Temporary Home

Summary: Kagome would be the first to tell you that life wasn't easy. She would also tell you that she didn't want it to be. If not for the hard life she had, she wouldn't have the life she did...all thanks to them...

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Kagome (None)

Rated: T

-x-x-x-

"Eiji,"

Eiji turned with Shuusuke, the two looking behind them to see Kouta standing in his doorway and looking them over studiously. "Nii-San,"

"..." his eyes traveled over the sleeping Kagome in Shuusuke's arms. "did something happen?"

"Ah," Eiji looked at Shuusuke, not sure what he should say. Sighing, he brought a hand to his head and closed his eyes.

"I'm afraid I spoke out of turn today, and upset Kagome-Chan."

Kouta looked at Shuusuke, "out of turn?"

"we were reminded that she's only ten, somehow, it slipped or minds for a moment."

Not asking them anything else, he would get more information later from his younger brother. Watching as Eiji opened the door for his friend, the two put Kagome in her room while he walked downstairs. Finding his mom sitting in the living room with Daichi and Ayano, he noticed the look of concern on their faces. He pointed his finger up the stairs and the three nodded their heads. Clearly, they'd seen the two come in with Kagome.

"I know it goes without say, but we should proceed cautiously with Kagome." Daichi said irritably, sighing as he leaned all the way back against the couch he was sitting on.

Ayano fixed her own position as the couch dipped. "It's not so easy. She is well guarded. When asking what she wanted to eat, even that much, she didn't want to burden Daichi."

"What burden..." he blushed, "I wanted to cook a meal for her that was special." Pouting while crossing his arms behind his head, "Kouta made her wall really special to her, why can't Daichi-Nii do something special for her too?"

Kouta shook his head, "let her ease into the family. It's not such an easy environment to get used to right off the bat." Turning at the sound of steps coming downstairs, he regarded Shuusuke coldly before walking past him and back upstairs to his room.

"I should head home, I'll see you at school, Eiji." The small smile didn't slip from his face, but the solemn sound of his voice didn't match the smile in the least.

After he left, Eiji was hounded by the three still downstairs. Although, Kouta listened with his door opened, he didn't bother showing his face downstairs against for the rest of the night.

-x-x-x-

"Kagome-Chan, your okaa-san is on the phone! Come inside and speak to her!"

Kagome's eyes lit up as she turned in the foggy haze of dreamy colors. Her eyes looking at the magically swaying flowers, they moved in a gentle sway alongside the grass. The clouds were twisting in spirals above her. A dark shadow looming over her, followed her as she walked cautiously inside the house and took the phone with a shaky hand. The scenery was familiar, but different. Her eyes caught her reflection, at ten years old, she hadn't heard her mother's voice since that day. "...mama?"

"Kagome! My baby girl, mama has missed you!"

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest. "Mama, it's been awhile." Tears swelled in her eyes before falling endlessly down her cheeks. A cool whisper along her cheek followed the once warm and wet trail.

"Kagome, mama and papa are heading home, you'll get to meet your new baby brother soon."

Kagome shook her head. ' No...no mama, I won't. I won't meet him.' She forced a broken smile as she listened to her mom speak joyfully into the mouthpiece of her phone. "Mama..."

"-so cute. You'll just love him!"

"Mama!" She cried. Her mother just continued speaking about the baby brother Kagome would never see. "MAMA PLEASE!"

It wouldn't change, she wasn't going to stop talking...not yet she wouldn't. By then, it would be too late. Kagome dropped to her knees, her handset against the wall as the air left her. Choking on her tears, she cried loudly into the phone.

"―ah! Dear, look out!"

SCREEEACH~! CRAAASH! KREASSH!

Kagome thought she'd throw up. It was just a dream...no...no, no, no! Not a dream! It was a horrible nightmare! "MAMA!"

"...S-Souta...b-baby...my baby...S...ta..."

"AAHHHHH! MAMA!"

The shadow behind her suddenly descended around her, embracing her in a warmth she'd never expect from something so dark. Her eyes widened brokenly as she curled into the warm safety of the embrace and cried, desperately clinging to the security she felt in the warmth.

-x-x-x-

Kouta looked up at the clock on his wall, frowning at the sounds from the room beside his. It was late. Nearly one in the morning now. He set down his graphite pencil and pushed his chair back before walking quietly to his door. When he opened the door, the sounds became a bit clearer and he realized that it wasn't the sound of fabric shuffling, it was the sound of muffled whimpering. His eyes widened and he moved towards Kagome's room. Leaning his ear against the door, his eyes widened, and he opened the door, peering inside to see Kagome thrashing around on her bed.

"Mama..."

He couldn't imagine what she was seeing, but he knew the topic of her trauma. He'd heard Eiji earlier. He'd listened to the heart wrenching tale of how her family died. Her mother, father and newborn brother. He heard it all.

"Mama!"

Watching the tears fall from her clenched eyes, he held a handout but pulled it back to his chest. He didn't know what to do. A hand settled on his shoulder and he turned to see his mom standing with a sad smile on her face.

"AAHHHHH! MAMA!"

Sachiko stepped past her middle son and settled herself beside Kagome, pulling her into her arms as she held close to her chest. The small girl curled into her hold; her head nestled against her heart. She ran her fingers gently through her long black hair, brushing a stray finger along her cheek as she did, stealing away the streaks left by the stray tears. "Shh~" She dropped her head by the girls' ear, whispering soothing words to the girl as she let her cry in her arms. "You are safe, Kagome-Chan. You will be okay, I promise you. You're not alone."

Kouta jumped at the feel of someone behind him. Turning, he saw Daichi, Eiji, Etsuko and Ayano all standing behind him.

Daichi sighed, smiling, he placed his hand on Eiji and Kouta's shoulders, "let's go to bed. Okaa-San has Kagome."

"...but..." He sighed as he was dragged from the room. Etsuko closed the door behind her and Ayano as they walked down the hall.

Ayano chuckled, "Kouta gets so worried when it comes to Kagome-Chan. Like you said, let's give her time. If she breaks, we can work together to pick up the pieces and put her back together. I think, however, she needs to cry."

"I wish we could take her hurt away, nyan~"

Kouta looked at his younger brother, "you were reckless today..."

Eiji frowned sadly, "gomen, nii-san."

"None of that, Kouta. None of us know what will trigger Kagome. You can't fault Eiji for such a mistake. We just need to proceed more cautiously from now on."

"How cautious?" Kouta scoffed, "this family isn't good with being discreet. How many times will you accidentally slip up before the pieces are too small to be put back together. She's fragile? I don't think that's it. She just hasn't been brushed by her emotions so much as she had in the last two days. I went to the orphanage yesterday while Ayano took her to school to enroll her. I wanted to better understand her, so I decided to go look into her previous family records. The woman was kind enough to supply me with them. She's been returned multiple times by families. Each one saying the same thing. She isn't a loveable girl, she's to blunt and she says things thoughtlessly without considering those around her. This complaint came in different ways, but it was all the same. She was emotionless. She was detached. She was thoughtless."

Daichi glared, "she's nothing like that!"

Etsuko punched Daichi, "shh!"

He held his arm with a frown before steeling his glare on his younger brother.

Kouta shook his head, "I know she's not like that. My point...this family brings out all sorts of emotions she's not used to feeling, much less displaying. It's an unpredictable and enlightened environment. Wild, energetic and spastic. Enough to make anyone go crazy...I'm suggesting that you don't be cautious with her."

"Baka," Ayano leaned back against Kouta's door, "speak clearly what you are getting at."

Eiji smiled, "she doesn't have a problem talking about her past or problems. She has a problem figuring out her feelings though. She doesn't show them properly. She was really worried that my friends and I would be upset with her blunt honesty, but Fujiko called her out. Said she wasn't being honest at all. It kind of broke her down emotionally. I think―I think because she never realized it herself, but she's not honest with her feelings. She's been hiding them for so long, she doesn't know how to show them anymore."

Smiling, Kouta nudged his oldest sister aside as he took hold of his doorknob. "Help her open up. If you cradle her like she might break, then you supply her with too much time to think that she's done something wrong. You need to treat her like you would..." he glanced around the group and sighed, "like you would Eiji." Stepping past his siblings, he entered his room and closed the door behind him. No longer interested in drawing, he threw himself backwards on his bed and closed his eyes to the world around. Listening to the soft humming from next door, he smiled. His mother always had been, and always would be, an outstanding mom. He hoped that Kagome would be able to see that too...one day.

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter nine! I won't be focusing on just Kagome, I like the Kikumaru family and want them to have a substantial role in Kagome's world. So be patient and be gentle with them while their characters come out and while they make their mistakes. Review and have a Merry Christmas!