"Hello?"

"Hello Miss Higurashi. This is Hojo."
"Hello Hojo. Kagome's not in yet. Did you want me to let her know you called?"
"I'm sorry, but she should have been there by now. When I left her she had told me she was going home."
"Oh well maybe she still with her friends. I'll call around. Thank you for calling."
"No problem. Good night."
She hung up the phone and walked to the kitchen. She pulled one of the drawers open and pulled out a small black leather book. She opened the book marked M and ran her finger down the page stopping at the number with Mayo name next to it. She picked up the phone and began to dial, the line began to ring and she was eager for someone to answer the other line.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ms. Neko, this is Kagome's mother. I'm sorry to call you so late but I was wondering if Mayo got home yet and if Kagome is with her... Ok thank you so much it makes me feel a little better knowing she might be with your Kumi. I'll try her cell. Good night"

…

"Oh look your mom is calling my cell, should I answer and let your mom know that her little sweet girl is a hoe. How do you think she would feel about that? Kagome? Kagome! Look at me when I'm talking to you." She grabbed her chin with her fingers and lifted her head so she was looking at her in the eyes. Smiling she squeezed her fingers just a little so her nails cut the first layer of skin.
"Such a lovely face for a human. Too bad that it won't be for long." Kagome tried to pull her face away but Kumi just sank her nails in deeper. "You did this to yourself. I mean I told you to keep him close but all you did was ho around and with Hojo. Oh, and let's not forget his brother, I think his name was InuYasha." Kagome's eyes opened wide when she heard his name. "Ah I stuck a nerve didn't I? I wonder how Sesshomaru would take this news of his lover still being in love with his brother, better yet what do you think Inu would say. You don't mind if I call him that do you?"

"I don't think you should have his name in your mouth, all you'll do is taint it."

Kagome was cut off by a smack to her face "You see, you jump at the chance to defend this past lover but you won't do the same for Sesshomaru. YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM YOU BI…"
"**… ha you see the one thing you fail to comprehend is that Sesshomaru knows how I feel, and it's not that he doesn't care it's that he does care that makes him want to stay. He knows how much I'm hurting and he wants to be the one to make me feel better and I understand that. We understand each other, with is a lot more than you would ever get from him."

"She's right."

The two girls looked in the direction the familiar voice came from, Kagome smiled when she seen him standing in the empty room, his sword in hand and anger in his eyes. She didn't know why but he looked like an angel from where she sat. Maybe it was the fact that she was exhausted, or the loss of blood, but he was the best thing she seen in so long. He stood standing in the only light that came into the abandoned store, his silver hear shimmered in the moon light and his face was perfect no flaws what so ever, his eyes glowed red like fire but a beautiful fire that dance in the night air.

"Sesshomaru? I didn't expect to see you here."

"Girl, I am going to tell you once, release Kagome and I will spare your life, for now."

"Oh Sesshomaru I would but you see she not what she seems. I don't think; no I know she's not telling you the truth. Did you know that she was not with my sister today? I mean she went with her but she ended up spending the evening with Hojo. I bet you didn't know that"

"No, Sesshomaru. It's not like that, he just wanted to talk that's all." Why did I just explain myself to him? Why do I care if he thinks I was with Hojo in a romantic way?

"Kagome" she looked up at him with worry in her eyes. Kumi smiled. It worked.

"I know you are not that type of girl. There is no need to say anything more."

"What!? What kind of spell do you have over him witch?"

"She has none," he whispered in her ear, she shivered from the sound of his voice. "Boo."

She jumped forward and faced him; she was angry now how the hell it was that he didn't care what this girl did or who she did it with. What the hell did he see in her, she was nothing but a human. Nothing special, she wasn't even fully developed and he still wanted her.

"Sesshomaru, I don't want to fight you."

"Hn."

He picked up his sword and looked her in the eye's, he was about to kill her where she was standing and he didn't think to stop. He lunged himself forward at the young half-demon and aimed for the heart, his blade never failed to cut something and it wasn't going to start now. Kumi seen his attack and her eyes where wide, ** what was she going to do? How was she going to get out of this one. Just in the nick of time she dogged his sword but just a little instead of her heart the blade hit her left shoulder, he felt his sword rip though flesh. It wasn't where he wanted but he was satisfied with the outcome. He move with even more force and pushed the body into a wall making a loud thump that made Kagome jump, pinning her he wrapped his fingers around her slender neck and let some of his poison drip onto her silky skin winning him a yell from her.

"I'm going to enjoy this; it's been some time since I last killed something." He tightened his grip on her neck sinking his poison into her skin and cutting off her air supply. The girl tried her best to stop him but he was too strong she began to cry tears falling from her checks onto his arm he smiled as he watched his pray beg. She was blue now and coming to an end.

"STOP!"

Sesshomaru opened his hand at the sound of Kagome's voice pleading for him to stop. Still holding her with his sword he opened his ears to Kagome's sweet voice.

"Please Sesshomaru let her go, as much as I hate her I don't want my best friend hurt over this. So please stop, come to me, hold me, I'm so tired… please."

"You are lucky she has a good heart." He pulled his sword letting her fall to the cold wet floor. "Now go and if you ever try this again I 'will' cut off your head." She got up and ran off.

Sesshomaru walked toward Kagome and with little to no effort at all he pulled the chain from the wall and then pulled apart the cuffs around her wrist. She was so worn out that she allowed herself to fall into his chest finally letting the tears fall from her eyes she was never going to let Kumi see her cry. Sesshomaru put one hand on the back of her head and one on the middle of her back holding her as she so sadly begged for not too long ago. Kagome's kimono was ripped in the back and he could see the burns that had been left on her skin, he felt guilt build up. If he would have just taken her to the festival then this would have never happened.

"Kagome, look at me." She looked up at him. There was so much pain in her eyes "I am so sorry that this happened to you."
He held her close before picking her up and taking off in the direction of her house. Slowly and quietly so not to disturbed her mom he didn't want her to see Kagome like this. She was weak, bloody, and wet. Gently laying her on her bed he removed her turn kimono and dropped it on the floor next to her dresser, he walked to the bathroom and ran the water, he was careful not to put it to hot so that it wouldn't sting her when he laid her in the water. Returning to the room he grasped Kagome in his arms and picked her up pulling her close to him, draping the towel over her he walked into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and locked it he didn't want anyone walking in.
"Kagome open your eyes for me." She opened her eyes looking up at him. "I am going to lay you in the water it might hurt but I need you not to yell so not to wake your mom, do you think you can do that?" she gave him a node and closed her eyes. "Kagome if you need me to hold you just let me know."
2 days ago

He slowly began to dip her limp body into the warm water, feet first, so she could feel and adjust to the temperature. Her legs slowly went under and she winced a little and tightened her hold on his arm he closed his eyes as so he could not see the pain in her face. As the water began to rise on her body Kagome held tighter anticipating the pain that was coming. She felt it now, the sting as the water hit her burns; she clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed as the feel of the water hitting her raw flesh made her want to yell out and jump up. She couldn't hold it in as a small yelp escaped her mouth, Sesshomaru leaned in and allowed Kagome to yell into his chest. The sound of her muffled yell reminded him of Rin when she would cry and use Au-Nu to try and cover the sound, but he could hear. Finely the yelling stopped as her back became numb from the pain; she looked up at him then closed her eyes.
Kagome could feel him holding her in his arm. She could feel the fabric of this sleeve under her neck, moist from the water that had slowly seeped up into it was warm and she could feel his muscles flex under her hand. She felt it now his hand rubbing her skin as he cleaned the dirt and blood from her body. The feel of his hand gave her comfort. She felt safe.

He ran his hand down to her feet he began to wash the mud that had found its way to her toes and she moved just a little as he ran his fingers up and down the bottom of the foot. Kagome flinched as his fingers tickled the bottom of her foot. Kagome felt so small when she realized that his hand was almost as big as her foot. As his hand started to move upward Kagome's heart pounded in her chest he was cleaning her belly now moving in a circular motion and soon he would have to clean her breast. She wanted to ask him to stop but had no strength. Her heart pounded harder and louder.

Sesshomaru could hear her heart begin to race as he washed her, it was getting louder and louder to him and he didn't like the fact that it was making her bleed out more. "Kagome; I need you to relax for me. The harder you heart beats the more blood you will loss."

Kagome took a deep breath to try and clam herself but it was no use, she couldn't get herself to relax when he was touching her. She was confused she wasn't frightened by his touch but her heart was pounding so hard that she could hear it herself. Sesshomaru was no fool he understood why she was reacting this way, he was a man after all, and so he stopped and let the water rinse the soap away. When he was share he was done he let the water down and reached for the towel he picked Kagome up and put the towel around her shoulders then carried her to her room.

"Kagome I am done you are fully cloth and you may open your eyes now."

She smiled without opening her eyes. "Thank you Sesshomaru" He pulled her quilt up to her chest and sat on the floor.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?"

"Lay with me please. I don't want to feel alone right now."

He removed his wet kimono and laid beside her careful not to hurt her.
"When we get back do you think Inuyasha would be mad at us? Can we still be like this or will things go back to the way it was before? Cause I don't want that."

"Shhh woman sleep, I have to dress your wound when the sun comes up."