Hi everybody! Sorry about the last chapter. No disclaimer or A/N well...let
me explain. This is my first fanfic and first time on fanfic.net ever.
I'm not quite used to everything at the moment. It really is confusing me.
My apologies. I am an idiot. We'll leave it at that.
Reviews
FireAngelWarrior- Thank you so much! And don't worry, Kagome and the others do appear in this chapter (well, most at least). Just so you know, your review was the first one I read. I never had so much e-mail at once (I know...I'm pathetic). lisa()- I really need these reviews. Thank you so much. I love this. eMeLyNoOoPeE- Wow! You are pretty Damn close. My version is a bit Different. And I thought that having Kouga and Kagome related will make it easier to put Inu and Kag together. Besides, It made me laugh when I first thought of it. BeautifulDevil()- Thank you muchly, very very muchly. shan- I appreciate it. As for Kagome, she did get better but ather stuff happened after that (in this chapter) that's even sadder than that. But it somehow all relates to something (I think). There is also this line that I want Sango to have that she tells Kikyou. It was one of the reasons I started to write this story. Don't worry though, there is a happy ending. Disclaimer: I wish I may, I wish I might, have the ownership of InuYasha tonight...Damn, nothing. Oh well, I guess I don't own him. Such a shame, I can think up so many things to do to...err...with him.
~*~Muted Words~*~ §What Happened?§
~Friday (still)~ -At school-
"What was all that about?" questioned Ayame. That was strange. Some young woman screaming Kouga's name came in, whispered something she couldn't hear to him, practically fainted and would have fell on the floor if Kouga didn't pick her up first, then they both left without saying anything for an explanation.
"Did he say Rin? As in his sister, Rin?" InuYasha asked. That young woman was hysterical. If that was Rin, then maybe something really horrible happened to his family. 'He said his cousin sort of recovered. Could something have happened to her'. For some reason, he didn't like that idea.
-At hospital-
'Where is she?' thought a rather perturbed Kouga. He just got into the hospital and he couldn't find Sango anywhere. She would know where Kagome was. Damn. He couldn't even find Kohaku or Souta.
"Kouga!"
"Sango?"
"Damn. I thought you'd never get here. Don't tell me you ran the entire way."
"Sure I did. Rin didn't drive and like hell I'd go all the way home. Besides, there was traffic. I chose the more expedient path." Kouga joked as they made there way through the throng of doctors, nurses, and patients.
"You also chose the wetter one. Come on. Kagome's room is down this hall. We'll get you two some hospital clothes when Rin wakes up. Poor thing must be exhausted if she ran to get you."
"How's Kagome, Sango?"
"Don't worry. The doctors say she's fine. We can bring her home tomorrow. They want to run some tests to find out exactly what caused her to pass out like that. She just has an air mask so she can breathe easier."
"She's having trouble breathing?"
"Sort of. She's just a little short-winded. But that is only temporary. She'll be fine after she gets some rest."
They got to Kagome's room and opened the door. Kagome was sleeping in the white-sheeted bed with the white covers hiding a white hospital gown. Her raven black hair fanned out over the pillow; natural blue highlights shining with the bright lights of the room. A transparent green air mask with a tube feeding it oxygen was obscuring her nose and mouth. Souta and Kohaku were sitting beside her.
"Kouga, what happened? Why is Rin on your back? Why are you wet?" interrogated a rather shocked Souta.
"Well, you see-"
"Your older cousin," Sango interrupted, "chose to run all the way here because it was 'the expedient path'."
"And Rin was too exhausted. She ran to get me."
"And it's raining out Souta," Kohaku sighed. "Honestly, we felt it on the way into the hospital and there is a window right there. How could you not notice that?"
"I forgot. This isn't exactly the calmest environment you know?"
"You people have to learn how to be quiet. I'm trying to sleep."
"KAGOME!!!"
"See what I mean?"
Kouga put Rin in a chair and walked up to his cousin. She still seemed a little out of breath. It seems that she moved her mask in order to speak. He took the mask and put it back in place.
"Keep that there." Of course, Kagome moved it.
"What happened to you and Rin? What exactly happened to me?" Kagome asked. Kouga replaced the mask yet again.
"Well, Rin ran to get me after you passed out. She was so tired that she fell and I put her on my back and ran here through the rain."
"Oh yeah," Sango suddenly remembered, "I was supposed to get you two some hospital clothes."
"You said that you'd get the clothes after Rin woke up."
"But I am awake," Rin stated.
"When did you wake up?"
"When you put me down," she said dejectedly, making her way to her bed-ridden cousin. "You seriously need to learn how to handle a girl. Hey Kagome, are you feeling better?" Kagome nodded. She didn't want to deal with Kouga putting the mask on again. It was annoying so she just left it there.
"I'll go get you two some dry clothes. And get some more sleep Kagome." Sango left in search of those clothes while Kagome heeded her older sister and fell instantly back to sleep.
~Saturday~
-Higurashi home-
Kagome was lying in her own bed up in her own room, as the rest of the family was finishing off the last three boxes of their stuff. Finally, after all of their hard work, they were done.
The house was huge to say the least. There were seven people living in this house so the large size was necessary. However, there really was no true adult. After both fathers died, the mothers moved next door to each other to keep the family close. A few years later, they were murdered and the family moved in together. Well, what was left anyway.
In order for one to truly understand this situation, one must know what happened after their fathers died. It truly is a tragic story.
Well, a long time after the death of her husband, Sango and Kagome's mom remarried to a seemingly wonderful guy. But what is shown on the surface is not always what is real. It only took a bit of scratching to find out what this man was really like. He was a horrid, vile person. Sure, he was loving to his new wife, kind to her children, but there was something in that lovingness and kindliness that left Kagome to question it. To her it seemed false. To her it was a cover. But there was no way to prove it... until he made his move on her.
That man wanted his stepdaughter. His sick, twisted mind had found a strange obsession with the kind-hearted, beautiful young girl. And he had every intention to take her. But he didn't know that his wife had figured it out and until she confronted him with her sister-in-law of her first husband.
He killed them just as Kagome walked in. She saw it all, heard it all. If she had not been so shocked that she was correct in her assumptions, she would have ran. But she didn't, she was to busy staring at the dead bodies of her mother and aunt. This gave him his chance. The bastard took the ax that he used on the others and rammed it into her right shoulder; causing the bones to break and the blood to pour to the ground.
Sango felt the pain of her younger sister. She was with Kouga, Rin, Kohaku, and Souta at her aunt's house. Kagome went home for another guitar to play because there weren't enough here. She could feel her sister's panic; hear her thoughts through their telepathic bond that were pleading for help. Immediately, she told her family while each of them grabbed their weapons. Sango with her Hiraikotsu, Kouga with his double-edge sword, Rin with her daggers, Kohaku with his scythe, and even Souta with is throwing stars. They rushed into the house to find two things. One: the house was booby trapped, and two: their mothers' dead bodies. Each of them had tears in their eyes at the sight, but knew that they had more important things to do. If their mothers were dead, then Kagome was in danger. They had to find her fast. But the house was basically a death wish now. They chose to continue anyway. They refused to lose their sister/cousin as well.
Kouga was the first to face the wrath of the madman in one of the upstairs rooms. There was a cloth that held what was obviously Kagome's blood. Kouga went to pick it up, failing to realize the fact that it was set in the middle of a bear trap. As soon as he touched the fabric, the trap snapped shut on his right forearm. Sango and Rin managed to get the trap off, but not before a lot of damage was done. He had a gruesome wound left which had no qualms about bleeding until there was nothing left.
Next was Souta, the floor that he was stepping on fell through and he broke his leg on the landing. This led to Rin's injuries. She properly jumped down to help her cousin when she was attacked by the wild canines down there. Sango jumped down at the sound of Rin's cry for help and knocked them all out with a few swings of her boomerang. Rin was left bleeding and bruised by the attack. Sango, Kohaku, and Kouga helped to bring them to the above floor.
Kohaku was next in line to face the pain of his comrades. After they made it to the top floor, they began the search for Kagome. As he was walking, Kohaku pulled a wire and an arrow ran straight through his upper left shoulder. Sango was there immediately and pushed the arrow through as quickly as possible.
At last, they found the room that Kagome was in. But they were hardly prepared for what was before them. Kagome was half-naked, bleeding profusely with tears streaming down her face tied up to the four posts of the bed with a dangerous sadist looming almost on top of her.
Sango, being the healthiest, charged at her stepfather with the Hiraikotsu firmly in hand. He moved and ran around the room looking for a weapon. He noticed the forgotten scythe that Kohaku dropped when he saw his sister on the bed and grabbed it. He avoided Sango until he could get a clear shot to her. It happened when she landed with her back turned. He threw the weapon at her and it lodged into her back. She couldn't move. Next was the rest of the family. He threw Kouga against the bookshelf; having it fall on top of him, took Rin by the hair and pushed her over a desk, took Souta and Kohaku and forced them against the wall; their heads leaving a small indent.
Finally, he thought he would get his Kagome but the thought ended when he turned around to find her out of her binds and loading a few arrows onto the bow that was decoratively placed over the bed. She was furious. How dare that bastard do this to her mother, aunt, sister, brothers, and cousins. He was too busy hurting what was left of her family to realize that she had freed herself. She aimed her arrows at him and fired. One hit his left shoulder, one hit his right shoulder, one hit his left thigh, and the last one hit his right thigh.
By this time, everyone was able to sort of stand again. Kouga stood before his step-uncle, positioned his sword, and rammed it through his...private area. Kagome went to the phone and dialed 911, but before she could answer the person on the other end, she fainted from the amount of blood loss. Rin took the phone and told the other woman briefly what happened and that they need the police, ambulances, and animal control while fighting to stay conscious. She lost that battle.
Souta had the least severe injuries with a broken leg and a concussion. Then again, they all had concussions. Then there was Kohaku with that shoulder wound. It sort of seemed that Kouga and Rin were 'tied'. They both lost about the same amount of blood, it was just that Kouga's wound was at one spot while Rin's were more spread out. Sango was in a coma for three days and suffered from a major back wound but, thankfully, it missed the organs, and she lost a lot of blood. The most severe of the wounds was Kagome's. Not only was her collarbone broken, but also she was left to bleed for the longest time. She was in a coma for one and a half weeks.
After a few more weeks, they had to appear in court to testify against their former stepfather/step-uncle. Each of them gave a version of their story to the court. He was found guilty and had to serve life in a maximum-security prison. Kouga was not charged with anything for his little castration act. The court favored it as a way to protect himself and his family.
They also allowed them to live without an adult since Kouga, Sango, and Kagome were nearly legal adults and have proved themselves responsible. However, they did have to have a social worker come to check on them from time to time. But that didn't matter. The social worker, Keade as she likes to be called, was a kind old woman who the orphaned children really like. She was like a grandma that they never had.
That was how they came to live in this house. They moved because that house had to many bad memories tied to it. Fortunately, they were able to use some of the money won from that medical malpractice case that was lying dormant in a bank account for a few years to pay for the mortgage as well. So they only had to worry about the other taxes.
Now as mentioned before, there are seven people living in this house that has no adult. If you can do your math well, you would have noticed that there are only six people in this family. So who is the third?
Shippou was abandoned by his godmother after his parents died at the age of four. He was homeless, hungry, and hopeless.
That is, until Kagome came.
She was the lighthouse that shone through the dense fog of his despair. He fell asleep underneath the park bench one cold night in winter, shaking and shivering like a fall leaf in a hurricane. That was how Kagome found him. She checked his vitals to make sure she didn't stumble upon a dead body.
Finding that he was still alive, she woke him up. The poor boy was shocked to find someone watching over him. Kagome introduced herself as did Shippou and she guided him to her late aunt's house. She moved in there because it was too difficult to sleep in her old home. There was so much pain encrypted in the walls. She and her siblings moved in with their cousins.
Kagome asked Shippou why he was out on the street and he told her his story. That his parents died in an electrical accident and his godmother left him behind a month ago. Kagome took Shippou home and took care of him. With Keade's help, they planned on waiting for 30 days for someone to come for the young boy, and then adopting him if no one came.
No one came. Shippou was theirs. Which was a good thing. Over the month that he had spent with the Higurashis, he had come to see Kagome as a mother, Sango, Rin, and Kouga as aunts/uncle, and Kohaku and Souta as brothers. He had a new family. He couldn't be happier.
Now, back to the present. Kagome was in her room resting and Shippou was with her. The rest of the family was downstairs finally done with all the packing. Keade just left after visiting to see how Kagome was. All they planned on doing was resting for the rest of the afternoon.
The dream was short-lived by the ringing of the doorbell.
"I'll get that." Kouga planned on telling whoever was at the door to buzz off. That is, if it was anybody else.
"Kouga, what the hell happened yesterday?"
"InuYasha? How did you find my house?" But it was not only InuYasha there; all of his new friends were there too.
"Easy, Ayame found your file in the office and wrote it down. She sometimes assists in there. Now what the hell happened?"
"Kagome passed out. She stayed at the hospital overnight."
"Is she alright?" asked Ayame.
"Yeah, she just over-exhausted herse-" Kouga stopped talking when he saw what Ayame was wearing. The outfit itself wasn't bad at all; it's just that she was covered in mud. Kouga was trying not to laugh, but her slightly angry face made it all the more difficult. "What happened to you?"
"A car splashed mud on me as I was walking down the street," Ayame replied annoyed. It really wasn't all that cold out seeing as it was late September, but that didn't make the fact that the cold water and the cold winds that kept on blowing were practically cutting through her.
"Umm...I'm sure Rin and Sango will help you out. You can borrow some of their clothes. Heaven knows they have to many."
"That, my dear cousin, is impossible. There is no such thing as to many clothes," chimed Sango. Rin stood by her side, shaking slightly with barely controlled laughter. They were by the railing for the colossal set of stairs, looking on the conversation with mild interest. Nobody even realized their presence until they made themselves known. "Come on...err...what's your name?"
"Ayame."
"Hello, I'm Sango. This is my cousin, Rin."
"I know. Kouga showed us your pictures yesterday."
"Did he now?" Rin questioned when she finally recovered from her giggle fit. "That's interesting, he never mentioned that before."
"Eh, heh heh, I didn't think you needed to know that."
Rin smiled. It was so much fun to make her older brother squirm. She rarely could, so when she did, she savored it. Sango, however, interrupted her rejoicing.
"Well, come on Ayame. We'll get you some clean clothes. Would you like to shower?"
Ayame fingered the mud caked in her hair. "Yeah, I'd love to." She followed Sango and Rin up the huge stairs. The upper floor was basically a large hall with various hardwood doors. The carpet was crimson and matched the whitewash walls beautifully. It seemed that the doors had a cherry stain and were semi-glossed. It looked like a house for the richest of people. Just how loaded were these people? There were at least eight doors. Some had a colored string tied to the handle. There was a pink one, a dark green one, a blue one, an orange one, a lavender one, a gray one, and a sea-foam green one.
"Why are there strings tied to the door knobs?"
"Oh them, their just there to help us. This house is still pretty new to us and there are so many doors that we tend to forget which room is which. You see, each tie is one of our favorite colors. The door with the tie that is our favorite is our bedroom. There is also the main bathroom, the hall closet, and the door that leads to the stairs that go to the attic." Rin replied smartly. She practically fainted the first time she went upstairs. She examined all the rooms determined not to be the one who wants to go to the bathroom and walks into the closet instead. She did that at her old home once and only after much begging and pleading was she able to get Kouga to stop teasing her. Well, that and she threatened to use him as a target when she was practicing with her daggers, but no one really needed to know that. "Oh, and there are two guest rooms on this floor."
"Do you all share that one bathroom?" Sango chose to answer that question.
"Nope. Actually, there are small bathrooms in each of our bedrooms. Though, they lack the luxury of the main one."
"What do you mean?"
"Simple. Now, compare a bathroom that has a standing shower, a toilet, a sink with a mirror, one small towel rack, and simple lighting with this." They were at the door of the main bathroom. As soon as she was done, Sango threw open the door and all Ayame could do was gasp in surprise.
It was like a spa without the workers. The walls were painted with a beige color. There was a huge black tub with jets that would send out hot water to massage the muscles. It could probably fit four people in it, there were even built in curves that would make great places to sit. A black shower stall with that glass that made it impossible to see nothing but a blurry outline was standing close beside it. There was a sink on the opposite side of the room that was also black but the handles that controlled the hot and cold water and the spout were gold. Close by was a black toilet and small, black garbage can. The mirror in front of the sink had vanity lights running across the top. But the most astounding feature in the room was the small yet beautifully designed chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling.
"Just how rich are you guys?" Rin and Sango smiled.
"Not very. Half of this house was paid for by the government," Rin stated wisely.
"Why?"
"Let's just call it compensation for past inconveniences." Neither Rin nor Sango felt like going into the full story of how and why they got/had to move to this new home.
"Oh, okay. You don't need to go into details. I don't need to hear them. But damn, this is a nice house."
"We're glad you think so. We'll leave you alone to shower. Just come out when you're done. We're going to be in Kagome's room looking for stuff you can wear until your clothes are done cleaning."
"Wait, just go out there in nothing more then a towel?"
"Sure," Sango began, "don't worry. The men in this household have seen Kagome and us in towels before. Hell, they sometimes walk in when we're dressed in only our bras and panties just to ask to borrow something."
"Even Kouga?" Ayame asked incredulously. How could these people be so calm around each other?
"Yeah, it's not like we're into incest or anything. We're family. Besides, the only time they have ever seen one of us without anything on was when Kagome had to be shocked with those paddle things because she had a seizure and her heart stopped for a bit."
"You mean when she had that medicine problem? Kouga told us about it when we were supposed to be working on the Literacy project."
"We know. My brother told us of that situation. I heard he didn't go into to much detail."
"Nope. He said it was more Kagome's story to tell. How is she?"
"My sister, at the moment, is starting to wake up from a nice dream about writing a song." Sango stated matter-of-factly. Just then, Kagome decided to use that twin bond to talk to her older sister.
Must you tell them everything sis.
Of course. Oh and if you didn't already know, we have guests.
I never would've guessed Kagome replied sarcastically. She was starting to have trouble breathing again. It seemed to be going on and off since her visit to the hospital. They gave her a few oxygen tanks and a mask to help her a bit, though if the problem didn't go away by this coming Wednesday she had to go back for tests.
You okay? Sango sounded worried. She could sense her little sister's distress.
Just having some breathing trouble again. I hate that short-winded feeling.
I'll come help you.
"Sango, you alright?"
"Yeah Ayame. Kagome's just having some trouble."
"Go ahead and go to her. Just tell me which string I should look for."
"Dark green." With that, Sango and Rin left Ayame to shower. They both headed straight for Kagome's room. Opening the door, they discovered Kagome stumbling to find the oxygen tank with Shippou following close behind. Upon further observation, they noticed she was breathing heavily. Immediately, Rin and Sango took action. Rin brought Kagome back to her bed while Sango continued the search. She found the tanks in Kagome's closet and brought one over to her.
Kagome was getting dizzy with the lack of air to her head. She noticed that Rin was guiding her to her bed. She would have sighed in relief if she had the necessary breath to do so. She heard the thump of the tank hitting her forest green carpet and felt the mask being placed over her nose and mouth. The next second she was greeted with the welcomed sensation of being able to breathe. It was then that she discovered that her eyes were indeed closed and that she was lying comfortably on her bed. She opened her eyes to find Rin, Sango, and Shippou towering over her; a relieved expression on each of their faces.
Thanks
Any time
"Hey Kagome, Sango and I were wondering if a friend, Ayame, could borrow something to where from your closet. We're wearing the only pair of sweatpants we own and you not only have the most sweatpants, but you, at the moment, are only wearing a big shirt and a pair of underwear." Which was true. Then again, this is more then she usually wore to bed. Normally, she slept in the nude like Rin and Sango did, but seeing as it is the daytime and Shippou was bound to spend time with her, she put on something.
At Kagome's nod, Rin got up off the bed and walked onto the spacious closet to look for something Ayame could wear. Shippou decided to back to sleep besides his 'mother's' now sitting figure. She was leaning back on the propped up pillows and watching Auntie Sango check the pressure gage on the oxygen tank. He put his head in her lap and fell asleep to her gently running her hands through his hair.
"Kagome, could Ayame borrow this?" At Kagome's nod, Rin left the clothes at the corner of the king-sized bed and sat down in front of the sleeping Shippou. "He is so cute. I'm glad we have him with us."
"Me too. It's impossible not to love the little four year old," Sango commented. Kagome just kept on stroking Shippou's rust-colored head. It was rather peaceful, and then the door opened.
"Was the shower good Ayame?" Rin could hardly contain her laughter at the other girl's blissful expression.
"That was the best shower I have ever had in my life," Ayame sighed. She was wrapped in a beige towel with her dirty clothes bundled into her arms. "Where are the clothes that I'm borrowing?"
"Right there." Rin pointed to the pile at the foot of the bed. That was when Ayame realized that Kagome was there...with an oxygen mask. Seeing her shocked expression, Kagome moved her mask over.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine soon." It didn't have too much effect on the young girl so Sango decided to back up her sister's words.
"Ayame, you know that feeling you get when you run for a really long time...short-winded?" Ayame nodded. "Well, that's pretty much how Kagome feels right now. Out of breath and all. Really, she'll be fine in at most an hour."
"That's good. By the way, I'm Ayame. It's nice to meet you." Kagome nodded. Sango was holding the mask in place so she could move it if she wanted to. Nodding was the only way to show her that she returned the introduction.
An hour passed by in the blink of an eye. Ayame's clothes were in the dryer and the boys were downstairs watching TV and talking about whatever they could think of. Shippou woke up and went downstairs to get some ice water. On the way, Kouga took notice of the little kid.
"Hey Shippou, I thought you were with the girls." Kouga's statement brought everybody's attention to the small boy.
"But I am Uncle Kouga. I just wanted some ice water."
"But you can't reach the ice tray."
"Oh, I guess I forgot that."
"Come on runt, I'll help you with that." Kouga left his friend's and got Shippou his drink and sent him upstairs again. He was left with the confused faces of his friends. InuYasha decided to break the silence.
"Who was that?"
"That was Shippou. Let me explain. He was abandoned a while back. Kagome found him sleeping under a park bench one night in winter. We all sort of adopted him. Just don't be all that surprised if you hear him call her Mama. In a way, she took the role."
"He sees you as an uncle?" Sesshoumaru was intrigued by this family. They have been through a lot and yet they adopt a kid? These people really are strange.
Half an hour later, Ayame's clothes were done and it was time for the guests to go.
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So, what'd ya think? Review please. I need to know if there is any point in writing this story at all. Oh, and next chapter will have Kagome, Rin, and Sango going to school and Kagome and Kikyou become enemies. More humor, too. And music. That will be fun. As you can tell from the beginning, I will try to respond to the reviews. Hell, I figure that if your going to do it, I might as well respond to them. Again, review (I have self-confidence issues).
Reviews
FireAngelWarrior- Thank you so much! And don't worry, Kagome and the others do appear in this chapter (well, most at least). Just so you know, your review was the first one I read. I never had so much e-mail at once (I know...I'm pathetic). lisa()- I really need these reviews. Thank you so much. I love this. eMeLyNoOoPeE- Wow! You are pretty Damn close. My version is a bit Different. And I thought that having Kouga and Kagome related will make it easier to put Inu and Kag together. Besides, It made me laugh when I first thought of it. BeautifulDevil()- Thank you muchly, very very muchly. shan- I appreciate it. As for Kagome, she did get better but ather stuff happened after that (in this chapter) that's even sadder than that. But it somehow all relates to something (I think). There is also this line that I want Sango to have that she tells Kikyou. It was one of the reasons I started to write this story. Don't worry though, there is a happy ending. Disclaimer: I wish I may, I wish I might, have the ownership of InuYasha tonight...Damn, nothing. Oh well, I guess I don't own him. Such a shame, I can think up so many things to do to...err...with him.
~*~Muted Words~*~ §What Happened?§
~Friday (still)~ -At school-
"What was all that about?" questioned Ayame. That was strange. Some young woman screaming Kouga's name came in, whispered something she couldn't hear to him, practically fainted and would have fell on the floor if Kouga didn't pick her up first, then they both left without saying anything for an explanation.
"Did he say Rin? As in his sister, Rin?" InuYasha asked. That young woman was hysterical. If that was Rin, then maybe something really horrible happened to his family. 'He said his cousin sort of recovered. Could something have happened to her'. For some reason, he didn't like that idea.
-At hospital-
'Where is she?' thought a rather perturbed Kouga. He just got into the hospital and he couldn't find Sango anywhere. She would know where Kagome was. Damn. He couldn't even find Kohaku or Souta.
"Kouga!"
"Sango?"
"Damn. I thought you'd never get here. Don't tell me you ran the entire way."
"Sure I did. Rin didn't drive and like hell I'd go all the way home. Besides, there was traffic. I chose the more expedient path." Kouga joked as they made there way through the throng of doctors, nurses, and patients.
"You also chose the wetter one. Come on. Kagome's room is down this hall. We'll get you two some hospital clothes when Rin wakes up. Poor thing must be exhausted if she ran to get you."
"How's Kagome, Sango?"
"Don't worry. The doctors say she's fine. We can bring her home tomorrow. They want to run some tests to find out exactly what caused her to pass out like that. She just has an air mask so she can breathe easier."
"She's having trouble breathing?"
"Sort of. She's just a little short-winded. But that is only temporary. She'll be fine after she gets some rest."
They got to Kagome's room and opened the door. Kagome was sleeping in the white-sheeted bed with the white covers hiding a white hospital gown. Her raven black hair fanned out over the pillow; natural blue highlights shining with the bright lights of the room. A transparent green air mask with a tube feeding it oxygen was obscuring her nose and mouth. Souta and Kohaku were sitting beside her.
"Kouga, what happened? Why is Rin on your back? Why are you wet?" interrogated a rather shocked Souta.
"Well, you see-"
"Your older cousin," Sango interrupted, "chose to run all the way here because it was 'the expedient path'."
"And Rin was too exhausted. She ran to get me."
"And it's raining out Souta," Kohaku sighed. "Honestly, we felt it on the way into the hospital and there is a window right there. How could you not notice that?"
"I forgot. This isn't exactly the calmest environment you know?"
"You people have to learn how to be quiet. I'm trying to sleep."
"KAGOME!!!"
"See what I mean?"
Kouga put Rin in a chair and walked up to his cousin. She still seemed a little out of breath. It seems that she moved her mask in order to speak. He took the mask and put it back in place.
"Keep that there." Of course, Kagome moved it.
"What happened to you and Rin? What exactly happened to me?" Kagome asked. Kouga replaced the mask yet again.
"Well, Rin ran to get me after you passed out. She was so tired that she fell and I put her on my back and ran here through the rain."
"Oh yeah," Sango suddenly remembered, "I was supposed to get you two some hospital clothes."
"You said that you'd get the clothes after Rin woke up."
"But I am awake," Rin stated.
"When did you wake up?"
"When you put me down," she said dejectedly, making her way to her bed-ridden cousin. "You seriously need to learn how to handle a girl. Hey Kagome, are you feeling better?" Kagome nodded. She didn't want to deal with Kouga putting the mask on again. It was annoying so she just left it there.
"I'll go get you two some dry clothes. And get some more sleep Kagome." Sango left in search of those clothes while Kagome heeded her older sister and fell instantly back to sleep.
~Saturday~
-Higurashi home-
Kagome was lying in her own bed up in her own room, as the rest of the family was finishing off the last three boxes of their stuff. Finally, after all of their hard work, they were done.
The house was huge to say the least. There were seven people living in this house so the large size was necessary. However, there really was no true adult. After both fathers died, the mothers moved next door to each other to keep the family close. A few years later, they were murdered and the family moved in together. Well, what was left anyway.
In order for one to truly understand this situation, one must know what happened after their fathers died. It truly is a tragic story.
Well, a long time after the death of her husband, Sango and Kagome's mom remarried to a seemingly wonderful guy. But what is shown on the surface is not always what is real. It only took a bit of scratching to find out what this man was really like. He was a horrid, vile person. Sure, he was loving to his new wife, kind to her children, but there was something in that lovingness and kindliness that left Kagome to question it. To her it seemed false. To her it was a cover. But there was no way to prove it... until he made his move on her.
That man wanted his stepdaughter. His sick, twisted mind had found a strange obsession with the kind-hearted, beautiful young girl. And he had every intention to take her. But he didn't know that his wife had figured it out and until she confronted him with her sister-in-law of her first husband.
He killed them just as Kagome walked in. She saw it all, heard it all. If she had not been so shocked that she was correct in her assumptions, she would have ran. But she didn't, she was to busy staring at the dead bodies of her mother and aunt. This gave him his chance. The bastard took the ax that he used on the others and rammed it into her right shoulder; causing the bones to break and the blood to pour to the ground.
Sango felt the pain of her younger sister. She was with Kouga, Rin, Kohaku, and Souta at her aunt's house. Kagome went home for another guitar to play because there weren't enough here. She could feel her sister's panic; hear her thoughts through their telepathic bond that were pleading for help. Immediately, she told her family while each of them grabbed their weapons. Sango with her Hiraikotsu, Kouga with his double-edge sword, Rin with her daggers, Kohaku with his scythe, and even Souta with is throwing stars. They rushed into the house to find two things. One: the house was booby trapped, and two: their mothers' dead bodies. Each of them had tears in their eyes at the sight, but knew that they had more important things to do. If their mothers were dead, then Kagome was in danger. They had to find her fast. But the house was basically a death wish now. They chose to continue anyway. They refused to lose their sister/cousin as well.
Kouga was the first to face the wrath of the madman in one of the upstairs rooms. There was a cloth that held what was obviously Kagome's blood. Kouga went to pick it up, failing to realize the fact that it was set in the middle of a bear trap. As soon as he touched the fabric, the trap snapped shut on his right forearm. Sango and Rin managed to get the trap off, but not before a lot of damage was done. He had a gruesome wound left which had no qualms about bleeding until there was nothing left.
Next was Souta, the floor that he was stepping on fell through and he broke his leg on the landing. This led to Rin's injuries. She properly jumped down to help her cousin when she was attacked by the wild canines down there. Sango jumped down at the sound of Rin's cry for help and knocked them all out with a few swings of her boomerang. Rin was left bleeding and bruised by the attack. Sango, Kohaku, and Kouga helped to bring them to the above floor.
Kohaku was next in line to face the pain of his comrades. After they made it to the top floor, they began the search for Kagome. As he was walking, Kohaku pulled a wire and an arrow ran straight through his upper left shoulder. Sango was there immediately and pushed the arrow through as quickly as possible.
At last, they found the room that Kagome was in. But they were hardly prepared for what was before them. Kagome was half-naked, bleeding profusely with tears streaming down her face tied up to the four posts of the bed with a dangerous sadist looming almost on top of her.
Sango, being the healthiest, charged at her stepfather with the Hiraikotsu firmly in hand. He moved and ran around the room looking for a weapon. He noticed the forgotten scythe that Kohaku dropped when he saw his sister on the bed and grabbed it. He avoided Sango until he could get a clear shot to her. It happened when she landed with her back turned. He threw the weapon at her and it lodged into her back. She couldn't move. Next was the rest of the family. He threw Kouga against the bookshelf; having it fall on top of him, took Rin by the hair and pushed her over a desk, took Souta and Kohaku and forced them against the wall; their heads leaving a small indent.
Finally, he thought he would get his Kagome but the thought ended when he turned around to find her out of her binds and loading a few arrows onto the bow that was decoratively placed over the bed. She was furious. How dare that bastard do this to her mother, aunt, sister, brothers, and cousins. He was too busy hurting what was left of her family to realize that she had freed herself. She aimed her arrows at him and fired. One hit his left shoulder, one hit his right shoulder, one hit his left thigh, and the last one hit his right thigh.
By this time, everyone was able to sort of stand again. Kouga stood before his step-uncle, positioned his sword, and rammed it through his...private area. Kagome went to the phone and dialed 911, but before she could answer the person on the other end, she fainted from the amount of blood loss. Rin took the phone and told the other woman briefly what happened and that they need the police, ambulances, and animal control while fighting to stay conscious. She lost that battle.
Souta had the least severe injuries with a broken leg and a concussion. Then again, they all had concussions. Then there was Kohaku with that shoulder wound. It sort of seemed that Kouga and Rin were 'tied'. They both lost about the same amount of blood, it was just that Kouga's wound was at one spot while Rin's were more spread out. Sango was in a coma for three days and suffered from a major back wound but, thankfully, it missed the organs, and she lost a lot of blood. The most severe of the wounds was Kagome's. Not only was her collarbone broken, but also she was left to bleed for the longest time. She was in a coma for one and a half weeks.
After a few more weeks, they had to appear in court to testify against their former stepfather/step-uncle. Each of them gave a version of their story to the court. He was found guilty and had to serve life in a maximum-security prison. Kouga was not charged with anything for his little castration act. The court favored it as a way to protect himself and his family.
They also allowed them to live without an adult since Kouga, Sango, and Kagome were nearly legal adults and have proved themselves responsible. However, they did have to have a social worker come to check on them from time to time. But that didn't matter. The social worker, Keade as she likes to be called, was a kind old woman who the orphaned children really like. She was like a grandma that they never had.
That was how they came to live in this house. They moved because that house had to many bad memories tied to it. Fortunately, they were able to use some of the money won from that medical malpractice case that was lying dormant in a bank account for a few years to pay for the mortgage as well. So they only had to worry about the other taxes.
Now as mentioned before, there are seven people living in this house that has no adult. If you can do your math well, you would have noticed that there are only six people in this family. So who is the third?
Shippou was abandoned by his godmother after his parents died at the age of four. He was homeless, hungry, and hopeless.
That is, until Kagome came.
She was the lighthouse that shone through the dense fog of his despair. He fell asleep underneath the park bench one cold night in winter, shaking and shivering like a fall leaf in a hurricane. That was how Kagome found him. She checked his vitals to make sure she didn't stumble upon a dead body.
Finding that he was still alive, she woke him up. The poor boy was shocked to find someone watching over him. Kagome introduced herself as did Shippou and she guided him to her late aunt's house. She moved in there because it was too difficult to sleep in her old home. There was so much pain encrypted in the walls. She and her siblings moved in with their cousins.
Kagome asked Shippou why he was out on the street and he told her his story. That his parents died in an electrical accident and his godmother left him behind a month ago. Kagome took Shippou home and took care of him. With Keade's help, they planned on waiting for 30 days for someone to come for the young boy, and then adopting him if no one came.
No one came. Shippou was theirs. Which was a good thing. Over the month that he had spent with the Higurashis, he had come to see Kagome as a mother, Sango, Rin, and Kouga as aunts/uncle, and Kohaku and Souta as brothers. He had a new family. He couldn't be happier.
Now, back to the present. Kagome was in her room resting and Shippou was with her. The rest of the family was downstairs finally done with all the packing. Keade just left after visiting to see how Kagome was. All they planned on doing was resting for the rest of the afternoon.
The dream was short-lived by the ringing of the doorbell.
"I'll get that." Kouga planned on telling whoever was at the door to buzz off. That is, if it was anybody else.
"Kouga, what the hell happened yesterday?"
"InuYasha? How did you find my house?" But it was not only InuYasha there; all of his new friends were there too.
"Easy, Ayame found your file in the office and wrote it down. She sometimes assists in there. Now what the hell happened?"
"Kagome passed out. She stayed at the hospital overnight."
"Is she alright?" asked Ayame.
"Yeah, she just over-exhausted herse-" Kouga stopped talking when he saw what Ayame was wearing. The outfit itself wasn't bad at all; it's just that she was covered in mud. Kouga was trying not to laugh, but her slightly angry face made it all the more difficult. "What happened to you?"
"A car splashed mud on me as I was walking down the street," Ayame replied annoyed. It really wasn't all that cold out seeing as it was late September, but that didn't make the fact that the cold water and the cold winds that kept on blowing were practically cutting through her.
"Umm...I'm sure Rin and Sango will help you out. You can borrow some of their clothes. Heaven knows they have to many."
"That, my dear cousin, is impossible. There is no such thing as to many clothes," chimed Sango. Rin stood by her side, shaking slightly with barely controlled laughter. They were by the railing for the colossal set of stairs, looking on the conversation with mild interest. Nobody even realized their presence until they made themselves known. "Come on...err...what's your name?"
"Ayame."
"Hello, I'm Sango. This is my cousin, Rin."
"I know. Kouga showed us your pictures yesterday."
"Did he now?" Rin questioned when she finally recovered from her giggle fit. "That's interesting, he never mentioned that before."
"Eh, heh heh, I didn't think you needed to know that."
Rin smiled. It was so much fun to make her older brother squirm. She rarely could, so when she did, she savored it. Sango, however, interrupted her rejoicing.
"Well, come on Ayame. We'll get you some clean clothes. Would you like to shower?"
Ayame fingered the mud caked in her hair. "Yeah, I'd love to." She followed Sango and Rin up the huge stairs. The upper floor was basically a large hall with various hardwood doors. The carpet was crimson and matched the whitewash walls beautifully. It seemed that the doors had a cherry stain and were semi-glossed. It looked like a house for the richest of people. Just how loaded were these people? There were at least eight doors. Some had a colored string tied to the handle. There was a pink one, a dark green one, a blue one, an orange one, a lavender one, a gray one, and a sea-foam green one.
"Why are there strings tied to the door knobs?"
"Oh them, their just there to help us. This house is still pretty new to us and there are so many doors that we tend to forget which room is which. You see, each tie is one of our favorite colors. The door with the tie that is our favorite is our bedroom. There is also the main bathroom, the hall closet, and the door that leads to the stairs that go to the attic." Rin replied smartly. She practically fainted the first time she went upstairs. She examined all the rooms determined not to be the one who wants to go to the bathroom and walks into the closet instead. She did that at her old home once and only after much begging and pleading was she able to get Kouga to stop teasing her. Well, that and she threatened to use him as a target when she was practicing with her daggers, but no one really needed to know that. "Oh, and there are two guest rooms on this floor."
"Do you all share that one bathroom?" Sango chose to answer that question.
"Nope. Actually, there are small bathrooms in each of our bedrooms. Though, they lack the luxury of the main one."
"What do you mean?"
"Simple. Now, compare a bathroom that has a standing shower, a toilet, a sink with a mirror, one small towel rack, and simple lighting with this." They were at the door of the main bathroom. As soon as she was done, Sango threw open the door and all Ayame could do was gasp in surprise.
It was like a spa without the workers. The walls were painted with a beige color. There was a huge black tub with jets that would send out hot water to massage the muscles. It could probably fit four people in it, there were even built in curves that would make great places to sit. A black shower stall with that glass that made it impossible to see nothing but a blurry outline was standing close beside it. There was a sink on the opposite side of the room that was also black but the handles that controlled the hot and cold water and the spout were gold. Close by was a black toilet and small, black garbage can. The mirror in front of the sink had vanity lights running across the top. But the most astounding feature in the room was the small yet beautifully designed chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling.
"Just how rich are you guys?" Rin and Sango smiled.
"Not very. Half of this house was paid for by the government," Rin stated wisely.
"Why?"
"Let's just call it compensation for past inconveniences." Neither Rin nor Sango felt like going into the full story of how and why they got/had to move to this new home.
"Oh, okay. You don't need to go into details. I don't need to hear them. But damn, this is a nice house."
"We're glad you think so. We'll leave you alone to shower. Just come out when you're done. We're going to be in Kagome's room looking for stuff you can wear until your clothes are done cleaning."
"Wait, just go out there in nothing more then a towel?"
"Sure," Sango began, "don't worry. The men in this household have seen Kagome and us in towels before. Hell, they sometimes walk in when we're dressed in only our bras and panties just to ask to borrow something."
"Even Kouga?" Ayame asked incredulously. How could these people be so calm around each other?
"Yeah, it's not like we're into incest or anything. We're family. Besides, the only time they have ever seen one of us without anything on was when Kagome had to be shocked with those paddle things because she had a seizure and her heart stopped for a bit."
"You mean when she had that medicine problem? Kouga told us about it when we were supposed to be working on the Literacy project."
"We know. My brother told us of that situation. I heard he didn't go into to much detail."
"Nope. He said it was more Kagome's story to tell. How is she?"
"My sister, at the moment, is starting to wake up from a nice dream about writing a song." Sango stated matter-of-factly. Just then, Kagome decided to use that twin bond to talk to her older sister.
Must you tell them everything sis.
Of course. Oh and if you didn't already know, we have guests.
I never would've guessed Kagome replied sarcastically. She was starting to have trouble breathing again. It seemed to be going on and off since her visit to the hospital. They gave her a few oxygen tanks and a mask to help her a bit, though if the problem didn't go away by this coming Wednesday she had to go back for tests.
You okay? Sango sounded worried. She could sense her little sister's distress.
Just having some breathing trouble again. I hate that short-winded feeling.
I'll come help you.
"Sango, you alright?"
"Yeah Ayame. Kagome's just having some trouble."
"Go ahead and go to her. Just tell me which string I should look for."
"Dark green." With that, Sango and Rin left Ayame to shower. They both headed straight for Kagome's room. Opening the door, they discovered Kagome stumbling to find the oxygen tank with Shippou following close behind. Upon further observation, they noticed she was breathing heavily. Immediately, Rin and Sango took action. Rin brought Kagome back to her bed while Sango continued the search. She found the tanks in Kagome's closet and brought one over to her.
Kagome was getting dizzy with the lack of air to her head. She noticed that Rin was guiding her to her bed. She would have sighed in relief if she had the necessary breath to do so. She heard the thump of the tank hitting her forest green carpet and felt the mask being placed over her nose and mouth. The next second she was greeted with the welcomed sensation of being able to breathe. It was then that she discovered that her eyes were indeed closed and that she was lying comfortably on her bed. She opened her eyes to find Rin, Sango, and Shippou towering over her; a relieved expression on each of their faces.
Thanks
Any time
"Hey Kagome, Sango and I were wondering if a friend, Ayame, could borrow something to where from your closet. We're wearing the only pair of sweatpants we own and you not only have the most sweatpants, but you, at the moment, are only wearing a big shirt and a pair of underwear." Which was true. Then again, this is more then she usually wore to bed. Normally, she slept in the nude like Rin and Sango did, but seeing as it is the daytime and Shippou was bound to spend time with her, she put on something.
At Kagome's nod, Rin got up off the bed and walked onto the spacious closet to look for something Ayame could wear. Shippou decided to back to sleep besides his 'mother's' now sitting figure. She was leaning back on the propped up pillows and watching Auntie Sango check the pressure gage on the oxygen tank. He put his head in her lap and fell asleep to her gently running her hands through his hair.
"Kagome, could Ayame borrow this?" At Kagome's nod, Rin left the clothes at the corner of the king-sized bed and sat down in front of the sleeping Shippou. "He is so cute. I'm glad we have him with us."
"Me too. It's impossible not to love the little four year old," Sango commented. Kagome just kept on stroking Shippou's rust-colored head. It was rather peaceful, and then the door opened.
"Was the shower good Ayame?" Rin could hardly contain her laughter at the other girl's blissful expression.
"That was the best shower I have ever had in my life," Ayame sighed. She was wrapped in a beige towel with her dirty clothes bundled into her arms. "Where are the clothes that I'm borrowing?"
"Right there." Rin pointed to the pile at the foot of the bed. That was when Ayame realized that Kagome was there...with an oxygen mask. Seeing her shocked expression, Kagome moved her mask over.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine soon." It didn't have too much effect on the young girl so Sango decided to back up her sister's words.
"Ayame, you know that feeling you get when you run for a really long time...short-winded?" Ayame nodded. "Well, that's pretty much how Kagome feels right now. Out of breath and all. Really, she'll be fine in at most an hour."
"That's good. By the way, I'm Ayame. It's nice to meet you." Kagome nodded. Sango was holding the mask in place so she could move it if she wanted to. Nodding was the only way to show her that she returned the introduction.
An hour passed by in the blink of an eye. Ayame's clothes were in the dryer and the boys were downstairs watching TV and talking about whatever they could think of. Shippou woke up and went downstairs to get some ice water. On the way, Kouga took notice of the little kid.
"Hey Shippou, I thought you were with the girls." Kouga's statement brought everybody's attention to the small boy.
"But I am Uncle Kouga. I just wanted some ice water."
"But you can't reach the ice tray."
"Oh, I guess I forgot that."
"Come on runt, I'll help you with that." Kouga left his friend's and got Shippou his drink and sent him upstairs again. He was left with the confused faces of his friends. InuYasha decided to break the silence.
"Who was that?"
"That was Shippou. Let me explain. He was abandoned a while back. Kagome found him sleeping under a park bench one night in winter. We all sort of adopted him. Just don't be all that surprised if you hear him call her Mama. In a way, she took the role."
"He sees you as an uncle?" Sesshoumaru was intrigued by this family. They have been through a lot and yet they adopt a kid? These people really are strange.
Half an hour later, Ayame's clothes were done and it was time for the guests to go.
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So, what'd ya think? Review please. I need to know if there is any point in writing this story at all. Oh, and next chapter will have Kagome, Rin, and Sango going to school and Kagome and Kikyou become enemies. More humor, too. And music. That will be fun. As you can tell from the beginning, I will try to respond to the reviews. Hell, I figure that if your going to do it, I might as well respond to them. Again, review (I have self-confidence issues).
