A/N: Okay people, here's the deal. I'm getting chapter 6 out this afternoon even if it kills me, but I don't think I'll get the final chapter done until tomorrow. I'm going to my grandmother's house tonight for a party and won't likely get back until late. I'll try my best to get it out so you could read it tomorrow, first thing. So everyone's Christmas wish should be for me to hurry my butt up! No shout-outs for this chapter because I've got to get this up quick!

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Chapter 6: Wish Upon A Star

Inuyasha was up late that Saturday night. There was some kind of mystery, some kind of magic that still clung to him from that blasted Christmas tree that made him want to just see Kagome. He had this feeling, the kind that just wouldn't go away, that something was going to happen. He was feeling very protective of Kagome at the moment, and he wanted to make sure she was safe.

All Sunday was the same, he paced and sighed and sat around like a lost puppy most of the day. His father didn't seem to notice, less than a week from Christmas and he was flying to Los Angeles for a few days to go over some legal document with investors. Chances were that he wouldn't be back until Christmas Eve night. Inuyasha's mother was worried, but Sesshomaru told her not to bother him. He, Sesshomaru, would have a talk with his little brother.

Now, there was no great love between the brothers. It was a known fact that Inuyasha was jealous of Sesshomaru for being their father's favorite and that Sesshomaru looked down on Inuyasha because he thought himself to be the victim of some grave injustice. Even though they always fought, there was a mutual affection between them. Some form of inborn love that is between family even though they don't want it. Blood is thicker than water, after all. And so Sesshomaru performed the duty bestowed upon all big brothers--he would make Inuyasha realize what an idiot he was being.

It was a little after eight and Inuyasha was sitting in the kitchen, tracing the pattern of the tile over the counter of the island while sitting on one of the red stools. Sesshomaru entered the kitchen, shook his head, and put some water on the stove to boil. Neither spoke as they waited for the tea pot to whistle. When it did, Sesshomaru poured two mugs half full. Then he got down two instant cocoa bags and the milk from the fridge.

"Half and half?" he asked.

"Same as always," Inuyasha responded.

"Marshmallow?"

"Please."

Thus was their custom. Whenever there was to be a brotherly heart-to-heart, it was done so over a cup of steaming cocoa. Once the cups were prepared, Sesshomaru handed one to his brother and sat opposite from him at the island.

"Mom's worried about you," he began, sipping the liquid from his cup.

"Why should she be?" Inuyasha asked, fishing out the marshmallow.

"Because you're moping around the house like you just lost your best friend, which I know isn't true. So why don't we cut the Brady Bunch moment and you just tell me what's bothering you. You are not the kind of person who lets anything get him down."

Inuyasha looked up at his brother with a questioning expression. Sesshomaru looked away and sighed. "What do you mean by that?" the younger brother asked.

"Oh, how I knew that was coming," Sesshomaru muttered. "You'll never believe me when I say this, but I've always admired your attitude, Inuyasha."

"You're right," Inuyasha confirmed. "I don't believe you."

Sesshomaru scoffed and shook his head. "You are the kind of person, little brother, that never lets anything keep him down. No matter what is thrown at you, you rise to meet it. You take everything in stride and I admire that." He paused to take a drink from his cocoa. "I, on the other hand, worry about how everything will turn out miles down the road. I can't take a chance that might send me somewhere I don't know. I'm sorry to say that I'll always be the cautious one."

"There are up sides to being cautious," Inuyasha commented. "You always know where you're going."

"But the point I'm trying to make is that you may not always see where you're going, but you always land on your feet, Inuyasha. And even though where you land might not be where you always want to go, you seem to end up with something that's even better then anticipated."

Inuyasha looked at his brother as if seeing him for the first time. Did Sesshomaru, the great, just tell him that he, Inuyasha, was a person to be admired? What was even more confusing was that he was hinting at something that Inuyasha just couldn't understand.

"What do I have that could be better then what I want?" he asked, trying to understand the reason behind this little revelation.

"Five six, black hair, gray eyes," Sesshomaru said lightly, sipping his cocoa. "Goes by the name of Kagome."

"Hold up," Inuyasha said quickly, hopping off the stool. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just because I admire your endurance doesn't mean I think you are any less an idiot," Sesshomaru commented, as if he had been expecting such a reaction. "You're always saying that you're the passionate one."

"So?" Inuyasha said defensively.

"So open your eyes." Sesshomaru finished his cocoa and walked to the sink, depositing the mug. "The girl has been hurt somewhere along the way, and she seems very reluctant to like you. I know for a fact that you like her since it seems that all you ever talk about anymore is what fight the two of you got into that day."

"I do not like her," Inuyasha lied.

"Denial, one of the first stages," Sesshomaru said lightly.

"And how do you know that she's been hurt? I haven't even seen you talk to her for longer than thirty seconds!"

Sesshomaru sighed and got ready to make his leave. "I can see it written all over her face. There is a lost look to her eyes. My advice, talk to her about it and she'll tell you what happened."

"Why would she talk to me?" Inuyasha asked, frozen in place as Sesshomaru left the room.

"Because she likes you."

Kagome had just finished wrapping all of her Christmas presents at nine. She always liked doing it at night, when no one else was up or around to peek at what she bought for them. This year she had some extra money so she got good gifts for everyone. Grandpa finally got that encyclopedia of mystical objects that he had been wishing for as long as Kagome could remember. For Souta, Kagome bought a few Lord of the Rings action figures; he had been eyeing them at Toys R Us for weeks. Rin was gifted with a new pair of customized drumsticks. Her name was carved into their handles. She got Sango a learner's guide to the Bass guitar so that she could learn to play it better. Kagome got her parents a few little things with the help of Souta and her grandfather. She sent a gift back to Florida for Eri, even though they hadn't talked nearly as much as they wanted to since Kagome left.

Just as she finished up, the phone on her nightstand rung. Kagome grabbed it just after the first ring, praying it hadn't woken up her family. Even though it was early in the evening, her family was all in bed. Well, her grandfather was most likely in the kitchen since he was like Kagome and never slept. Still, she knew they needed sleep.

"This better be good Sango," Kagome grumbled into the phone, because it was always her goth friend who called at all hours of the night.

"This isn't Sango," a familiar male voice said.

"Inuyasha?" she choked into the receiver. "How did you get this number?"

"Believe it or not, it was easier to get your address." Kagome opened her mouth to reply, but instead she leapt from her bed and to the window. Sure enough, Inuyasha was down there, casually leaning against the banister of the porch, talking on his cell phone.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying very hard not to yell and wake the whole house.

"Come down and I'll tell you," he teased, looking up directly at her window and signaling for her to come. Kagome was about to refuse, but thought better of it. Inuyasha was the kind of person who would ring the doorbell in the middle of the night, just because she told him not to.

"Just be quiet, my family is sleeping," she said with a sigh as she padded down the stairs in her socks and pajamas.

When she reached the door, Inuyasha was sitting on the porch, reclining comfortably in her grandfather's rocking chair. His hands were folded behind his head, the picture of comfort and ease. He smiled when she closed the door behind her and came out into the cold. It was supposed to snow the next day so the weather was decidedly cold. Kagome had grabbed her jacket before coming out, and was thankful that she did. Inuyasha was only wearing a sweatshirt and he looked perfectly comfortable.

"So now will you tell me what you want?" she said softly, sitting on the swing next to the chair.

"I wanted to talk to you," Inuyasha explained, his face now serious. "It was important I talk to you soon and…without anyone else around."

Kagome looked at him with a speculative glance. "And what could that be?"

Inuyasha didn't want to just come out and ask, but there didn't seem to be another way to break into the issue softly. So he just asked a simple question. "What happened to make you move here?"

Kagome looked at him with wide gray eyes, her body tensing. Her breath rushed out, hanging in a thin white cloud for a moment before disappearing. "I have to go back inside," she breathed, rushing to her feet and toward the door.

"Kagome wait," Inuyasha begged, jumping to his feet and grabbing her arm before she could escape.

"Please don't ask me," she whispered. "Please don't make me say it."

"Why?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. "Why is it so hard to say? What could be so bad?"

She looked at him with wild, almost unseeing eyes. "If I say that it happened then it really did happen, he really did die and all of this is real. If I just don't say it than it was just a nightmare and I can wake up one day and he'll still be alive and I wouldn't have to keep seeing it. Everything would be like it was and I wouldn't have to keep scaring my family. I can't say it!"

"But it did happen Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly. "Whatever it was, it did happen because you're here."

"No, no it didn't," she insisted, shaking her head. Her entire body was trembling in fear.

"Kagome, you're scaring me now," Inuyasha whispered, holding her in his arms for warmth and comfort. "You have to tell me what happened."

For a few minutes, she just held on to him, like he was her link to stay together. It was happening again, the accident flashing before her eyes. Visions of Hojo laying broken and bloody while she watched him die. Her world was falling apart again. She cried into Inuyasha, the strong and warm person that was Inuyasha. Someone who reminded her of a lost love, but was totally different. Maybe he was like Hojo in some ways, but he was also new and strange and completely consuming. And right now, he was what she needed.

Inuyasha led her back to the swing and sat down next to her, running a hand up and down her back. He whispered comforts to her, telling her that it was okay, that everything was all right now.

"To tell you what happened," Kagome said at last. "I'll have to tell you a story."

"I've got time," Inuyasha assured her. "I like stories."

Kagome took a deep breath, thinking of how to begin, then she started. "There was this girl where I used to live. She had a great life. She wasn't rich or famous, but she wasn't poor and ignored. She loved her family and they loved her. She had a good reputation at school, and two best friends that meant a lot to her.

"She had one friend named Eri who was sweet and quiet. They didn't have much in common, but they could talk and they had fun. Her other friend was named Hojo. She and Hojo had been best friends since they were babies, and there was a lot of love between them. Hojo was different from her and Eri. He was a star athlete and a brilliant scholar, everyone's favorite person. All the girls wanted him and all the guys wanted to be him. But all Hojo ever wanted was to make his father proud of him."

Kagome's voice choked and tears started to fall from her eyes again, but she was too far now and she had to tell someone or risk exploding from all the pain in her heart. "His father used to beat him up all the time, since his mother died when Hojo was in the first grade. Hojo was never good enough, always stupid or slow or just not right. No matter what he did, his father found a flaw in it and Hojo would pay for it." Anger now bubbled up inside of Kagome's heart and she didn't need to cry now. She remembered all the times that Hojo had snuck into her room at night, covered in bleeding cuts and bruises. She remembered how many times she used to have to take care of him when he was in too much pain to move. Kagome was the one who'd cover the bruises with make-up so no one would see them. She was the one who'd try and convince him to tell someone about it.

"He told someone about his father once, when he was in sixth grade, but nothing happened. Hojo's father was rich and successful, a mark in the community, you see. No one could believe that he would hurt his son, especially since he was the perfect father in front of everyone else. Charges were brought against him for abuse, but they were covered up and nothing ever happened. After that, Hojo nearly died."

Inuyasha kept his arms around her, urging her on with gentle coaxings. His presence was enough to comfort her into talking about it. "Hojo practically lived with us after that." She dropped the story act, this was her story now and she'd tell it right. "But this summer, his father took Hojo with him to New York for a business deal. His boss wanted to meet Hojo, because his father always talked about how wonderful his son was, but no one ever saw the boy at all. While in New York, Hojo's father lost his temper and hit him good with one of his coworkers watching. His father was almost fired for that stunt, and when they got home, Hojo was beaten within an inch of his life.

"After that, Hojo told me that he was running away. He was going to leave and never come back, so he wouldn't have to be hit anymore and so he didn't have to be what everyone else wanted anymore. He asked me to go with him. So I agreed of course. Hojo was my best friend…I just couldn't let him go like that, not alone."

"So you went with him?" Inuyasha asked quietly when she stopped talking.

"We left in the middle of the night," Kagome said, barely in a whisper. "But his father found us. He was going to kill me, run me over with his car, but Hojo pushed me out of the way." Just one tear overflowed form her eye, falling slowly down her face. Inuyasha reached up and caught it with the pad of his thumb. "It just happened so fast, I could barely breath. Hojo saved my life, but he died. I sat there and I held his hand and he died.

"After that was when everything went wrong. His father was wearing his seatbelt and he survived the crash. He was in a coma for a few days, but he woke up and that was when everything happened. He used his power to attack my family. No one believed me when I said that he killed Hojo on purpose, so everyone turned on me as a liar. My father was fired from his job, we lost our apartment…we had no choice but to come here. But the truth is…it really was my fault that Hojo is dead."

"How can you say that?" Inuyasha asked in awe. "It's all that bastard's fault. He's the one who killed his own son."

"But if I had told someone before then, if I had convinced Hojo to do something before it ever reached that point. I kept silent, and then I ran away with him. If I hadn't have gone with him, Hojo wouldn't have had to save me, and he would still be alive. If I hadn't have been there, Dad would still have his job and we'd still be ok. I ruined everything. It was all my fault."

"Kagome, none of that is your fault," Inuyasha assured her. "You have to believe me when I tell you that. I know I'm not your favorite person, or even a person you like, but I am telling you the truth. Nothing that happened was your fault."

"Then why'd it happen?" The question was rhetorical. She didn't expect, or even really want, an answer.

"All things happen for a reason," Inuyasha said quietly. "I'll be damned if I knew what the reason is, but that is something that I know."

They were silent for a long while, just sitting on the swing in comfortable company. "Why did you come here in the middle of the night to ask me this?" Kagome asked at last.

"Sesshomaru told me that if I asked you, you'd tell me."

"And how would he know?"

"He can tell things about a person that most people overlook," Inuyasha explained. He put two fingers under her chin and turned her head to face him, then he run a finger across her cheek. "He saw it in your eyes, that something haunted you."

"He's smart," Kagome said quietly.

"Smart yes, but he needs to lighten up." Kagome gave him a small smile, even though her stormy eyes were still red and her cheeks were still stained with tears. To Inuyasha, he'd never seen a more beautiful girl.

"I should go inside," Kagome said at last.

"That may be a good idea," he conceded.

"Are you going to come to the concert on Christmas Eve?" she asked suddenly. "Rin, Sango and me, we're performing at the Christmas Festival at the school on Christmas Eve. We don't have school this week or anything, so I won't see you before then. Would you come?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Inuyasha promised, then he smiled. "Goodnight Kagome." He got up slowly, so as not to startle her. She was shaky now, and even though he wanted to, he wouldn't do anything that might spook her. There was time, and he would take it slow.

"Goodnight Inuyasha," she whispered as she watched him go. Kagome sighed, shook her head, and went inside the house. There was a weight missing from her shoulders, but her heart was still heavy. Only this time, she was grieving instead of hiding. The pain still hurt, but it was a healing pain now. Kagome sighed again, and smiled. Wherever Hojo was now, she felt that he was smiling back. If she had turned around, Kagome would have seen the snow start to fall.

A/N: Okay, here we are, the end of chapter 6. Only one more to go! You readers are the best, and remember, the more reviews I get, the better my last chapter will be! I'm shameless, I know, but it's only because I love your reviews. Merry Christmas Eve!