Each time I update, the chapters will get a little longer. Enjoy and please review!
Edited: 7/8/2011
Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, Kagome and Inuyasha would have kissed already in the anime, Sesshoumaru would get more respect, and Miroku would be taken seriously once in a while. So, obviously, I don't.
Dashed Hopes
Chapter Three: Surprises
Kagome sat with the youngest of the group, Souta and Shippou, on either side of her. She stared glumly at her bowl of ice cream, which long ago had melted to a mass of white goo. She supported one side of her face with a propped up hand, while with the other, she held a spoon and was stirring the glob of dairy product. Sighing for the umpteenth time, she blocked out the chatting from everyone around her.
"Kagome?" she heard a quiet male voice ask.
Looking up quickly, she found herself starring into Inuyasha's dark eyes. "Yeah?"
Inuyasha paused when he saw the bandage over her eye. He was going to start yelling at her for messing with his parade again, just to see how long it took to set her off, but he stumbled to a stop. "Where'd you get that cut?" he suddenly asked out of nowhere, unable to help himself. He had long ago learned he was a brash and reckless person, one who rarely thought things through before shooting his mouth off.
Kagome blushed and looked back down at the bowl in front of her. Sango, Miroku, Souta, and Shippou all stopped their conversation about some anime show to hear her reply.
Sango paled, finally, feeling the tension begin to permeate the air. "Um, don't worry about it, Inuyasha," she told him in a small voice, trying to smooth things over.
Inuyasha looked at all their worried faces but decided to press it anyway. Looking back at Kagome, he urged her to continue. "Well?"
Blue eyes snapped up to stare into his brown ones. They were full of hatred, sorrow, and anger. No happiness at all. "Would you mind your own business?" she snapped, startling everyone. It was the first time Sango had seen any fury in her since the girl had arrived several hours earlier at the shelter.
Souta flinched. He hated to see his sister like this, when she was no longer cheerful. He knew her heart called out for revenge, and that was so un-Kagome like. It must be tearing his sister in two. Shippou crawled into her lap and hugged his tiny body to hers. Taking his nephew's action as a cue, Souta leaned his head against her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort as well.
Inuyasha watched with incredulous eyes, not understanding what he had done wrong. He'd been trying to rile Kagome up since he met her, but not like this.
"We met Kagome at the shelter," Sango explained quietly.
Inuyasha paled. He hated the shelter. He could fire a whole staff of workers without blinking, but he couldn't stand to see a woman cry, and there were many of those at the SHA. He immediately felt sorry for Kagome. He had never even considered the new woman was from there. She was too happy earlier, had too much bite left in her; something he couldn't remember seeing in any other woman from there. Inuyasha had just opened his mouth to start some sort of an apology, at least one he was capable of, when she interrupted him.
"Don't bother," she spat out with disgust. "We don't need your pity." Kagome glared heatedly at the young man.
Miroku winced. Although tears didn't faze him like they did Inuyasha, he couldn't stand to see a woman upset. Especially a friend, no matter how new of one she was. "Kagome, he didn't mean it. Inuyasha has the habit of running his mouth before thinking," Miroku tried to explain in his best friend's defense.
Kagome's eyes clouded over for a moment before she gave her head a little shake, pulling herself out of her sudden mood swing. "I'm sorry about that," she said quietly to everyone suddenly, her voice noticeably softer. "I didn't mean to sound so... angry at you, Inuyasha. I didn't mean for it to come out that way," she apologized while looking at him earnestly, feeling honestly guilty about it. The stress and fatigue from her long day must have left her more on edge than she'd realized. She was definitely more defensive than she normally would have been.
"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled before going back to his ice cream, the cheery mood forgotten.
Inuyasha used his drive home along the deserted streets to recall the evening, his temperament darkening. His car happened to be a top of the line, exceptionally expensive convertible that allowed his long hair to flow out behind him in the wind.
Their playful argument over who would pay for the ice cream back in his office had left him feeling pretty damn happy. She had a temper that had spiked to match his, which was something that was missing in a lot of people. Inuyasha had been looking forward to a new person he could argue with. Miroku was too calm to put up a good fight, Sango normally took the fight to physical blows after a while (which eventually really hurt,) and Sesshoumaru used way too few words and the ones he did say were too big.
What is it with women and that shelter? He asked himself. Inuyasha had to harshly remind himself that they were victims who had been abused mentally and physically, which did a lot to affect the way they acted. Resolutely, he decided to stay away from Kagome… at least until he had some fresh insults that would be considered safe to use on her, ones meant to spark another argument for fun without actually hurting her. He smirked at his conclusion and sped up a little. There was no way he could let her get away with her scene at the ice cream parlor, and he definitely needed to get payback for what happened at his parade.
"Bye!" Miroku called out cheerfully at the girls as he dropped them off at the SHA. Shippou was asleep in Kagome's arms, and Souta was so close to it that he had to lean on his older sister for support.
Yawning, the little brother requested in a muffled voice, "Let's go to sleep, Kagome."
Nodding, Sango opened the doors to the dark building and locked it behind her. Some men, or women, were crazy enough to try to come after the occupants at the SHA at night. Anyone leaving or entering after dark had to get it unlocked by whoever was at the desk.
Sango waved at the man at the desk. Normally the women and children preferred female employees, who were considered more sympathetic to their plights and far less threatening. Everyone liked Jinenji, however, the man currently keeping watch at the front entrance. He was extremely kind, and the people here knew they could trust him. Even better, he trusted Sango and didn't pry into what she had been doing out with one of the occupants.
Sango walked Kagome and her family back to their room. The rooms at the SHA were extremely well kept, almost like hotel rooms. The single beds were covered in soft, warm, clean sheets. The carpet was thick and there was a small table and a plush armchair in the corner, set up by a very small bureau. On the nice wooden side table sat an alarm clock and a large lamp. Kagome's room was decorated entirely in blues, radiating comfort and peace.
Sango helped tuck the two boys into bed and gave Kagome a quick hug goodbye, which she returned. With a small smile and wave, the brunette left to go get into her car out front in the shelter's parking lot. Kagome gave a small sigh before taking off her shoes and over-shirt and crawled in-between the two boys, mind bent on a good night's rest.
Sango showed up bright and early the next day to visit her new friends. Coming in, she waved at Nazuna, a young brunette who was now on duty. Knocking on the door to Kagome's room, Sango entered when she heard a muffled invitation of, "Come in!"
The boys were still asleep, their limbs at odd angles and the sheets twisted around them. Kagome had been staring out the window. Sango waited while Kagome woke the boys up, and then handed them each a bag without an explanation.
Kohaku, the brunette's little brother, had plenty of clothes, that would fit Souta perfectly. Out of Souta's bag came several pairs of new boxers, three pairs of blue jeans, some socks, and many t-shirts. It was easily enough to last him an entire week without needing to visit the launder mat. Practically bouncing out of his seat with gratitude and excitement, Souta launched at Sango to give her a hug. Shippou was harder being so small for his size. He got the same things as Souta only much, much smaller.
"Sango! This is too much! I'll have to repay you as soon as I can," Kagome said, giving Sango a quick hug as well.
"No, it's fine," Sango told her dismissively, waving way the offer with a light laugh. "I can afford it, and it's no bother at all!"
"Thanks, Sango. I really mean it."
"Now it's your turn." The brunette motioned towards the bag still in Kagome's lap. Inside were a few female necessities, as well as jeans, skirts, cargo pants, a jacket, and various tops from tank tops to blouses.
The two boys looked in awe at all Kagome had gotten. "Why'd she get so many things?" Shippou demanded with a pout.
"Because she's female and needs as many clothes as possible. They never can make up their minds and need a ton of choices," Souta explained wisely.
Sango and Kagome looked at each other before bursting into laughter. Of course, they didn't deny any of it.
The boys shooed the girls out of the room to change, and the females in turn rolled their eyes. It only took a couple of minutes before they came bounding out, Souta in red and Shippou in green.
"I'll be right out! Would you mind watching them?" Kagome pleaded, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes comically wide.
"No problem." Sango waved the girl off flippantly before chasing after Kagome's adopted son and brother, starting a game of tag in a matter of seconds.
Kagome was out quickly, looking much more put together with her hair held away from her face in a loose bun and dressed in a fitted red shirt and black skirt. It took her awhile to track down the rest of the group, but she eventually found them racing around the dining area. Once everyone was settled, Kagome started to chat with Sango about various things that the boys immediately got lost listening to.
"We're going to, um, explore," Souta muttered, grabbing Shippou's hand and yanking the smaller boy away to find an excuse for getting away.
Kagome watched them leave and then turned to the brown-eyed girl, her face now serious. "How long can we stay here?"
Sango quickly replied, "As long as you need to, unless you find another family member or friend you will be safe staying with."
Kagome sighed, her blue-gray eyes downcast. "We don't have anywhere else to go. All of his friends are the only people we know around here. He would be watching my mother's and grandfather's house and probably has a way of listening in on their phone conversations. We shouldn't call them. We can't call any friends from back home either, they'll be watched," Kagome mused out loud.
Sango took on a worried look, her mouth quirked in a troubled frown. "He'll go that far to find you? He knows people who will actually spy on you?"
"He isn't exactly a good man. He has many contacts and enough money to get what he wants," Kagome admitted vaguely.
Sango didn't press who 'he' was; she knew better than that. If Kagome wanted her to know, then the other woman would tell her when she was ready. "You said your mom and grandfather are alive?"
"Yeah," Kagome said, grasping for the change of subject.
"Why do you have Souta, then?" Sango asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Kagome smiled at the mention of her little brother's name. "Souta may be a pest, but we're really close. When I started to date him four years ago, Souta asked to move in with us when I moved out of my family home."
"Your mother let you move out when you were seventeen?" Sango asked, amazed.
Kagome smiled. "Mom was happy I was happy. He seemed so sweet in the beginning. Plus I was almost eighteen and was finishing high school that year. He let me finish it out, thankfully, so I have a high school degree."
Sango smiled quickly. "Well there's a positive, right?"
Kagome returned to the topic before that. "I have nowhere to go, and I can't stay here forever. The boys already probably need psychiatric care by now," Kagome joked dryly.
Sango nodded for her to continue, not wanting to interrupt again. She knew the blue-eyed girl felt the need to figure this out and talking about it out loud must be helping her figure things out.
"I'll admit that I do have money," Kagome told the brunette sheepishly. Sango nodded again, unsurprised after the nice clothes and the Lexus comment the day before. "I had a good job at an advertising company before coming here. I was so happy to get it, especially since I only had a high school degree when they gave me the job when I was just eighteen. It started out small, but I got my Bachelors and eventually a Masters from night school while working there over the past few years. When I tuned twenty, I was given a huge account, and when I didn't screw it up, they let me keep the high-ranking job. I was paid good money. They'll be wondering why I haven't shown up for the last two days, counting today. I have quite a bit of money in the bank and plenty of credit cards, but I have no doubt he'll be waiting for me to use them. That is, if he hasn't already cleaned my accounts out."
Sango nodded in understanding. It sounded like Kagome had had a pretty good life besides her abusive boyfriend. Or was it her husband?
"Hmm, I have an idea for what I can do to help you," Sango said carefully.
Kagome perked up. "Really?"
"Yeah, but I'll need some time to get it done. I need to make a call to someone first. It might be a little messy," Sango continued.
Kagome's face fell. "I don't want you to go through any trouble," she mumbled. As much as she appreciated all the help she had already gotten from Sango, Kagome couldn't help but wonder why the brunette was going so far out of her way to help her out. Far as she knew, no one else at the shelter received the same attention.
As if sensing her new friend's suspicion, Sango smiled gently and tucked her hair behind her ear. She struggled to find the right way to phrase what she was feeling. "Kagome, I may only have known you for a short time, less than 24 hours I know, but I feel like I've known you for forever. My father used to tell me that I had the best judgment in people he had ever seen and that I should always trust my instincts; I think it's why I do so well here. Honestly, I almost feel like you're my little sister," Sango admitted with a nervous laugh. She knew it sounded strange, but she meant every word she'd said. In such a short time, Kagome had grown like the little sister that Sango had never had. Kagome was the first female she had ever really tried to get to know, and they had fallen into such an easy friendship so quickly.
Kagome rolled the words over in her mind, feeling a little apprehensive and shocked. The younger woman always saw the best in everyone, and in such a dire situation, she knew she had to find someone she could trust, and her gut told her that Sango was someone she could rely on—a genuinely good person. She realized after examining her own thoughts, trying to ignore how anxious Sango looked while waiting for her response, that she felt the same way Sango was trying to describe. They were already close. They also had a lot in common, although most of it was still undiscovered. Kagome finally nodded. "By the way, just in case you needed to know, I lived in Kyoto with him. That's where all my old family and friends live too."
"Wait," Sango responded slowly, looking confused. "I don't understand. Last night you said that you moved here with him last year and had only seen the Night Parade once because of that."
Embarrassed, Kagome looked away. "We moved here for a month last year so he could get a business deal. It was the month during which the parade came through," she elaborated. "I wasn't sure how much I should tell you last night, which is why I didn't explain it that clearly. I came to look for a shelter here in Tokyo, because it was so big, and I hoped he wouldn't be able to find me."
"I get it," Sango assured her, reaching out to pat her new friend on the hand. "That helps, knowing that he doesn't live here and isn't from here. It'll be easier to pull my plan through then." Kagome was absolutely bursting with curiosity at the plan but kept her mouth shut, knowing she should just be happy that Sango was going to help her, period. "I'll need Miroku's and Inuyasha's help with this," Sango grumbled under her breath. Kagome heard any way.
"What?" Kagome burst out. "You need the help of that… that… that jerk!"
A moment passed in which they stared one another down, Sango finally chuckling nervously. "Yeah, I kind of really do need his help. Crucial part, actually."
Kagome sighed, coaching her breathing and tamping down the anger she felt rising in herself, one that she couldn't fully understand. A small part of her wondered if she was directing her irritation at Inuyasha, because she couldn't direct it at the real source. "Whatever. I'm ready for it."
Having Kagome's cooperation was a key part in this, she realized, so she smiled brightly. "Kagome?" Sango asked suddenly. Kagome nodded to show that she was listening. "What's your last name?"
Kagome looked surprised and then burst out laughing, interrupting her own answer with loud chuckles. "I never told you, did I?" Whipping tears of mirth from her eyes she said, "It's Higurashi. Kagome Higurashi."
Sango nodded. "Thanks."
Kagome sighed, her fit of the giggles having passed and leaving her exhausted. Stress, she worried, was making her act ridiculous.
"Hey, Kagome?" Sango inquired, sounding more nervous she had during any other part of their conversation so far.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to move in with me?" Then, afraid Kagome would turn her down, Sango pushed ahead in a rambling sort of way. "With just me and Kohaku, it's really lonely. Plus, the grounds are beautiful! There are tennis and basketball courts, two huge pools— indoor and outdoor, I mean—a butterfly garden, a flower garden, and a forest at the edge of the property. The house is huge! There are plenty of—"
"We'd love to," Kagome interrupted with a giggle. Her soft smile didn't reveal the happiness she was truly feeling, one that was rising from her stomach in an overwhelming wave, warming her very soul. It felt good to have friends again, not to mention a place to call home.
Souta and Shippou had come in at the last part of their conversation, hovering behind Kagome with twin looks of surprise and excitement on their faces.
"Really, mom?" the youngest asked.
"Really," Kagome assured Shippou.
"Yes!" Souta shouted, jumping where he stood and then wrapping his arms around Kagome in a fierce hug.
Amused, Sango laughed, realizing how nice it would feel to have a family running around her big empty house and property. She then excused herself to call Inuyasha and ask her old friend a favor. Miroku wasn't home, so she couldn't ask him to do his part yet. Once they all made it to Sango's house, she could get Miroku to go and grab what she needed.
Miroku pulled up at the shelter just as Sango and Kagome appeared in the entrance of the SHA, carrying the last of the small amount of possessions the Higurashis had with them.
"What's going on?" Miroku asked worriedly. He had seen the cut on Kagome's forehead and knew that this guy that hurt her was not a person to mess with. He really hoped Kagome wasn't going back to him like many of the other girls at the shelter had done in the past. Many of the women couldn't handle it and ended up going back to their abusive partners in the end. Miroku didn't want that to be the case this time.
Sango turned and beamed at his question. He took a step back. Sango didn't beam a smile unless she was about to beam someone with a piece of wood. "Kagome is moving in with me!"
Once the announcement sunk in, Miroku grinned supportively. He knew it would be good for Kagome and her family to have a good place to live for awhile, and Sango needed a few more people in that castle she called a home.
"Good for you," he congratulated all of them.
The women packed the last of the things into Sango's car and climbed in after them, motioning the boys to follow. They crawled into the back seat next to the bags of clothes.
"Miroku, you should come, too. I have something to ask you when we get there," Sango explained.
"Ah, yeah, sure," he agreed. He had come to the shelter to meet with them anyway, so it seemed unnecessary to stay behind if they were leaving. Miroku climbed into the driver's seat of his Lexus and waved to show Sango to start to drive and lead the way.
In the passenger seat of Sango's car, Kagome closed her eyes and started to mentally prepare herself for the first sight of their new home.
Next Chapter: An Old Ally
