"From deepest despair to new found hope"

by Hentai Jane

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I love reading reviews, they give me new ideas and inspiration to write more!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Pepsi.

Chapter 5

The silence was deafening during the long drive home, the only sound was one of Kagome's occasional coughing fits and her raspy breathing. Kagome sat facing the window, watching as the sunlight grew dim, bringing the night. Inuyasha nervously glanced at her through his mirror from time to time. He wished she, or anyone else, would say something to break the quiet confines. Her mood was as bleak as the oncoming darkness. Gradually, her eyes started to droop and close with much needed sleep.

Traffic was light at this time of the evening. Inuyahsa glanced behind him, looking at Rin and Kagome's sleeping form. "Is anyone hungry?" he asked, "We still have another hour and a half before we get to Miroku's house."

"My house?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna drop you off first and then go home. There's no point in me going to my house and then getting back in the car to take you home. Besides, I was hoping Sango would loan me two outfits for the girls until they can go shopping for new clothes."

"You're going to buy us clothes?" Rin spoke softly, praying that their pleasant demeanor wasn't an act.

Miroku smiled at her when he noticed Rin wringing her hands together.

"Sure." Inuyasha replied, "You and Kagome can't walk around looking like that." Rin glanced down at her skimpy red one piece dress that resembled a slip. She wore a long sleeved shirt to cover her arms, but when customers arrived, she quickly took it off. This was one of the first rules Naraku taught her when she came to live with him. Her flat black shoes had a hole in the side covered by a thick patch of duct tape.

'Wow, new clothes!' Rin thought excitedly. 'It's been a long time since I've had something nice to wear, or even something I WANT to wear.'

"So do you want to stop and get some burgers or not? The next rest stop is a mile away, think fast." Inuyasha's question was for all the occupants in the car.

"Burgers sound good. What do you think Rin?" Miroku waited for her to answer.

"I love hamburgers." she replied, nearly drooling.

"Will Kagome eat them?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't think she's a fussy eater. Around Naraku, you're lucky if you get anything to eat!" Rin could see Inuyasha's sour look through the rear view mirror. Naraku was a touchy subject already. 'Just wait till he sees all the scars and bruises Kagome has from Naraku's beatings.' Rin shivered as she thought of Naraku beating Kagome until she passed out. 'I hope Inuyasha kills him for how he treated Kagome.' Rin looked to her left at the sleeping girl.

"Rin." Inuyasha's soft voice drew her from the unpleasant memories, "Can you wake her up? We're almost at the rest stop."

With a gentle hand, Rin took hold of her shoulder and leaned in close to Kagome's ear, "Kagome." Rin gave her a soft nudge, "Kagome, wake up."

Kagome's eyes fluttered open, only to close again. "Hey Kagome, don't go back to sleep. Inuyasha's going to get us some food."

"Food?" her voice was full of disbelief as her eyes fixed on the back on the hanyou's head.

"That must be the magic word." Miroku chuckled as Kagome's eyes grew wide. "Are you hungry Kagome?"

"Yes sir." she whispered.

"You don't have to call me sir. My name is Miroku. Inuyasha and I have known each other for a long time."

Kagome nodded, showing Miroku that she understood what he said and again turned her attention to the window.

"When did you two eat last?" Inuyasha waited as they looked at each other for a moment.

"I ate this morning." Rin answered.

They waited for Kagome to answer. "Kagome?" Miroku reached over the leather seat, touching her forearm. She violently jerked away from him, cradling her arm protectively against her chest.

"I.... I'm sorry Kaogme. I didn't mean to frighten you." Miroku looked at the broken girl, wishing he could kill Naraku.

"Two days." her voice was flat and lifeless.

Inuyasha drove onto the winding exit ramp that lead to a small drive through.

"What?!" Inuyasha slammed on the brakes as he turned into the fast food parking lot so he could look at her. "Did you say two days?"

Fear over took her when Inuyasha's eyes bore into her own, making her shake. Her mind spun with fear, 'I should have lied! Now he's mad at me!.' Kagome's mind screamed as she pressed her knees against her chest.

"That bastard!" he swore violently, twisting his handsome features into a snarl. Thoughts of punching Naraku until he passed out danced through his mind until the scent of fear reached his nose.

Kagome was looking at him, shaking at the enraged expression on his face. Rin sat stiffly on the seat, her eyes darting between him and Miroku.

'Idiot! You scared them!' Inuyasha mentally reprimanded himself while relaxing, letting the tension slowly drain from him. "I'm sorry. Neither of you have to worry about being hurt or starved ever again. From now on, you'll be taken care of and no one will ever be allowed to hurt you."

Rin smiled at Inuyahsa, but Kagome didn't look convinced. She stared at him, eyes narrowed showing uncertainty before she again looked to the window.

Inuyasha pulled up to the window ordering Pepsi and hamburgers for each person. They ate in silence as Inuyahsa drove down the dark highway. Keeping his mind on the task of driving was a difficult thing to do as he replayed the facial expressions of his new 'slave'.

She was afraid of him, very afraid. This girl was damaged goods and would be hard to heal.

'Heal?' he thought. 'How do I heal her heart...her soul, from all the damage Naraku has caused? I better call Kaeda when we get home. Rin needs a check up and I have a feeling Kagome is going to need antibiotics and plenty of bed rest before she is back on her feet again.'

Steering the SUV to the right lane took them to the exit they needed to arrive home.

Inuyasha could see Kagome fidgeting as he drove the looped exit ramp at a high rate of speed. 'I better slow down. I don't want her to freak out because of my speed demon ways.' His foot gradually pressed the break pedal decreasing the speed and easing her tension.

A few lights were on, giving Miroku's living room a warm glow from the driveway. "Finally! I feel like I've been driving forever." Inuyasha tilted his head back against the head rest. "Alright Miroku. Go work your lecherous charms on Sango and see if she'll give me two outfits and two nightgowns. I'll take the girls for clothes tomorrow so she'll have them back soon."

Miroku saw a figure move by the window, pushing the curtain aside and looking out at them. Sango waved to her husband, giving him a warm smile.

*sigh* "I'm doing this for Rin and Kagome, not you." Miroku groaned, covering his face, "Wait till she finds out you bought TWO slaves! My life is going to be a living hell!"

The front door opened, giving Sango a blast of cool night air. She approached Inuyasha's car, "So, my husband made it back in one piece. That's a miracle!" she snorted, "Ah well, I guess I'll have to scratch all those plans on how to spend the insurance money." Sango gave Miroku a devilish grin, enjoying the stunned look her husband was giving her.

"Sango!" Miroku gasped

Inuyasha threw his head back, cackling in one of his rare fits of laughter, "Good one Sango!"

Sango gave him a look that could make the bravest man run, "Who's joking? I still haven't fully forgiven my husband for taking part in this little scheme of yours. But you Inuyahsa? If I were your wife, I'd make sure you never came home!"

"Aw, come on Sango! I already explained why I did this." Inuyasha whined trying to give her his best puppy dog eyes.

"Since we're on that subject, let me see what poor unfortunate girl you brought home."

"No! San.." Before Miroku could stop her, Sango pulled open the passenger door reveling not one, but two girls!!

"What the fuc-.." Miroku clamped his hand over Sango's mouth before she had a chance to finish. He pulled her back against his chest in an effort to stop the upcoming rant.

"Please Sango, my love, my life, my darling, my sweet, caring, always understanding wife, don't yell out here where the neighbors can hear you!" Miroku nuzzled her neck, using his intimate knowledge of Sango's body to his advantage. The sides of her neck were very sensitive and when she was upset, a good neck rub turned her from a raging tiger to a gentle cub.

By this time, Inuyasha was tucked down safely into the drivers seat. They could see his ears twitching just below the silver rim of the rolled down window.

Sango stuck her head in the car, glaring down at Inuyasha in a disapproving manor, "Why?" her voice was calm, to calm.

Inuyasha hesitantly looked up, golden eyes locked onto her angry face, "Why what?" he mumbled stupidly. She was about to lay into him when he saw her glance back at his passengers, "Oh! You mean, why two girls, right?"

Sango stepped back, folding her arms across her chest waiting for an explanation. "Well, you see, Naraku, the guy who I bought the girls from, was abusive to them both, so I decided to, ahh, buy them so they...wouldn't be....seperated." He gave Sango a classic "Please believe me so I don't have to go in detail" look. His smile was sheepish as he watched her right eye twitch. 'Oh shit!' he thought as he tried to avoid the daggers coming from her eyes, 'She's not buying it!'

"Some how Inuyahsa, I just don't believe that's the whole story." She turned to look at Miroku who jumped a back step, "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

"Um..." Miroku gulped.

"Actually Sango, We're all very tired and I'd like to get home. Do you think I could borrow some clothes until tomorrow?" Inuyasha wanted to shrink back in the seat when her fiery glare fell on him once again.

"Clothes?" She repeated. Sango looked in the back seat not liking what her eyes perceived. The younger looking girl seemed relatively healthy, if not a bit skinny, but the other girl looked like she had been through hell and back.

Sango gave a deep sigh, "Fine. I'll help them. But you are still on my shit list Inuyasha. So I take it you'll need night ware and the other 'essential' clothes for a woman too?"

"Huh? What do ya mean by essential?" Inuyahsa tilted his head much the way a confused dog would.

"Bras and panties you moron!" Sango bellowed out.

'Oh..." a red tint spread across his cheeks, "Um, they can wash whatever they have under their clothes and wear them in the morning."

Sango shook her head and went in the house. "That didn't go as bad as I thought it would." Inuyasha said as he watched Sango leave.

"You're not the one who has to stay with her." Miroku said in a disheartened tone.

"Hey, if you need a place to crash, my door is always opened."

Miroku chuckled at Inuyasha, "Thanks, I might need to hang out until she cools down."

Sango came out with a suitcase in her hand. "Here, this should do for a few days, if you need it. Just promise you won't try to wash my clothes, OK?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" Inuyasha made a slashing motion over his chest.

"Don't temp me." Sango growled. "So what are your names?" she asked the two girls "I'm Sango, Miroku's wife, if you didn't already know."

Rin looked at her smiling. She liked Sango's strength and outspoken nature. "I'm Rin and this is Kagome." Kagome turned away, not wanting to acknowledge this strange woman.

'Look at all those bruises!' Sango thought once she got a good look at Kagome. "I'm happy to meet you and I'll be by tomorrow to checkup on all of you."

Sango felt that she sounded lame, but as the shock of Kagome's injuries took over her mind, it was all she could think of to say.

"If you're not too busy, maybe you could go shopping with us? I don't know what they need or how to pick out girl sizes. I'll even buy you a new outfit as payment for your time." Inuyasha waited for her answer, "Plleeeaaaasssseeee?" he begged.

"Alright. I'll be at your house by noon. Bye Rin and Kagome, have a nice night!"

Miroku let Sango get ahead of him before ducking back to the car, "If you need anything during the night, don't hesitate to call me."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I am going to call Kaeda first thing I get home. Hopefully she won't mind coming over."

"Good idea." Miroku added, "Bye!" he waved and darted in his home, closing the door behind him.

Inuyasha backed out of their way and drove to his house.

"Wow!" Rin whispered at the sight of his huge home.

"You like it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah! It's gorgeous!" Rin exclaimed. "Kagome look! This is where we'll be living."

Inuyasha felt guilty for not telling Rin the real reason he bought her.

After parking the car, Inuyahsa picked up the suitcase, opened the door and waited for them to exit. He led them into the kitchen door and flipped on the lights. Kagome stood with her arms held tightly to her sides, as though she were afraid of touching anything. Rin observed the kitchen, noting it was in disarray, but not horribly so.

"How about I show each of you where the bathrooms are? I'm sure you want to get cleaned up before going to bed." He sat the suitcase on the table and opened the top flap to show then all the clothes Sango stuffed inside.



Rin chose a yellow night gown that came down to her knees. "Which one do you want to wear?" she asked Kagome.

"It doesn't matter." Kagome answered in a lifeless tone. Rin handed her a short sleeved dark green gown that modestly brushed her ankles.



Golden eyes watched as Kagome took the gown from Rin. 'Sango must have kept the good lingerie at home. There's no way Miroku would get turned on by that stuff!' Inuyasha thought as he scrutinized the appearance of the borrowed clothing. 'Green is definitely Kagome's color, but red would also look good on her.... What the hell am I thinking? I can't be attracted to Kagome already, I don't even know her!' He shook his head, wishing to rid himself of such thoughts.

After showing each girl to a bathroom and demonstrating how to work the shower, Inuyahsa gave then their privacy and went to use the phone.

"Hi. Is Kaeda available?" Inuyasha listened to the person on the other end of the line. "Please tell her it's Inuyasha. I really need to speak with her."

Kaeda came to the phone, "Hello Inuyasha. What can I do for you at this time of evening?" her voice was so motherly and kind that many times as a child the hanyou wanted to curl up in her arms and go to sleep.

"Well, I need your help, but you have to promise not to get mad at me first." Inuyasha paused at the sound of her muffled laughter.

"I have known you since you were a pup and you have yet to anger me. Go on, tell me what you need."

"I bought two slaves. One is sick and I need you to take a look at her. The other girl seems to be fine but I want a doctor to tell me that for sure."

"How do you know the one girl is sick?" Kaeda questioned.

"You'll see." Inuyasha's voice carried a sad tone that Kaeda had not heard since the death of his mother. "She's a mess Kaeda."

He did not need to go into further detail over the phone. Kaeda agreed to be there in an hour.

The sounds of running water teased his ears as he pictured Kagome relaxing in the old fashioned bath tub. "I bet she looks beautiful sitting in the steamy water." he said to himself. Guilt plagued him over the perverse images his mind kept conjuring up. He couldn't help himself and didn't fully understand where this attraction was coming from. She was a beautiful girl under all those bruises and injuries, but he had no right to think of her in such a way. Feelings of extreme protectiveness washed over him as he vowed to always keep her safe. Kagome would have every material thing her heart desired and more if she wanted it.

From the time Inuyasha was old enough to see girls as more than a menace, he realized that he wanted a family. He wanted to be a provider and give his wife and pups all the happiness in the world. But as time went on, he learned what a cruel world he lived in. Girls rejected him, calling him a freak because of his inuyoukai features. Was that why he was reacting to her presence so quickly? Was it desperation for love and affection? No, Kagome was special. She needed to be loved, just like he did. 'Perhaps if she stays here for a while, she'll see me for who I really am?' Inuyasha pondered the idea of keeping her close for a few weeks before cutting the strings and giving her more freedom.

The sound of footsteps brought him out of his daze. Kagome stood in the front room entrance looking confused and scared. "Hi Kagome." he smiled at her, making sure to not show his fangs. "Come sit down." Inuyasha walked into the dining room and pulled out a chair for her. "Are you thirsty?" he asked.

She shook her head and numbly took the seat he offered. Her eyes were locked on the smooth wooden surface of the table. 'What do I say to her?' Inuyasha wondered as his eyes wondered over her thin bruised arms and face. Her hair hung in a wet mass down her back, showing the small circular bruises that dotted her slim neck, indicating someone wrapped their strong hands around her throat.

Rin entered the kitchen looking refreshed, "Took you long enough." Inuyasha teased as Rin sat down next to Kagome.

"Do you know how long it's been since I have had the chance to take a nice long hot bath?" Rin asked. Inuyasha shook his head 'no'. "Three months." she replied, holding up three fingers to emphasize her point. "Naraku was stingy with the water so he only let us take a shower every other day, if you were lucky. I've gone for a week without a bath when sales were slow. I guess he figured that if noone made appointments to see his 'merchandise' there was no point in cleaning us up or feeding us either." Rin huffed, looking supremely pissed.

Inuyasha smirked, not at the fact of Naraku's abuse, but he would wager that if Rin got him in a room alone for 5 minutes, she'd tear Naraku a new asshole! 'Serves him right.' Inuyasha snickered while imagining the petite girl beating the crap out of her old owner.

The door bell chimed loudly, "Wait here." Inuyasha got up and greeted Kaeda with a hug. "Thanks for coming." Inuyasha hung her light weight sweater in the coat closet and lead the elderly woman to the kitchen.



"Kaeda this is Rin and Kagome." he pointed to each of them, letting Kaeda know he was talking about. "Ladies, this is Kaeda. She has been my doctor since I was a pup and even before that when my father was a child."

Her old eyes scanned each girl. Inuyasha was right about the one named Kagome, she was covered in bruises and had a laceration to her lip and cheek. "Let's take a look at you first Rin." Kaeda smiled at the lively girl while opening her black doctor's bag. She pulled an otoscope and checked her ears and throat which were clear of any infection. Next she listened to her hear and lungs, "She is fine Inuyasha, all Rin needs is several dozen hearty meals to put some meat on her bones." Kaeda patted her shoulder and approached Kagome.

Kagome shrank back against the chair, eyeing the old woman's hands. "Don't be afraid of me Kagome I won't hurt you. I just need to listen to your chest, like I did with Rin."

"No." her answer was firm and left no room for argument. Kaeda sighed, looking to Inuyasha for any suggestions.

"How about you two go into the bedroom you'll be using tonight Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in a cheerful voice. He didn't feel very cheerful, but he wanted to coax Kagome into letting Kaeda examine her.

Kagome glanced at him for a moment. She wasn't supposed to disobey her owner. He could get angry and hit her whenever he wanted. From his appearance, Kagome guessed he was either a full or half demon. Through bits of conversation she caught between Naraku and Kagura, Kagome came to the conclusion that Naraku was a hanyou too, but she wasn't entirely sure.

Inuyahsa led them to a room and turned on the light. The walls were a soft shade of yellow with a honey colored wood border. In the center of this room was a full size bed that had a high matching wood head board. Floral shapes were carved into the wood, giving it an appearance of elegance and delicacy. It was something a refined woman would own, not a gruff young man like Inuyasha. A night stand with a small white lamp was placed next to the bed.

She sat on the edge of the bed, wishing the doctor would finish her exam and leave her alone. Kaeda turned to Inuyasha, "I'll come talk to you when I have finished." she nodded to Inuyasha, indicating she wanted him to leave.

Once he left Kaeda began her exam, "Do you have any pain Kagome?"

"My chest hurts." she answered.

Kaeda listened to her chest and wrote down what sounds she heard in each quadrant. There was a thick rumbling noise followed a whistle of air telling her trained ears that Kagome had an upper respiratory infection. If left untreated, she would surely develop pneumonia. She documented each bruise, measured the shape, size, color and where is was located. The cut on her lip did not need stitches, but the laceration on her cheek was deep enough that it required at least two stitches. At this time, it was too late to sew the area closed. Too much time had passed, causing the skin to heal in a gaped appearance. Her gentle hands cleaned Kagome's cheek, applied a drying ointment and pulled the wound together with a butterfly bandage the best she could.

By the time Kaeda finished, she had four pages to file away when she returned to her office. Kaeda wanted to start a medical chart for both young women so she could keep track of their progress.

"You did fine Kagome. Why don't you lay down and sleep? Rest will help your body heal faster." Kaeda tucked Kagome in and moved toward the door. "One other thing dear girl, I noticed that you are scared of Inuyasha."

Kagome nodded as Kaeda's aged face broke into a big smile, "Don't fear him. He may be loud and even a little rude at times, but he has a gentle soul. You'll be happy here, once you get settled in. Good night child."

'Happy?' Kagome thought. 'That's impossible. The only way I could find happiness is to turn back time and be with my family again.' Memories of her family and their deaths brought tears to her eyes. Kagome snuggled against the warm bedding, relaxing some in the cocoon of warmth.

For the first time in ten years, she didn't feel cold and had room to move around freely. Instead of the hard metal lining of the cage, she had a soft cushy mattress. As Kagome drifted off to sleep, one word came to mind, "Heaven."