Hey everybody! No update for a while, but now it is Christmas break, and have al the time in the world, so you can expect quicker updates for a while. And guess what, I'm getting my permit tomorrow! Yeah! You all probably don't care, but just wish me luck, especially since I haven't read the driver's manual yet. I probably should have gotten my permit a looooong time ago, but what the heck, I'm getting it now. Thanks anyway for reading, and don't for get to review!

Disclaimer: I OWN INUYASHA! ………………………ah! Okay, so I don't! Just stop glaring at me like that!

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Chapter 10: The Past

Kagome slowly drifted to consciousness, feeling incredibly warm and comfortable. She felt perfectly content, until she remembered in a flash what had happened the night before. How could I be so stupid, She screamed at her self mentally. Suddenly she could still feel the cold snow blanketing her, and her body shivering harder and harder. Kagome felt tears prick her eyes, and she buried her head in the nearest thing to her, which she realized with a start, was very warm, and did not feel like the couch. Kagome's eyes snapped open and found she was staring into InuYasha's face, and gave a little yelp. She had just buried her face into InuYasha's shoulder! She blushed a little as she realized he wasn't wearing any shirt. Kagome slowly began to pull away, before realizing that InuYasha had his arms wrapped around her body. She tried to pull away again, but InuYasha just pulled her closer, and snuggled his face into the crook of her neck, murmuring something about a teddy bear. Kagome laughed, smiling at him for a second. He looked so cute when he was sleeping.

Did I just think that?!? Kagome almost gagged involuntarily. InuYasha? Cute? How could those two words be in the same sentence? He was a jerk, and always mean, and way to arrogant, and was always flirting and… The list went on and on.

Then Kagome glanced at InuYasha again. He was a complete asshole, to be sure. But that didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate his body. She giggled, and sat up a little bit to figure a way out of this situation. If anyone were to come in right now… As if on cue she heard someone shifting around in Sango's room. People were beginning to wake up. Kagome squirmed around in InuYasha's arms trying to free herself. She finally got one arm off, and was trying to get off the couch without tumbling InuYasha to the floor, when Sango and Sesshoumaru both walked in. They took one look at Kagome struggling on the couch with a sleeping InuYasha latched on to her, and smirked simultaneously. Kagome sighed. She finally just stood up and got of the couch, while InuYasha tumbled to the floor and woke with a start.

"Wha-" he looked at Kagome, then at Sesshoumaru, then at Sango.

"Good morning," Kagome smiled sweetly at InuYasha before stepping over him walking into the kitchen.

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"For the last time," InuYasha grumbled as he ate some cereal, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, and I especially didn't mean to stay there all night." He didn't add that he had more soundly and deeply than he usually did. No one needed to hear that. And besides, it was probably just because he was exhausted after yesterday. Sango and Sesshoumaru just looked at him suspiciously as Kagome happily chewed on a strip of bacon, and Miroku and Rin just looked confused.

"Well," she said, smiling at the people gathered around her, "I'm just happy to be alive. I…I wanted to thank all of you, for helping me yesterday. And for saving my…my…" Kagome bit back a sob, but a tear trickled down her face nonetheless. "I could have really died." She whispered, almost as if she was talking to herself. She was staring at her plate now, her smile long gone. Sango gave her a hug, and wiped away the tear.

"Don't thank us, Kagome. It was mostly InuYasha who saved your life. And you know we would have done anything to help you." Kagome managed a watery smile as she looked at each of her friends in the face.

"Thank you," she whispered one last time, then they all finished breakfast, began to pack up for the long ride home, and did not speak of it again…well at least for not a little while.

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"So why did you do it?" InuYasha glanced once sharply at Kagome before turning his gaze back to the road. He was driving Kagome alone in Sesshoumaru's car while everyone else had gone in the other car. She stared at her hands. They were almost home now, and they hadn't talked much on the way back, but she had known this was coming.

"Why did you run off into the woods?" InuYasha continued, still watching the road. "You could have gotten yourself killed. And do you know how worried we all were?"

Kagome felt her eyes beginning to water again. She hated that she was so weak. "I…I don't want to talk about it." She wasn't crying yet, but her voice was choked up.

InuYasha looked at her for a second and then took a deep breath. "I know it was mostly my fault. And it was probably something I said. But I want you to know that I'm here for you to talk to, if you want." Kagome stared at him. She knew she probably owed him an explanation, and he was actually nice to her for once, but…

"I don't think I can talk about it yet. I just…can't." InuYasha looked at her again, and saw a look of such pain, he was sure for a moment that she was in physical pain again, but then it passed, and she returned to staring at her hands.

"I can help you if you let me…Kagome." Kagome glanced at him with a surprised expression. He had used her name! And suddenly, the walls she had built up so carefully around her crumbled.

"It just happened this summer…" And Kagome started telling him the story. The story of what had happened earlier this summer…

\\Flashback//

Kagome was just coming home from the movies. All her friends had taken their cars home, but Kagome had decided to walk, because it was just one of those days that made everything seem so wonderful. The sky was a beautiful cobalt blue, and birds flitted back and forth between trees that were losing their blossoms and growing small spikes of green. She reached her driveway pausing just long enough to note that her father was home early, probably to fix dinner, before sauntering up to her room to take a shower. When she finished, she changed into a t-shirt and shorts just as she heard her mother's car drive up. Her mom, Sota, and her grandpa had gone to go grocery shopping, so Kagome ran down to help them unload. She had grabbed a bag, along with everyone else, and had been the first to enter the kitchen. It was her mother who had screamed first though. Kagome was just standing there, as her arms seemed to stop functioning and she had dropped the bag she was holding. Kagome's mind wasn't working properly. She noticed stupid things, like that there were cans rolling everywhere, and that window over there was open. Then her brain slowly processed what was going on around her.

"Call 911! Call 911!" Her mother was screaming at her. Kagome's legs moved over towards the phone automatically and her hands lifted on their own to take the phone from the wall and dial the three-digit number. Her brain was moving so sluggishly. The smell of vomit was in the air, and Sota was clinging to Grandpa, not really understanding.

"911 operator. What is the emergency?" The woman's tinny voice sounded in her ear, and Kagome's voice came out high and squeaky.

"We need an ambulance!" She gave the woman the address to the shrine. "Please come quick. My father…my father tried to kill himself."

\\End of Flashback//

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Kagome let the tears fall now, as InuYasha sat frozen beside her. She was sobbing hard, but she kept on talking. Her mouth spilling forth words, as if she couldn't' stop.

"He was just lying there when we came in. There was vomit on the floor. And a needle…a needle stuck in his arm. And he was still moving around a little bit. Moving his mouth like he wanted to talk, but all that came out were these grunts and moans. The ambulance came, but it wasn't quick enough. On the way to the hospital…he…he died."

InuYasha's brain fogged over as he remembered what he had said to her earlier. "You are such a goddamned BITCH! How do you live with yourself? How do your parents live with you?" He shuddered suddenly, as he recalled what he had said next. "I mean really, how can you're parents put up with you? I sure couldn't. Day in, day out, with all of this? I don't know how they survive!" Oh gods. How could he have… Jesus. InuYasha looked over helplessly at the sobbing girl. He didn't know what to say. It was no wonder that she had left in such a state. She must have gone through so much pain.

Kagome had managed to get a better hold on herself and was beginning to stop crying. InuYasha felt horrible. "I am so sorry," he said, "I…I didn't know, but that was still no excuse for what I did. I can't even imagine…" Kagome bit back another sob.

"It wasn't really that either," she continued, her voice shaky, "but I was in that house the whole time! I was taking a shower while he was… And to this day, I can't figure out why. I thought we were happy. I mean, sure, we were having money problems, but a lot of family's do. I had gotten a full scholarship to this college to help out, and as soon as I got a job, all of my money was going to go home. I just don't know why." InuYasha drove silently on, as Kagome slowly fell back asleep, worn out from so much crying. He pulled a blanket out of the back seat with one hand and spread it over her. She had gone through so much, and yet she still managed to be so cheery and optimistic all the time. And yet here he was, the most popular guy in school, and could have any girl he wanted, and yet he complained nonstop, and hated his life. How could this girl have gone through so much pain, and be completely unmarred by it? InuYasha sighed as he pulled up to his brother's house. He had no answers to his questions, but he decided that he didn't need them tonight. He walked over to Kagome's door, and picked her up gently. He walked her into the house, and laid her out on her bed. He tucked the covers around her, then slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sleep tight…Kagome."