Chapter 5 ---Hide---

"Auntie Gome, Auntie Gome, we missed you!" Hana and Haru ran up to their favorite 'auntie' asking if she brought anything. Inuyasha watched from a distance, Hana taking her hand, and Haru carried at her hip. She was a prize picture. Sango and Miroku stood in their doorway, smiles across their faces.

"Haru, can you say Kagome?" Kagome asked the two year old. She only had two words in her vocabulary: momma and hentai.

"Ome, Ome! Ome, momma go momma!" Kagome set her down and watched as she attempted a half walk, half run into her mother's arms. Hana of course, went right for her daddy. They were the picture of the perfect family. Miroku with little Hana. Sango with Haru, and a big belly looking to pop.

"Hi Sango, Miroku." She said as she walked up to them.

"No auntie Gome, his name is hentai, that's what momma calls him." Hana said, pointing at 'hentai'.

"Oh I'm sorry, I meant hentai." She smiled down at the little girl." Hana, I have some bubble bath, would you like to join me in the hot springs?" the little girl smiled widely.

"Yes Auntie Gome. I'll get my clothes. Can Momma and Hentai come too?" Kagome looked to Sango who nodded.

"Momma can, but Hentai will have to watch Haru." The girl nodded at her Auntie.

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"Ok Hana, I'm coming down!" Kagome said, ready to jump off the high rock she was on. She dove into the water, earning a splash and a squeal from Hana. She swam over to Hana, who was comfy in her mother's arms.

"Mama, Mama! Gome's gonna get me!"

"No she won't, I won't let her!" The three giggled. Inuyasha watched this from a safe distance. Kagome, the only one he would ever love, was already mated. It pierced his heart; Kagome wasn't going to be his ever. He had long realized that what he and Kikyo had wasn't love, or it wouldn't have been broken so easily.

Inuyasha sighed to himself, the only thing he could do now was push her away. Kagome probably wouldn't notice, she was taken after all. But there was something aside from that. He could see a line across her face. It was faint, but he could see it clearly enough. Sango noticed this and asked about it when Hana had gone back to the hut.

"Kagome, what's this?" she asked, touching Kagome's cheek. Kagome winced slightly and looked down.

"Sango," she said. She had to tell a major lie, Kami forgive her. "It's kind of a long story."

"I've got time Kagome. You know you can tell me anything."

Kagome nodded. "You see, this last week was finals week. My friends and I all had to go for interviews to get into university. Ayumi was trying the hardest out of all of us, she's the smartest one of us." She paused, a tear slid down her cheek. Sango put an arm around her.

"The last time I talked to Ayumi, we got into a fight. I bad fight. You see, I've been dating this guy she liked. I didn't even know it. If I had known, I wouldn't have gone out with him. Anyway, we got into a fistfight about it. I punched her in the stomach and she slapped me. That's how I got the bruise. But Sango!" she kneeled over a bit, holding her stomach.

"Sango, she didn't into to the university she wanted. And she, she..." Kagome broke into tears. Sango held her, like a true mother would. Kagome whimpered and found her voice. "She killed herself Sango. And I never got to tell her how good a friend she was, and that she was like a sister to me. And that I loved her very much like I love Souta and Mama. Oh Sango!"

"Shh," Sango stroked her back. " It wasn't your fault Kagome. I'm sure Ayumi forgives you. And I'm sure she knows you love her very much. Nowadays, it doesn't bother me that I've no more family, save the kids and Miroku." Kagome hushed herself so she could listen. "It doesn't hurt as much because, I can feel them with me. I could feel my mother and father at my side while I was in labor. I can feel them now. Kagome, the people you hold dearest to you will always be in your heart."

Kagome sniffed and looked at Sango. "Thank you Sango."

"It was nothing Kagome. What do you say we get back and polish off the ramen you made earlier? I'm so hungry, and Miroku says I should eat twice as much." She held her belly. Kagome smiled and patted the belly, fell it jump under her hand. The girls giggled.

They dressed and went back to the village. Inuyasha's eyes followed them the whole time. 'Something's not right. Those tears were real, but she's crying about something more than Ayumi. And I smelled her guilt, so that story was a lie. But why would she lie to Sango, what's she trying to hide?' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Ah, this feels great, it's just you and me again. Remember it used to be just the two of us Inuyasha?" Kagome was riding her bike in front of the Inu youkai.

"Yeah I remember. You're still as dumb and useless." He watched Kagome wince. She bit her lip, drawing blood. It was all she could do to not cry in front of him.

"Yeah, I guess I am." She looked down. "Well, what do you say we make camp? It's getting dark and I don't want to have a bad bike accident."

'"Stupid, you shouldn't have brought it in the first place. We'll make camp here for tonight, hurry and boil some water, I'm hungry."

"Yes Inuyasha." She did it again! She wasn't doing anything about him telling her what to do. What in the hell was going on? He watched her roll out her sleeping bag at the base of a tree. She took out some bathing things and went towards a hot spring she knew was nearby. They were on a familiar trial.

She was heading towards the spring, looking back at Inuyasha to see if he'd follow her. 'Of course he won't, why would he want to look at me anyway? But, all I ever will be is an object to Hojo, why the hell not Inuyasha?' she thought sarcastically.

She tripped over a rock, pushing up her tank top, successfully revealing a large deep bruise to Inuyasha. He stared at it for some time before yanking her up.

"Stupid clumsy bitch."

"Thank you Inuyasha." She said, running off the take a bath. He followed her to the spring, only to make sure she wouldn't get attacked. She took off her top, showing scratches above the bruise. With her bra off, he saw a deep purple bruise, and after she washed her ace, another bruise appeared on her cheek.

'What the hell is going on? Where'd she get all those bruises from? The one on her lower back almost looks like a spider....well, it's none of my business what she does! She probably just let that little bastard do her roughly.'

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With summer under way, there was no need to sleep inside the sleeping bag. Kagome was wearing some short cotton shorts and a camisole. Both were black. He watched her as she leaned over, getting herself a bowl of noodles. He saw a peek of the bruise she had.

"Inuyasha," she started. He thought Kagome had caught him looking. " We need to talk. You see, I have to go back once a week for three days, it's kind of what my mom wants me to do. My grandpa isn't home right now, he's off in China and she needs extra help. So I have to go back in three days, for three days."

"Save your breath you little whore. I know you're only going home so you can fuck your stupid boyfriend. I saw you two that night." Kagome frowned. He thought she wanted it? She crawled onto her sleeping bag.

"Yeah, that's exactly it Inuyasha." She said bitterly. Soon enough, she had fallen asleep. Inuyasha used this as a chance to see her back. Her shirt had ridden up quite a bit hand he cold take a gander with having to get too close. He saw....handprints. the thumbs in the small of her back, and fingers gripping the sides. 'What's wrong with Kagome? She's so submissive. That's not Kagome, not my Kagome, something must have happened to her, and I'm gonna find out what!' Inuyasha gave the bruise one last look before jumping into the tree above her. He was genuinely worried for her. What if things got too harsh for her? He didn't know what he would do without her....

That's all for today! Happy new year! Tell me what ya think!