Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor any of it's characters. However, the plotline and ideas for Caged are my own creations, so please don't tread on my territory; no stealing.

Author's Note

Hello all!

I apologize greatly for not updating for a while. Sorry! I've had school start back up now that Spring Break is over, and I'm afraid I haven't found the time to prepare the next chapter. Even though it's already written, there's still a bit of work to be done in making these chapters ready. :D;

Anyway, this is Chapter Six of Caged, and though it's rather short, I intend to have the longer Chapter Seven up in the next few days. In the last chapter, we saw the parting of Inuyasha and Kagome, in this chapter they will unite, and in a rather bloody way. ;3

But don't let me tell you all about it, read below to see for yourself!

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AnimeMew: Hi there, and thanks so much for your review. :) I'm glad you like Caged. Yeah, Kagome is pretty naive, but she has to be. XD Trust me, though, evil little Inu wasn't lying, and you'll see the proof of his story in this chapter. He's not too happy about it, but hey, he's not the writer! x3

Caged

Chapter Six: A Half-Dead Puppy

Three and a half months later...

Kagome had been taking a walk by herself, just to get rid of her friends and of her family and the shrine back at home. She could admit she was rather bored with life lately, not counting the occasional nightmare that would probably haunt her for as long as she lived. But right now, she could enjoy herself. The sun was out and was warm, and the day was rather pleasant and quiet- not a kid seemed to be outside in the whole culdesac, from what she's seen.

It was a little later that she had come to pass a home that had a rather large fenced-in yard with a "beware of dog" sign by the gate door. She tilted her head and tried to look for said dog, which she soon spotted: a rather large black rottweiler was heading her way, barking and snarling wildly. Kagome stood a little ways back to grin at the wild thing.

"Awww, hi there, Cujo..." she mumbled, clasping her hands together and smiling mockingly. The dog paused for a second and tilted its head like hers, seeming to digest the words. Then it turned around and ran off.

Kagome stood up straight and scratched the side of her head, slightly confused. Then she saw it come barrelling back her way, barking up a mad storm and it leaped clear over the wire fence.

"..." She didn't even have time to say anything. Kagome began to run away screaming as the canine chased after her. She felt herself quickly tiring and a stitch formed in her chest. Panicking, the girl began to climb a ladder that stood at the side of a home and onto a lower roof setting before knocking said ladder over and leaping into the house's back yard. She could hear the dog's barking from the otherside of the wooden fence, but she felt she would be safe here.

It was then when she realized that she had even jumped into someone else's yard. She waited out until she was sure the dog had gone, but by the time the stupid thing gave up, a few hours had already passed, and it had begun to get dark. She sighed, and went out of the side door of the yard- lucky for her the home owners weren't home.

She began to follow the way back from where the dog had chased her, and by the time she was even in familiar surroundings again, the sky had already gotten dark. Kagome hugged close her sweater and began to walk again before she noticed something odd in the shadows, given shape by the dim orangish glow of the street light. She moved to try and get a closer of whatever it was, just a little ways off of the sidewalk.

Life had been hell again. He had expected it; he had been right to. After the situation with court had ended, he had done everything in his power to avoid his father, but was well aware that time would bring him face to face with that man. Time had brought that meeting a bit sooner than he expected, but he wasn't surprised. Soon his eyes laid on his real prison; his home, though it was hardly worthy of that title. Thus his hell began once again, and he remembered what pain really felt like; four years was long enough to forget quite a great deal, especially since his mind had been repressing the memories.

It was worse. His father had grown even more merciless, if that was possible. His methods of inflicting pain were more aggressive; he knew why. Inuyasha had taken something very special to his father the night he ran away, his mother. With her dead, he was positive his father's goal was to make his life as worse as physically, mentally, and emotionally possible while still keeping him alive. He hadn't really been aware that his situation could get worse. Now he was.

The inu hanyou had done something stupid, something reckless. It was an act of desperation; he had to get out. In attempt to save whatever was left of him; his body and mind were both quite broken, his heart and soul were certainly getting there.

..where did all the blood come from? He'd been bleeding so long, yet it still came, dripping onto the ground beneath him, as if it would never really stop.

He'd ran, only at his own expense. When his father tracked him down, which shouldn't be hard at all to do with the blood trail left behind, he would only pay deeply for his stupid, desperate actions. But there was still a small part of the hanyou clinging to a tiny bit of hope, and though his grasp on it grew weaker with each breath he painfully took, it was still there. Hope for something better than this...

But now he had collapsed, and couldn't seem to get to his feet anymore. He felt a rough surface against his left side. He assumed it was a tree, a tree, standing at the side of the concrete sidewalk, that he now leaned upon, though he couldn't really see the tree, just feel its bark against his side. He couldn't see anything, except colorful blurs, as his vision was slowly being lost to him, because of his intense blood-loss. A human would have died. His breathing consisted of short, swift gasps, obviously painful, hinting that he had quite a few broken ribs; the rather large bruise on his stomach would contribute to that assumption, considering it had been put there quite forcefully by his father's foot.

The tree's bark that he leaned upon was drenched in crimson. The same crimson ran, like a small river, onto the sidewalk, staining the concrete red with blood; his blood. This clearly meant that the hanyou's clothing was covered in his blood, also, as his body was covered with bleeding gashes, put there by various things, such as blades, whips, his father's claws, ect. Even his sensitive ears bore injuries, deep cuts, burns, one was torn slightly. Inuyasha's main method of defense, his claws; gone. Ripped quite painfully from his hands, though they would grow back. Until then, he was fairly helpless. One arm hung limp at his side, clearly broken, and one of his legs was in a similar state, most likely broken also, though he'd been forced to walk on it. The hanyou was pale, probably suffering from illness also, and thin, obviously having been starved; chances were he had lived on water alone the past few months. Where there were not cuts, gashes and bruises, it seemed there were burns, looking to be both from flames, and types of acids. Almost every part of the hanyou was injured, it didn't seem there was a place unharmed on him, besides his face, which wasn't completely untouched; he kept one eye closed, and there was a cut under the other, and quite a few bruises, too.

He wasn't sure how he survived this way anymore. Any other hanyou would probably have died under this treatment by now, right? Maybe it was strength in his bloodline, despite how much he hated it, or maybe he had a very firm will to survive.

He was beginning to lose consciousness, seeing everything slowly fade to black. He did not hear nor see Kagome's approach, though he was still somewhat conscious. He couldn't see or hear anything. Weakness swarmed him, and he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep himself alive at this point. Running hadn't been intelligent of him; he only wasted his energy in a vain attempt to free himself of his wretched life, knowing well his life would never change despite his efforts. Nothing could save him at this point, unless it was maybe an angel, but those were much too good for a worthless mutt such as himself. He coughed weakly, tasting blood in his mouth afterward, knowing that the crimson substance was escaping him through his coughs now as well; he seemed to have blood leaving his body from everywhere... Urgh, his head hurt, and he was on the borderline of consciousness, yet to pass out but very close. There was so much wrong with him now...and no one there to assist him, so he thought. Even if he did see Kagome, though, he wouldn't expect her, of all people, to help him.

Kagome stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, just at the edge of the light's reach. She could hear the hard breathing, and she could see the blood trickling down into the pavement. She thought about turning back to get help, but it seemed that whoever was here would more than likely not have enough time to wait that long. She was hesitant, but she moved forwards anyway, trying to at least get a look at who it was collapsed against the tree.

It took much squinting, but within seconds she recognized that face. She suppressed a small scream as she wondered how the hell HE had ended up here, ended up like this. Though, a few seconds later, her brain processed what must have happened and she had calmed down at least a little, her heart still pounding at the sight of a bloody, beaten boy who had collapsed against that tree in front of her.

((It makes me think of when they first meet in the series now that I think about it. Err, in a twisted, violent way. XD))

She didn't ask if he was alive, it was a stupid question since he was obviously breathing, though she wasn't sure how much longer that would last. The problem was, how was she supposed to help? She didn't think any residents around would help, and she had no one to run to. It would take too much time to call 911 at this point. She shuddered at the thought, but there seemed to be only one option, and that was to bring him home with her.

Kagome shook her head, not believing why she was even helping the poor bastard, but here she was, lifting one of his arms and tossing it over her shoulder. "Can you walk?"

She really did like the word 'bastard' for him, ne?

Inuyasha had not at all expected her presence, and the physical contact did nothing to calm him, considering he hadn't much noticed her approach in the first place, his senses temporarily dead; he wasn't far off from following them. At her touch, he had visibly flinched, and whimpered loudly, though that wasn't very shocking considering the pain he was probably in. He only calmed slightly when he heard her voice, which he recognized. He would bother with confusion later, as he had no idea why she would bother helping him and not just leaving him to die like she should. He couldn't think about things like that now, it only brought forth a headache, and he didn't need anymore pain.

At her question, he did not trust his voice, it would be too shaken and weak to be understood anyway, so he merely nodded. With his leg in the condition it was in, walking would hurt like hell, but he made it this for, surely he could manage to their destination, wherever she was intending to take him. He would protest when he had the energy, right now he would take assistance from anyone in his desperate, helpless state.

Yes, yes she did. She had every right to feel that way, though, eh?

She knew she was probably going to get fussed at everybody for it, but despite everything that had happened, she couldn't just leave him out on the streets like this. Well, she could, but she'd feel guilty about it, and, for some odd reason, she honestly did want to help. She had been beginning to confuse herself lately, as she was starting to wonder why she was doing what she did.

But instead she began to focus on walking the hanyou back to the shrine. She tried hard not to get sick, as the bittersweet coppery smell of blood was sickening her just as much as the feeling of the hot sticky liquid on her skin and in her clothes was. She didn't want her mother to know just yet, she probably wouldn't approve Kagome bringing home her kidnapper and near-murderer all bloodied up like he was.

Kagome went and guided him around to the back door before pausing to make sure no one was near the stairway inside. Positive that they wouldn't be seen, she continued to guide him up to her room, where she set him to sit on the glossy wooden floor. Kagome blanched as she felt the blood begin to coagulate and set on her skin, but first things first.

She ran off into her grandfather's room, brining out a set of her father's clothes that he had left when he abandoned the family; a blue and white haori set in the tradition of their shrine. This should fit him well enough. She then went to the bathroom to wash off her hands and take off her bloodied sweater before filling a large bowl with steaming hot water and taking a rag and a sponge with her.

Kagome re-entered her room with the items in hand, placing them on the ground next the hanyou. "Will you be able to clean yourself up, or is something broken?" She couldn't tell, but she sat on the edge of her bed and stared at him, wondering how he had managed to let himself get messed up so horribly.

The inu hanyou glanced at her, his vision still quite blurred, but he could make out her general outline at least. His battered dog ears had been pinned back, and remained that way, as she made him incredibly uncomfortable, though he wasn't exactly sure why. He supposed it was a mixture of the guilt, and knowing that she really didn't at all like him. Though that knowledge only made him wonder why she was helping him; it was probably out of pity, though he didn't much care for that thought... He didn't want her pity.

He sighed, turning his gaze to what he was sure was a wall, though through his eyes, a very fuzzy one. Urgh, he hated feeling weak, being left drained, helpless... He was well used to it by now, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it; there had never been amusement in his life, that was clear. "..everything..." He winced. Speaking shouldn't be so painful, dammit... His voice was quiet, weak, no louder than a whisper but that couldn't be helped much right now. "Everything's broken..." Even if he was capable of treating his own wounds and such, there was no way he'd be able to reach them all. One of his arms was useless, though, so he wouldn't be very effective at caring for himself. He didn't even know how, he'd never been allowed to care for his injuries before. They were left to slowly heal on their own, which usually resulted in infection...

At least she wouldn't have to worry about him hurting her... She would be able to kill him without problem with him in this condition, and the claws that caused many of her injuries in the past were now gone; he was about as harmful as a half-dead puppy. He hated to admit that, but it was the truth. He glanced at Kagome again quickly, "Why...?" He couldn't push out the rest of the sentence, it wasn't worth the pain. He hissed, wincing again. Everything hurt, it was almost overwhelming. He was fairly sure his body was shaking; either that, or the room was. He wanted to know why she had brought him here, why she had helped him.

What did survival mean for him at this point? A life that would be spent hiding and running from his father, a life where he would be hated by most, one where he was uncared for...a life that was meaningless... He almost wished he had just died back there, leaning on that tree. There was...nothing worth enduring this pain, nothing worth living for. That small bit of hope was fading, and these thoughts arose. What was the point of living through this...? He was no more important than a filthy stray mutt, something no one cared for or loved; most were disgusted or annoyed, even sympathy was uncommon.

What had he done to deserve this life? Did the Gods hold some kind of grudge against him? Was happiness even possible for him? He had not smiled once in his 19 years of living, he had never had a reason to. He could recall no laughter...there were no pleasant memories, nothing to comfort him or inspire him to keep living. He wasn't sure why he stayed alive, or why he felt it was worth enduring all of the pain and suffering.

He certainly wished he could figure it out, because it was highly confusing why he couldn't just settle for death and be at some kind of peace.

Kagome nodded, and then she kneeled behind him. "First, we're going to get rid of these bloody rags," she mumbled, grimacing at the thought. However, she helped to remove the shirt regardless, but she wasn't sure she was prepared to see what was underneath- the scars, burns, bruises- she wasn't expecting all of that. Not to this degree. And from there, she needed a change of plans. Kagome quickly left the room with the tattered, bloody garment and returned with a few different ointments and herbal medicines her grandfather kept around the house.

She didn't speak much after that. All she did was begin to try and get most of the blood off of the damaged skin, hearing that last question as she did so. Why? Why, indeed.

"I'm not entirely sure why I'm helping you," she responded, pausing for a moment to think before resuming. "Part of me sympathizes, afterall. What you put me through seems pitiful compared to this. Another part of me is just...mystified. I'm starting to lose my understanding of why I do what I do. It's like...something in me tells me not to bother. Another voice will then tell me that I HAVE to help, no matter what. It's a very...confusing feeling, and it's starting to become annoying." She stared at a peculiarly shaped speck of blood before she washed over it, too. Soon, after being satisfied that most of the back was clean, she began to move around, trying to rid the rest of the blood.

She didn't talk more past that point, she couldn't think of a reason to. Her mind was racing in confusion, and it was starting to distract her. However, within the next couple hours, she managed to get the blood off the best she could, wrapped up wounds in bandages and splinted the broken limbs, applied ointment to all the burns and the cuts and gashes, and then she helped him into the clean clothes. She wasn't sure how much she could have done for the hair, so she had sponged it down as well, but surprisingly enough, it cleaned pretty easily. And though they might be a little difficult to remove, she stuck a couple bandaids on the torn ear. She couldn't wrap bandages onto it well enough. Man, she was glad her mother made her learn about medical treatments, being a priestess and all.

She sat back down on her bed, feeling tired and grimy. She needed a shower. But before she goes... "You feeling a little bit better?" she asked.

The inu hanyou didn't speak either, figuring it wasn't worth the pain, and questions could be saved for later, assuming he lived. He wasn't sure he understood her reasoning, and he wasn't sure what was to become of him once was injuries were healed; he didn't think he'd be particularly welcome within these walls permanently, and he was probably not even welcome now. He was slightly curious how her family would feel when they discovered his presence.

It felt nice to be clean of all the blood, but the pain had not subsided in the slightest. He expected it to continue for some time, figuring he'd just have to bear it, there was nothing that could be done. He'd had trouble keeping himself awake during her hours of treatment, but strained to keep his eyes open, in case he was needed to do something, though he couldn't be sure what. Now he was incredibly tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep, something he wouldn't mind doing here and now, right in the floor; it would be nothing new for him. Though he was already sick, he probably didn't need to make the illness grow by sleeping on the floor, that was the last thing he needed, a bad illness on top of all these injuries.

His ears twitched slightly, as he heard her voice, his eyes staring blankly at the floor, not bothering to look upward as he had no reason to. He was not someone who enjoyed eye-contact very much; too often he had seen the negative emotions directed toward him in someone's eyes, though this mostly occurred with his parents. He expected to see it from her, too; she had no reason to feel anything positive for him, and he expected the exact same hatred. "No," he replied quietly, not going to lie about it, he was still suffering from unbearable amounts of pain, and though his wounds had stopped bleeding for now, it would be some time before this pain subsided. "But I'll live..." He wondered why she cared.

Well, she couldn't have him dying on her, now could she? "Well, you can take my bed or something," she added as she got up and rummaged through her closet to get out more comfortable house clothes. She could tell he was tired, and since she wouldn't even be in the room, she could care less where he would rest, as long as there was somewhat a form of comfort, a luxury he didn't give to her. She was determined not to do what he had inflicted upon her, and though her loathe hadn't really lifted much (maybe a fraction), she didn't deny him a bed at least.

Kagome shook her head. What was she even thinking? The girl took her clothing and left the room to head to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She returned in about an hour, feeling better now that she was sure she had removed all of the hanyou's blood from her skin and hair. She poked her head into the room to see if Inuyasha had at least moved.

Inuyasha didn't exactly feel good about sleeping in her bed, though he felt terribly misplaced here anyway. A lot of it more than likely had to do with guilt, and it only made him frustrated with himself. He didn't exactly deserve to take her bed, despite that she offered, and he really had no interest in doing so. He wasn't sure she really cared in the matter, but still, it seemed odd and a little wrong to him. Wasn't making her burden with his injuries enough? What he should do is leave...he didn't at all belong here.

When Kagome returned, the inu hanyou had not moved much, he'd merely managed to scoot himself near a wall of the room, which he'd leaned on, though gently since too much pressure would hurt his injuries. It was there that he'd fallen asleep, unable to resist the exhaustion anymore and giving in to the darkness; sleep was nice, there was no pain. He would be fine enough here; it wasn't the healthiest way to sleep, but he had never really lived in a healthy environment anyway. He would survive, and if he didn't, well at least he wouldn't have to worry about things like this anymore.

Kagome saw him sleeping and walked quietly in. She placed her hands on her hips and watched him, wondering what she was trying to get out of helping this guy, but nothing came to her brain and she moved over to her desk. She still had homework to do, and since she was sure that telling hermother that she has her kidnapper in the house while she is cooking might not be the best idea in the world.

Forlornly, she pulled out that dreaded Trigonometry textbook and began to work out the math problems. However, before long, the numbers began to jump on the pages and dance with the words and the pictures and soon, she fell into a vortex of evil mathmatics. In the end, Kagome's face was flat in the book with her arm still in writing position as she used her textbook as a very uncomfortable pillow.

Author's Notes

Well, surprisingly, it looks like Kagome might care a little bit about her 'bastard,' half-demon. XD nudges them This is only the beginning of a bit of a better relationship for them, but there's still going to be chaos ahead for them both as well. After all, we've still got Inuyasha's father to worry about.

You guys better stick around, things are going to get even more exciting soon. In the next two chapters or so. 8D

Thanks for reading!

-Silver and Wildfyre-