Chapter 10: A Haunting Past

Sesshomaru held Kagome close as she sobbed into his shoulder. Her hands trembled against his chest as she leaned into his soothing warmth. "It's ok." She heard him mumble into her hair as his hand rubbed her back while the other held her close to his chest. Her tiny hands clung to his shirt as her tears rolled down her slightly flushed cheeks and onto his button up shirt.

"I cant' believe this." Kagome whispered into his shoulder. She pushed away slightly rubbing the tears from her face. "I…I." She paused as her puffy red eyes caught the sight of golden concern. "…really need to be alone." She finished pushing away from his iron grip.

Sesshomaru felt her slipping from his fingers before he clamped down on her wrist, keeping her from leaving the tiny cot like bed. "That's not really a good idea." He warned her. "Please…you can talk to me."

She looked at the ground willing her tears away as her eyes landed on Tahoe who was staring at them in confusion. "Kagome…" She seemed to hear in the distance as she felt her shoulders shake a little. 'This can't be happening.' She thought to herself as she stared at her dog. Her mind raced threw her past taking in her memories that she held in the deep depths of her mind. Sesshomaru stared at her dazed eyes as he shook her. "Kagome!" He said shaking her again.

She shook her head a little and turned to look at him with her distance stare. Tahoe whined as he stepped in between them. He looked up at Sesshomaru and whined then turned to Kagome and nudged his nose against her leg. 'Something is wrong.' Sesshomaru thought as he watched the dog try to get her attention but to no avail. "Kagome? Please tell me what is wrong?" He asked sweetly as his rough hands loosened their grip on her wrist and started to stroke her arms trying to make her comfortable. He watched her eyes as they started to tear up again. The distant look on her face seemed to disappear as the sadness took over again.

"Sesshomaru?" She mumbled in a soft sob as the tears slowly flowed down her cheeks. She felt her body become warm as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Sesshomaru." She sobbed into his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "This... it happened…again." She cried.

Sesshomaru walked her over to the bed and sat down on the bed with her on his lap. He cradled her as she cried into his shoulder. "Sshh…it's ok. You can tell me everything." He whispered sweetly into her hair.

Kagome wrapped her arms tighter around his waist while her delicate tears continued to roll down her face. "Just…hold me…please." She cried.

Sesshomaru rested his head on top of hers taking in her scent. Seconds turned into minutes as the minutes slowly turned into an hour of her sobbing and crying into his shirt. "Kagome…" He started as she seemed to slowly quiet down. She fidgeted slightly on his lap and raised her head a little to look into his worried eyes with her red, puffy ones. She sniffed a little and answered with a simple 'hm'. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

She pressed her head into his chest and opened her mouth to start talking but nothing came out. She closed her mouth and sighed. Her trembling body slowly rose to her delicate feet before planting herself at a spot on the bed right next to him. "It was about 10 years ago." She started as her mind swirled with the vivid memories of her past. Her body trembled again as her eyes seemed to go distant once more. She felt arms wrap around her waist sending warmth once again through her body. Her distant look disappeared as she sighed into his embrace. "I had Tahoe's mother as a watch dog back then." She said as she watched her dog lay down at her feet. "I was playing out by the ocean with my dog, Dee. My friend, Kouga, was with me. It was the first time we had been able to hang out. We hadn't been able to run around together because I was constantly being pushed in some directions when I was younger."

Sesshomaru looked at her with a questioning stare making Kagome sigh. "I had surgery when I was younger. After that surgery a lot of things changed within my life. I was training in so many things I was unable to see my friends for longer than a couple minutes. The only time I saw Kouga was when we were training with his father in swordsmanship." She closed her eyes as her muscles tensed slightly as the memories of her training sessions flooded through her head. Her body was always pushed beyond its little limits. "I pushed in so many directions at young age I didn't know which direction was forward and which one was back. I had no idea what direction was the direction I had chosen." She slowly opened her eyes and met Sesshomaru's golden orbs that now held interest instead of questions. She smiled before continuing her story.

She turned into his body and curled up next to him placing one of her hands on his hard abs and relaxed her head on his chest. "It was my 8th birthday. Kouga and I were running down the shore line racing. He was beating me again. I knew I could beat him if I used my powers…but…my mother never told me to use my secret in front of anyone but family." She deeply inhaled as she squeezed her eyelids closed. "But I didn't want to loose. I had put some of my power into my feet and ran right past him." She slowly opened her eyes to meet his. A tiny smile crept onto her face. "It was the first time I had beat him in anything. I won. His face was priceless." He smile disintegrated as her eyes went to the ground the second her last sentence slipped through her mouth. "So I thought it was. Lizzy came out to get Kouga and I for the cake. I ran into the house to see my mom on the floor. She hadn't been feeling good since the day I had surgery. I ran to my mom's side so fast. She was staring at me. Her eyes were loosing their color. Her face was so pale." Kagome closed her eyes as her tiny fist clenched Sesshomaru's shirt tighter. "I remember the last thing she said to me. 'You've taken it all.' I didn't know what she meant by that. She died in my arms before my father could even get into the room to try and find out why I was screaming for my mother." She curled her head into his chest. "My mother…she was…smart and beautiful before she got sick. My mother was the one who trained me how to control my power. She was the one that allowed me to train in the craft of swordsmanship. Everything she did for me. My father was furious with me. I learned the hard way from my father that I every time I used my powers I was killing my mother. She had been a powerful miko that transferred part of herself into me. Every time I used my powers I used a part of her. I was slowly killing her." Kagome stopped as she felt a fresh wave of sadness roll over as if it were a blanket of darkness. "I killed my mother to win a race. My heart…shattered. I've been afraid to grow close with anyone since then."

Sesshomaru gripped the sad teen closer to him trying to desperately make her feel better. "You and I are close, yes?"

Kagome sniffed and rubbed her puffy eyes before looking up to meet concern. 'Of course.' Her mind blurted out in an instant thought. Her body froze at the sudden realization. She had let someone break her barrier. She had let someone else grip her broken heart. But this hand she felt was gently piecing it back together. Her eyes scanned his eyes and face as she felt his warmth glow within her busted organ before she felt it thump against her chest. 'He's making it work once more.' She thought allowing a gentle smile slowly touch her face. "Yes…yes we are." She answered allowing her smile to grow bigger every second she stared at the man that had been slowly piecing her together since the second he said hello to her the day they met.

He smirked at her as he raised one of his eyebrows. "You better…"

Kagome smirked at his warning as she felt his grip tighten around her tiny waist. She opened her mouth to retort only to stop at the sound of Tahoe whining next to her. She turned her attention to her dog allowing the smile to grace her face once more. "What's wrong boy? Do you want to go on deck?" She asked sweetly as she rubbed her dogs head.

"You can't go on deck." Sesshomaru stated simply.

"Why not?"

"Orders, it's easier to watch you down here than it is on deck." Kagome turned and glared at him with a pouting lip. "What?" Sesshomaru asked glaring back at her.

Kagome turned her head sharply and went to get up only to be pulled tighter to Sesshomaru's chest. She turned and looked at his smug face that continued to glare at her. "Let go." She said pushing her hands against his chest trying to get free. "I have to go to the bathroom, unless you wish to help me wipe my butt."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and sighed releasing the excited female in his grasp. "Fine." He sighed.

Kagome leaped to her feet and turned around sticking her tongue out at him. "Sike." She laughed as she ran to her door and ran out into the hallway with a barking Tahoe at her ankles. 'I can't believe I didn't see that coming.' He scolded himself. Sesshomaru leaped to his feet and slid out into the hallway barely missing Inuyasha. Sesshomaru ran up the stairs and onto the deck where he saw Kagome running up the stairs towards the ropes that led to the crow's nest. Sesshomaru leaped the four steps in front of him and slid to a stop in front of her before she could climb the ropes to the highest part of the boat. "You're fast." She laughed still having energy to burn.

"And you are a liar." He told her crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"So?"

Sesshomaru went to speak only to stop when he saw Inuyasha came up the stairs with an angered look on his face. "What?" Sesshomaru asked furrowing his eyebrows forward.

Inuyasha glared back at his older brother with a little bit of disappointment in his face. "You almost ran me over asshole. I was trying to talk to you but you had to go and play fucking tag with her. Act more mature, you're our Captain."

Sesshomaru stepped in front of Kagome noticing that she was angry from the comment. Her hands turned into tight fist of anger behind him ready to beat the man that just dissed them. Sesshomaru's glare was filled with anger as he moved closer to his angered brother. "I'd watch your tongue Inuyasha. What else is it you wanted?"

Inuyasha continued to glare as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "There is a party tonight for the survivors of the storm right after the ceremony."

"Good. Now if that's it get back to work."

Inuyasha snorted and walked down the stairs and over to the sail mast. Sesshomaru turned around to stare at Kagome, who was staring at the ground with her distant eyes. "Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked placing his hand on her shoulder before squeezing it lightly.

She shook her head and stared at his face with a bright smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Really…what was that?" Sesshomaru asked suspiciously, crossing his arms in front of his chest again as he sized her up.

"None of your business." She giggled giving him a little shove. She walked around him and then froze in her tracks as her eyes landed on Bankotsu and Collin climbing on to the ship from the wrecked ship that glided across the water along side of them. She turned to Sesshomaru and clung to his right arm while she watched Bankotsu follow Collin downstairs, not even noticing that she was right there. She looked at Sesshomaru when she heard him let out a choke of laughter. "What's wrong with you?"

"Bankotsu had his whole arm wrapped up from Tahoe's bite. And by the looks of it, it still hurts him a little bit." He said happily, looking down at the girl that clung to his arm.

Kagome let go of Sesshomaru's arm and walked down to the lower deck so she could stare out into the sea. She smiled as she stared down into the water that splashed happily against the ship. Sesshomaru walked up next to her and leaned over the railing next to her. "You look troubled. Are you okay? We can talk some more if you wish." He asked seriously.

She sighed making her body relax slightly as her mind seemed to wonder with the thoughts that clouded her head. "No, I'm fine." She let out with her sigh. She smiled as her face gleamed in reaction to the dolphins that flew out of the water right next to the boat. "Oh my god." She breathed in amazement as she watched the two dolphins leap over the waves that glided right next to the ship.

"Well what do you know? We must be closer to land than I thought." He wondered out loud.

"We're close to the U.S?" Kagome asked in disbelief. "But I thought…I don't want to get to the U.S."

Sesshomaru looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "Don't worry, we are about four days away from the shores." He paused as he leaned in towards her ear. "We won't make it any closer to the shore than two days travel." He whispered into her ear.

She smiled and turned to look at his face that was only mere inches away from hers. "Thank you." She whispered back. She went to say something else when the door flew open to the commodore standing in the doorway with anger covering his face. He walked towards Kagome and Sesshomaru with his fist tightly clenched. Kagome stepped forward and stared at her father with confusion. "What's wrong daddy?" She asked sweetly.

"What is this I here about there being a party on my ship?" Collin spat as he gripped the front part of Sesshomaru's shirt.

"I just found out about it a few minutes ago sir. Is there something wrong about having a party on board sir?" Sesshomaru asked pushing Collin's hands away from his shirt calmly.

"Sorry, dad…I thought we should have a party after the ceremony of the fallen naval officers and close friends. I thought it was a good idea to raise spirits and work harder to get to our destination. Next time I will speak with you." Kagome stepped forward bravely making her father calm down.

"That is smart. Next time tell me." Collin said calmly then strode towards the door that Bankotsu was leaning against the doorway staring at Kagome with a smirk on his face.

"There…nothing is wrong." She said smugly as she went back to leaning against the railing.

"Very smooth." Sesshomaru laughed.

*Sorry it took so long to update. I have FINALLY finished finals and I am NOW on SUMMER VACATION!!!!! So now I will be updating more. I will have a lesser chance of getting writers block like what I have been having with two other stories that I am working on. I hope you guys like it so far. The next two chapters will only be allowed for 18 years or older. NO MINORS. I will put warnings up on the next two chapters. PLEASE REVIEW!!!! And thank you for being so patient with me and my slow update.*