye so she didn't cut herself.

Taking the knife out from its cover, Sango slowly advanced towards the entrance of the kitchen, holding the knife steady. Sango could feel her heart pounding in her ears and the blood rushing within her veins.

Turning the corner, Sango dashed to the wall hidden from view of the stranger. With her back against it, Sango could see the moonlight pouring in from the opened back-door to the floor, and the shadow slowly advancing towards her location.

The figure came closer…and closer…and closer. Soon they were so close that Sango could hear it breathing. She took a deep breath and charged, preying for her life.

The shadow gasped and quickly dodged Sango's waving weapon, ending up behind Sango.

"No, Sango…" The person's whispers were cut off by another blind swing of the knife.

"Sango it's me…!" Swing and miss.

Having no choice, the unknown figure ducked behind Sango once more and took hold of her. Feeling that Sango was about to scream, a hand covered Sango's mouth causing her to drop the knife in a silent clatter on the carpet. Sango began to cry as the struggle continued.

'Please don't hurt me! Spare me!' Sango was desperately thinking, her hands trying to pry open her captor's hold. 'I was just trying to defend myself!'

The stranger dragged Sango to the kitchen and kneeled, taking Sango with them.

Sango whimpered in fear as she stopped struggling and listened. The hand loosed a tad bit but the hold was still firm. The two were both panting hard.

Sango began to struggle once more but a voice that gave much comfort to her sank into her ears.

"Sango please…stop! It's me…uh…Kagome!" Kagome's sentences were cropped down once in a while since she was trying to keep her only family member still.

Sango inwardly gasped and suddenly stopped, relaxing in relief. The tears that were now coming from her one eye were of great joy and happiness.

Although it was dark and not even the moonlight could reach them, Sango could make out the outline of her dear sister.

"Kagome…oh Kagome!" She jumped into Kagome's embrace. Sango started to sob quietly while Kagome constantly shushed her and comforted her. Kagome could feel her own tears leak out. They were reunited again.

Once the tears were dried with familiar touches, they had no time for small talk.

Kagome jumped to the point and began to move around the room, packing everything in sight. "Sango, I'm taking you out of here. I found a place for us to rest a while until we are strong enough to move on."

Sango stared dumbly. "Already? But…is it another master like…ours?" No way was Sango going through this again. She subconsciously touched the bandages. She shivered.

Kagome smiled and knelt in front of Sango again. "No Sango…for some reason…he's different. He hasn't hit me, burned me or even touched me in anyway to cause me pain. He's planning to get me new clothes even! He…even calls me by my name." Kagome seemed distracted and her eyes gave a very distant look.

Sango stared at the Kagome in front of her. She had never seen Kagome look so happy…but then again, there wasn't a reason in the world for her to be happy until now. Sango didn't know what else to say so instead, she just got up and waited at the side for Kagome to finish packing.

Kagome literally jumped around the room. She had never felt so free and so excited before. Once everything was snug in her backpack, the two exchanged nods and got ready to hit the road.

They held their breaths as they passed the stairs, wincing once in a while if there was a sudden squeak from the old floor-boards underneath the dirty, un-washed carpet.

As they approached the back-door, Kagome saw the glint of the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the knife.

'Oh, better not leave that there.' thought Kagome as she bent to pick it up. Wrapping it carefully in the blanket they slept on, Kagome placed it on the side of her backpack, hoping that it wouldn't tear through the worn out material.

Sango was searching with her hands for Kagome's touch for her sight was even worse in the dark, especially with one eye covered up. Sango bit her bottom in worry.

'Kagome still doesn't know…' Sango, to be honest, was afraid at what Kagome was going to do when she found out.

Kagome was known for acting recklessly for the good of others, putting their life before her own. Many times when Sango was in trouble, Kagome would distract their master and bring the blame on herself. That's why Kagome had more permanent scars and injuries than she did. A pang of guiltiness struck Sango hard.

If only she could protect her little sister…instead, it is the vice versa.

Kagome noticed that Sango was searching for her, but did not see her face for the shadows of the trees where blocking the view. Kagome reached out and when their hands touched, Kagome gave Sango a little squeeze to say that everything would be okay.

Sango inwardly smiled and squeezed Kagome's hand in return.

Silent as the night, they reached the door and when it was shut and locked, the two ran their hearts out, hand in hand wanting to part no more than they already have.

Sango looked at the back of Kagome's head in wonder. 'Will everything really be alright?'


Thank you all for your reviews but I need more! I'm glad though that I'm getting a lot of reviews for my other story! I'll be writing that next!

Thanks to all,

WanderDreamer4Ever

Okay everyone! I'm sorry if the chapters are really long but I just can't seem to stop writing! and i hope it makes up for the time I spent email fanfiction...