A/N:=ducks flying objects= I'M SORRY!!!! I swear that I didn't mean for it to take so long to get this chapter out. I'm also sorry that I can't respond to the reviews this chapter but I promise to do so next chapter. I'm Editing my other chapters for the indent thing so they should be changed with the next update.

Disclaimer: Ha! I do own something in this chapter. The poem "The Storm" is completely and utterly my own. If you want to use it ever, you must ask me for permission or else I sue you. For the things that I don't own, look at the other chapters. The idea is pretty clear.

Muted Words

§Mirror, Mirror§

-Monday-

"Now," Mr. Mori began, "seeing as we were unprepared for Shippou today, he will have to stay with you, Kagome. We'll be more prepared tomorrow for his visit, and much looking forward to it." The small group was heading out the door of the office and into the waiting area.

"Of course, Mr. Mori, I didn't expect you to actually be ready for him today," Kagome agreed. She put Shippou onto the ground but held onto his hand to make sure that he didn't wander. His big green eyes showed his excitement. The secretaries and other female employees all gave him a big smile, which he returned. He was just so...cute!

"If anyone should give you a hard time, anyone at all, you can come down here and I'll talk to them," Mr. Mori reaffirmed. Kagome nodded slowly.

"Even if it's a teacher?" she asked curiously, thinking of Ms. Urasuea. The principal noticed her look and could guess at what...er...who she had on her mind.

"Especially if it's a teacher. Shippou is your guest. Guests are allowed in this school. Therefore, Shippou is allowed," the older man reasoned. A secretary was filling out a neon green, rectangular sticker that she would have given to any guest. However, not every guest got a cute little smiley face on the top right hand corner.

"There you go Shippou," the young lady said while placing the sticker on his chest, opposite of his heart.

"Thank you, mam," he replied politely like he was told to do. The secretary "awwwed" at Shippou's sweetness, resisting the urge to hug him until his eyes bugged out.

"Just drop him off here when you walk in tomorrow, Kagome," the principal instructed.

"Thank you, Mr. Mori. Have a nice day," Kagome called while leading Shippou out into the hall to say goodbye to Keade. They saw her by the end of the corridor, leaning against the wall casually and smiling when she saw them. "Thanks, Keade, I had no idea what to do."

"Don't worry about it, child. You have had enough to deal with last weekend. It was the least I could do for my favorite group of children," she admonished gently. "Now hurry, it's almost lunch."

"Good bye, Keade," Kagome bid.

"Bye-bye, Grammy," Shippou yelled as he followed Kagome through the halls. Keade waved and walked out the door. Shippou turned to look at his mother. "Mama, where are we going?" Still walking at a slow pace, Kagome looked down at Shippou and smiled warmly.

"We're going to the cafeteria," she answered as warm as her smile. Shippou smiled widely, happy that he got to spend more time with Kagome.

"What's a ca-fe-teer-ee-a?" he asked, sounding out the word slowly.

"A cafeteria is like a big dining room for all of the students to use. It's really big and has lots of tables and chairs. We're going to be sitting with my friends." Kagome stopped walking and knelt down to Shippou's level. "Listen Shippou, if someone here says something mean, I don't want you to take it seriously."

"Why would someone say something mean, Mama?" he asked. Kagome smiled slightly.

"Some people don't like me," she replied simply. Shippou quirked his head to the side, a trait that he picked up from Kagome and Rin.

"Why would they not like you, Mama?" he inquired.

"I'm not sure, jealously?" Kagome pondered, mimicking Shippou's action. "C'mon, let's go eat." She began to walk again, Shippou following.

They made it to the cafeteria and waited for the lines to open. It technically was still fifth period, even though there was only about a minute left. Shippou was so excited that he was jumping a little.

Kagome laughed good-naturedly and picked him up, balancing him on the left side of her hip. The bell for the end of fifth period tolled and the doors were opened by one of the lunch ladies. Kagome liked this one; she was always very nice to her.

"Hello, Kagome. Who do you have there?" she asked, pointing to Shippou who was trying to see inside. Kagome began to walk in.

"This is Shippou, he's going to be staying at the school until they can rebuild the daycare center or find a new place. Though, he'll mostly stay in the office, I think," Kagome explained. Shippou was looking at the juice dispenser with interest.

"Mama, what's that?" he wondered, pointing to the object of his intrigue. Before Kagome could reply, the other lunch lady, one that Kagome didn't really care for, gasped.

"Mama?! You're a mother?" she shrieked, shaking an accusing finger at her. In retaliation, Kagome held Shippou closer to her so that his head was lying against her shoulder. Taking notice of her actions, the lunch lady continued. "But he looks like he's four?"

"He is four, turning five in January," Kagome replied calmly. The other lunch lady looked shocked.

"How old are you?" she questioned hesitantly.

"Seventeen going on twenty eight," Kagome joked. The lunch lady did the math.

"That means that you were twelve to thirteen when you had him!" Before Kagome could counter, someone did that for her.

"She adopted him you hag," came the irritated voice of InuYasha. He walked up behind Kagome, put a kiss on her cheek, and went to get his lunch. Kagome, noticing that there was nothing left to say, went in line after InuYasha, put Shippou down, and ordered two lunches. Shippou stayed close to Kagome and InuYasha while they were getting their drinks. Kagome turned to Shippou.

"What would you like to drink, Shippou?" she asked, picking him up again to see the selection. Shippou's eyes lit up.

"Can I have chocolate milk?" Kagome nodded and grabbed one and put it on his tray. Carrying the trays with the grace of a waitress, she paid for her and Shippou's meals and began her way to the table. Sitting down where she usually does, she sat Shippou on top of the one that was Sango usually sat in. Speaking of Sango, the older twin sat down next to her nephew and gave him a big hug.

"Hello Shippou!" she exclaimed, happy to see him. The young boy immediately returned the hug.

"Auntie Sango!" he returned. When they let go, Shippou turned to the table only to discover that he didn't reach. He wasn't exactly tall, to put it lightly. But what he lacked in stature, he gained in talent. Shippou was quite the little trickster. His favorite was creating a blue fire that doesn't burn. Illusions were his specialty. Turning to Kagome, he tugged on her sleeve. "Mama?" Kagome looked down and laughed lightly.

"Sango, did you pick up my backpack?" she asked. Sango nodded and picked it up. Kagome moved Shippou to her lap as Sango placed the bag on his chair. Shippou was placed on top of it and smiled as he looked around the table. Sango and Miroku were arguing about groping. Apparently, Miroku thought that it was all right to do it in a public setting.

Sango didn't.

Hakakku and Ginta were talking about salt. Ginta was trying to tell Hakakku that salt was made of chlorine and sodium, a poison and something that explodes when it gets wet. Hakakku was wondering why it didn't explode when you add it to soup. Kouga and Ayame were talking about what they should do for their next date. InuYasha was eating with a passion. Kagome was holding her chicken patty but wasn't eating it, too busy thinking about something. Rin and Sesshoumaru weren't there yet, probably getting their food in the lunch...

"SHIPPOU!!!"

Scratch that. Here they come now.

Rin ran up and gave Shippou a hug and a kiss after putting her tray down. Shippou smiled.

"Hiya Auntie Rin!" After hugging him again, Rin took her seat in between Sesshoumaru and Kouga. Sesshoumaru sat next to InuYasha and began to eat his own meal with a little more restraint then his younger brother.

Shippou began to eat his own meal of chicken patty and fries while taking the occasional sip of chocolate milk. Looking at his mother, he realized that she still hadn't began to eat, just staring at her bun as though she didn't really see it. What was she thinking about?

"Are you not hungry, Mama?" he assumed. His voice seemed to snap her out of her reverie. Gasping slightly, Kagome turned to Shippou and smiled.

"I am. I guess I just got lost in thought," she answered, taking a bite out of her food.

All was peaceful in the large cafeteria...for about five seconds...

"So the rumors are true? Kagome Higurashi has a son!" a shrill sounded through the entire room. Everything froze. No one moved with the exception of Kikyou and her group, InuYasha's table, and some other people who are trying to get a good view. Kikyou's group was sauntering over with a sickening amount of overconfidence. Kagome heaved a heavy sigh and stood. Shippou looked on in confusion, turning to his mama for guidance. Looking down, Kagome sighed again and knelt before him, kissing his cheek.

"This is one of those people that don't like me and say stupid things, Shippou. She goes out of her way to try and hurt me," she explained, moving closer to his ear, Kagome whispered, "Don't fall for her lies. I love you like my own flesh and blood. Be strong." Shippou looked up to her startling blue-green eyes.

"Like you?" Kagome smiled and turned to face Kikyou.

"Hello Kikyou, how are you doing? Did you manage well in your last class? I hope you were able to keep up well. I know how you hate being bested," Kagome said in a calm tone that made it seem like she didn't just throw out an insult. Kikyou glared.

"I managed just fine thank you," she grinded out. Kagome smiled.

"I'm so glad to hear it. It wouldn't be good if you did badly. Now would it?" she continued calmly, looking at Kikyou's arm. It had pen drawing on it. "But I can see that you were well entertained."

"That's an interesting comment coming from someone with no artistic talent," Kikyou shot back. Kagome chuckled.

"Well, ink drawing never really struck my fancy so I guess you're right there. I'm much more of a visionary. I see things in my mind but I never really could draw it out. That's why I write it out. I'm much better with words then I am with paint. Music is a great outlet for all of my emotions. In fact, I always feel better that I let out my soul through something constructive then doing something wasteful like holding petty arguments with people, especially if I'm jealous. Jealousy makes for ugliness," Kagome admitted. Kikyou glared.

"That's funny. I didn't know that you had emotions." Kagome chuckled.

"Everyone had emotions Kikyou, even Sesshoumaru. It's just that we have better control over them then you do. That's the difference between us. I control myself to a point where I couldn't care less about you're insults to me while you get so angry that you lose complete focus on what's important and instead go for trying to banter me into the submission that you once had over this place. Don't you get it? I don't care about the reputation. I care about the people. I told you before. I'll help anyone who needs it, even if it's you," Kagome smirked. Kikyou stepped closer.

"I remember that day fine. I was having fun and you interrupted it. You said that-"

"And then I literally kicked you into the dumpster. My memory is fine, though I'm amazed at your powers of recall. So, if this lovely trip down memory lane is finished-"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your son. Well, to be honest, I wanted to talk to InuYasha about your son," she corrected herself. Turning to InuYasha, who glared menacingly at her, she continued. "What do you think of the fact that your sweet, innocent Kagome has a child? Are you jealous?" InuYasha stood.

"No."

"Angry?"

"Why should I be?"

"Betrayed, perhaps?" InuYasha sighed.

"Again, why should I be?" Kikyou opened her mouth only to be interrupted by Kagome.

"I think that Kikyou is assuming that Shippou...umm...what's that term?...oh yeah...that Shippou burst from my loins in a torrent of unimaginable pain. Or childbirth, simply put. As worldly as she is, she doesn't seem to know about adoption. I think, in her own special way, she was trying to accuse me of sleeping around, InuYasha," Kagome stated, hitting the nail on the head. Of course, if she did have a hammer, she certainly wouldn't waste her time hitting the head of a nail. Shippou chose to comment.

"That's stupid though, Mama. I mean it's obvious that she's jealous of you. I'm a kid and I can realize that. But I don't understand why that would make her want to make you out as the bad guy here. You saved my life after my godmother left me on the streets alone. I would have frozen to death if you hadn't come by. You're an angel to me, my guardian angel," Shippou testified. The students looked to Shippou and then to Kagome, unconsciously, their respect for her grew. She really did help anyone who needed it. Well, almost everyone's respect for her grew.

"So," Kikyou turned over to Shippou and getting into position to slap him, "no one wanted you? Poor little wretch. I bet that stu-"

Before Kikyou could even finish, her head hit the hard tile of the cafeteria, the air forced from her lungs by an amazingly powerful influence. The entire room was deadly still. There was no way that what just happened transpired. There was no way that the emotion in Kagome's eyes was actually there while her face seemingly drained of feeling. Kikyou looked up into her ever-calm Kagome's eyes and shivered at what she saw.

Anger.

Kagome was raging at what Kikyou had said to Shippou, at what she had the gall to try and do. She couldn't help it, it was a motherly instinct to protect your young and she did just that. Shippou didn't deserve that kind of treatment. It was instinct to kick her in the stomach. Kagome could feel her own lungs constricting tightly. She got herself too worked up in her anger and now she was suffering for it. Her head began to feel light; she could feel the darkness edging at her brain. Determined to try and let herself calm down, Kagome took a deep breath in grabbed Kikyou by the collar, pulling her into a standing position. Behind her, the entire table stood, Koharu running from the table that she usually sat at to come and see if she was needed in any way. Sango took a step towards Kagome.

Are you okay? Before Kagome replied, she focused her attentions on Kikyou.

"If you dare try to hurt him, mentally, physically, emotionally, anyway at all, I won't go easy on you like I did just now," she warned, letting go of Kikyou's collar. Though, to be truthful, it was rather pointless to waste energy of picking Kikyou up on Kagome's part. Despite the fact that it was a nice thing to do, as they passed, Rin and Ayame pushed her back onto the ground.

Kagome ran out into the hallway, trying to gain her breath. Kagome decided to answer her sister's earlier question.

Shit, Sango. I can barely breathe.

As soon as the thought had been sent, Sango flew out of the doorway and guided Kagome as she began her fall to the ground. Rin and Kouga kneeled beside her, Rin checking Kagome's eyes while Kouga was checking pulse. The rest of the gang watched worriedly as they worked. Sango, even as she tried to keep Kagome awake, was thinking of a place to go. The nurse's office wasn't that good of an option, she'd blow it all out of proportion. The girl's room was nixed because Kikyou probably went to one of them to recuperate and she didn't know which one. Besides, the smell alone will make Kagome lose all consciousness she is holding on to. The hallway kind of...well...sucks. Where to go?

"Pick her up, we're going to Mr. Tachi's office."

The bell rang for the end of school. Rushing to her locker, Kagome got the books that she needed, which was basically History because Urasuea was the only one bitchy enough to give homework directly from the textbook, while trying to fight the hunger pains in her stomach, she didn't get to have enough to eat at lunch (with the thinking, the angering, and the ass kicking) and now she was regretting the thinking part (who would honestly regret the ass kicking?). Shippou stood by her side, holding onto the chain that was dangling from the side of her pants so he didn't get lost.

Urasuea, Kagome noticed, seemed to be holding her tongue about Shippou. Kagome thought that Mr. Mori had something to do with it. Mr. Tachi didn't make her take Gym today. He was very understanding of what had happened. He was one of the few people who knew every aspect of their past. He was a good friend with the Higurashi fathers when they were alive. He's known the Higurashi children since birth. He was there while Kagome went through Chemotherapy, comforting the struggling family while one of their members was fighting death. He was there when the elder men of the family died, mourning with them. He tried to help Kagome defeat depression and then with rebuilding strength in her body. Unfortunately, he had to move away for a job opportunity, this job actually. Mr. Tachi had her lie down on the bench while the rest of the Higurashi's tried to get her situated so she didn't pass out like she wanted to. It would be so much easier than fighting. Mr. Tachi even gave them all the passes for study hall so they wouldn't be marked as late when Kagome was well enough.

But now it was the end of the day. She could finally get home, eat, finish homework, and sleep.

"It seems you have finally awoken, my dear Kagome," a sickeningly husky, rough voice sneered above her. Opening her eyes fully, she was able to focus on the man before her. His dull black hair was too short to even put in a ponytail. His gray eyes held traces of malice and lust, never a good combination. His body was almost bare, only adorned in a pair of blood stained, blue and white striped boxers. But his hands, those hands were tainted crimson, never bothering to clean off the blood from his crimes.

Kagome couldn't speak, the pain in her shoulder to intense to even form a groan of discomfort. However, the man before had qualms about that.

"Now, now Kagome, your, father Akira wants to hear you scream," he taunted, digging one of his thumbs into her wound, drawing out his desired reaction.

-Tuesday-

Kagome woke up panting. The sheets pooled at her waist, exposing her sweating, bared chest to the frigid night air that wafted into the room through her opened window. Clapping twice, the light on her bedside table lit up, proffering a warm glow to illuminate the area enough for her to see. Kagome, after slipping on the dark green robe that was hanging on one of the posts of her bed, moved over to a closet, looking for something of her mother's in one of the boxes to sooth her.

Opening a box, Kagome found a mirror, one that was given to her by Akira. The government officials must have packed this box; Kagome would have never kept the reflective glass. For an instant, she saw the face of her stepfather and punched the mirror in the center, thus braking glass along with the skin on her hand. Breathing heavily, Kagome looked into the broken glass, facing her broken reflection and letting it wash over her. Before she could even move to clean up, the door opened.

Sango looked down at her sister staring hurtfully at a cracked mirror. Finishing the tie of her pink robe, she moved closer to Kagome to get a better idea of what happened. Kagome turned to her twin and smiled humorlessly, showing off her cut hand.

"Nightmares are strange, they make people do funny things in reality," she stated, picking up the mirror and throwing it out into the garbage in the corner near the desk. Sango watched Kagome as she gazed at her hand, the blood running down her arm.

"Let's get that cleaned up, Kagome," she suggested, taking Kagome's good hand. Kagome nodded and followed Sango as she led her to the main bathroom. Sitting her little sister on the toilet (with the seat down), Sango went into the closet to gather up the hydrogen peroxide and a few cotton balls. She knelt before Kagome and soaked one of the cotton balls with the anti-bacterial and began to cleanse the wound.

"I could do that myself, you know," Kagome stated. Sango continued to work.

"I know, but I want to do this. Let me be the older sister," she retorted. Kagome smirked.

"Fine, I'll let you be the older sister." Sango mimicked Kagome's grin.

"Good. Now tell me why exactly you felt the need to destroy a mirror?" Kagome chuckled.

"I told you, nightmares make people do funny things." Sango looked curious.

"And which nightmare was it this time? The one with the monkey and the checkerboard?"

"Nah, that one was last week, and he still beat me. This one was of Akira. And just so you know, he gave that mirror to me. I swear that I saw his reflection in it. I think that's enough of an incentive to hit it to a messy oblivion," Kagome reasoned. Sango examined the cleaned cut.

"It's not that bad actually, the cut I mean. You don't even need a Band-Aid. Now, care to go to sleep?" Sango asked. Kagome shook her head.

"Not in particular. I feel more like writing a song. Rin's had a beat for the drums that we haven't used yet. I think I could fit something to that." The two sisters left the bathroom and went to where they usually sleep.

Kagome didn't go to sleep for the rest of the night. She stayed up and wrote her song and than sat down on the threshold of the small patio attached to her room, thinking. About her past, her trials, her failures, her wins, and what she had and how much she cherished that. These possessions that decorated her room held, by no means, any sentimental value. The government paid almost all of it for their "compensation". The only things of material worth that she possessed in her room were the pictures she had hidden away from sight in her closet. Pictures of the more trying events of her past, childhood pictures of when Sango and she sat in the tub, splashing, and glaring at the suds from the baby shampoo, of other times when Kagome had to wear a hat to conceal her baldness, one of the older Higurashi men's funeral (Kagome adorned a veiled black hat since, at the time, her hair was only about a centimeter long), her mother's copy of the news clipping depicting the medical malpractice case with the actual picture (Kagome had taken the picture out for the one she carried around with her, it was a horrible experience and she didn't like to look at the picture), some more pictures of before Akira, no pictures of Akira, one more of the elder female Higurashi, a few of when she found Shippou and his health improvement, and the last one was of the house that they resided in now with them standing before it.

Great, with just the thought of those pictures, she wanted to get away. The thing was, she couldn't just up and leave very far. It was a school day after all. No, she had to go somewhere close by but still away. She needed to see her parents.

After all, the graveyard is just past the wooded area of her house.

Dressing into a dark red, long-sleeved shirt (it was November and it was cold), and a full-length, black denim skirt with knee-high black, lace up boots, Kagome checked the clock. It was five in the morning, enough time to go and come back in time to get the others awake and out for school. The sky was light enough to see outside without a flashlight. Going through the back door in the kitchen, Kagome walked past the Goshinboku and into the woods, the path already beaten. Walking for about eight minutes, Kagome came to the edge of the trail. The graveyard was small, peaceful. There was a pond filled with koi fish and all of the graves were facing it in a circle. Automatically, Kagome moved to the first row where she knew her parents graves were. Kneeling before all four of the graves of that generation of Higurashi, along with the plaque in the center of the two middle graves, she read the quotes that, together, formed a meaningful poem that always offered comfort to her.

"Walking down the street at night

And the hail pounds on my face

The street lamps offer meager light

A shelter from the darkest place." Her mother.

"Everywhere the darkness roams

And no light can seem to find

Through the streets or in the home

Can leave a passer blind." Her father.

"Even though that prospects meek

As the ice wraps around my heart

I still walk on but since I'm weak

Each numb step rips me apart." Her uncle.

"The wind is ringing in my ears

While I travel down the street

Silently flowing are the tears

Slowly sliding in retreat." Her aunt.

"The hail comes even harder now

And the sky remains deep indigo

But amazingly I am, some how

Still protected by the street lamp's glow.

This storm just doesn't want to calm

Yet I'm hopeful to see the dawn

The choice is lying in my palm

Defiantly, I still walk on." The plaque.

Kagome basked before their graves, relishing in the calm atmosphere. Before she knew it, she had to go home. Standing up, she said a prayer and left.

Sango woke up early, too early. Something just wouldn't let her get to sleep again. Not that she was tired anymore. Thankfully, she was able to get enough rest because she turned in early. She just didn't like waking up near the beginning hours of daylight.

The sound of a door opening and the shake from it closing alerted Sango that someone either came in or left to go out. Sounds from the kitchen told that someone took the former. Dressing quickly in a black shirt and hot pink pants, Sango tiptoed down the stairs and peered into the kitchen.

"Do you always spy on people in the kitchen early in the morning, Sango?" Kagome asked, not bothering to look up from the bacon she was about to cook. The sound of sizzling reached the older sister's ear.

"Of course," Sango smiled as she walked into the kitchen, "but we all have our strange hobbies. Mine just so happens to be stalking." Kagome chuckled.

"Which is ironic because mine is sneaking off, oh sister of the womb. Should I throw on some more bacon? The others shouldn't be up for another hour and a half. It could be our little secret." Sango giggled as well while going to the refrigerator for some eggs.

"Kouga's gonna be so pissed at us if he finds out we had bacon. You know how much he loves that stuff." Kagome smirked.

"How can I forget? He took a whole plate to himself one time." She paused. "Then again, maybe we should, just to see what his reaction would be."

The eggs and bacon were leisurely devoured by Sango and Kagome. When they finished, they washed the dishes and moved into the living room to watch some television. At quarter to seven, Rin walked down the stairs, fully clothed and looking for breakfast. She paused at the living room doorway.

"Okay, I can understand Kagome being up this early but Sango awake now is almost too much to believe," Rin looked at the two skeptically. "Am I dreaming? Is this some sort of Alternate Universe of our true selves? Or at least of Sango?" A pillow came her way.

"Damn it Rin! Shut up!" Sango glared with a smile on her face and reached for another pillow. Rin, who caught the flying projectile, laughed and shook her head.

"Oh yeah, that's Sango." Rin managed to move before the next fluffy accessory hit her full in the face. When Rin came back in the living room, muffin in hand, she sat next to Kagome and looked at them slightly bewildered. "Do I smell bacon?"

The two looked back guiltily.

"It's your turn to wake him up!" Sango exclaimed.

"I don't want to wake him up! You wake him up!" Rin countered.

"We'll wake him up!" Souta chimed. Kohaku nodded his head, looking to the ice box and grinning. Sango and Rin turned to them.

"No!" The two boys looked sort of put out. Kagome sighed, removing Shippou from her lap.

"I'll wake him," she groaned and left before her family could protest.

As always, it was Kouga that was the last one to wake up.

Making her way up the stairs, Kagome turned at his door and opened it. From the way he was moving in his bed, she guessed that Kouga was having a bad dream. Slowly, Kagome walked over and shook his shoulders lightly, hoping to bring him peacefully out of slumber. However, she got the adverse effect. Kouga shot up immediately, still in a somewhat sleepish state where he had no idea as to what he was doing in reality and shouted, "NO MORE YANKY MY WANKY!"

Kagome sat on the ground where she was flung when Kouga shot up looking dumbstruck. Kouga slouched from his stiff position and turned to the baffled young woman. He watched as her confounded expression changed to that of humor and she started to laugh on the floor of his slightly dirty room.

Kagome eventually began to roll around and tears were appearing in her blue-green eyes. When she could finally breathe right again, she managed to speak.

"You really should cut down on watching Sixteen Candles so much," she said; laugh still slightly present in her tone. "Get ready. We have school." She left to tell everyone down stairs what happened.

All the way to school, Kagome, Sango, and Rin kept bursting out in laughter randomly. Shippou was completely clueless. Kouga's cheeks turned a light shade of pink whenever the girls had one of their fits.

Earlier in the morning, he managed to get them to promise not to tell anyone at school of the little outburst, but that would do no good if they continued laughing like this.

After Shippou was dropped off into the guidance office (where the secretaries smiled brightly at them), the four made their way to their locker and got the things that they'd need and went to Lit class where they met everyone else.

Kagome walked up to InuYasha, kissed him after putting down her bag, and promptly sat on his lap. She got a good look into his eyes and frowned and the dark circles underneath.

"Tired, Inu?" she asked softly. He smirked half-heartedly.

"Yeah. Urasuea's essay took me forever. I just don't get her. She wants us to write an essay with no grammar mistakes but she doesn't want us to type it on the computer or fix it with Whiteout. It took forever to spell everything right," he justifiably complained. The old teacher said that if she saw any Whiteout she'd toss the paper and give it a zero.

"I just typed it first and then wrote it out," Kagome replied sympathetically. InuYasha hugged her close to him.

"I did too but I still wasted ten pages on the final," he sighed, breathing in the scent of her hair to calm him down. It always smelled like kiwi yet the rest of her gave off the aroma of cucumber-melon. Together, it was very soothing for him.

Rin sat by Sesshoumaru trying to fight away the giggle attempting to break free but one look at Kouga talking to Ayame shattered her resolve. To deafen the sound a bit, she raised her hand to her mouth but the sound carried.

At the sound of Rin's giggling, Kagome and Sango, who was fighting off Miroku's wandering hands, joined her with a little more self-control over the volume. Before anyone could ask questions to the random act, Kouga sighed loudly.

"Oh honestly, it's not that funny," he said exasperated. Rin looked at him funny, still laughing.

"Yes it is," she snorted. Ayame cocked her head to the side.

"What's so funny?" Kouga seemed suddenly flustered.

"You wouldn't want to know," he rushed. Now Sango snorted.

"Yes she would." Ayame rolled her eyes.

"Just tell me," she said, eager to hear. Kouga put his head down.

"Forget it." Kagome chuckled even more.

"I know I won't."

"I expect that you all did you're homework last night," Ms. Urasuea snapped. Simultaneously, the class took out the said assignment, some sending menacing glares towards the teacher.

Kagome was exhausted. She was running off of three, maybe four hours of sleep and the teachers were really pushing hard. All she wanted to do was sleep. InuYasha's thoughts were along the same line but he got five and a half of sleep so he was holding up better. Still, it didn't lengthen his intention span any.

InuYasha's eyes traveled from the rambling teacher to his girlfriend. He could tell she was tired because of the circles under her eyes and that she was trying to resist the pull of slumber. He talked to Sango after the first time Kagome practically fell asleep standing up and she said that it's never good when Kag was overtired. She said that if her body wanted rest then it would take it no matter what. So, of course, InuYasha kept his eyes on her just in case. Now, it seemed that everything was catching up to her.

Kagome's eyes were trying to close and she was breathing slower then usual, like she was already asleep. It worried him but he knew that trying to talk to her now would be a mistake. Urasuea would jump at the chance to get them in trouble. His gaze floated passed Kagome and onto Sango. She was looking at her older sister in concern, her eyes narrowing in anxious scrutiny. Deciding to risk it, she passed a note over to their table. Kagome ignored it, still staring into space. InuYasha opened it and realized that it was addressed to him the whole time.

InuYasha,

She's not responding to me at all. I think we should get her out of here and down to the nurses' office. Nod if you agree.

Sango

InuYasha took one look at Kagome's silent struggling and nodded to Sango. She immediately raised her hand.

Ticked that her lesson was interrupted, Urasuea glared at the offender. "What?" she semi yelled. Sango ignored the tone.

"Kagome isn't feeling right. InuYasha and I want to take her to the nurses' office. We need a pass." It wasn't a question. Urasuea knew that. She spared a glance at Kagome and noticed the strangely far away look.

"I see no reason for her to leave," she challenged. Sango stood with InuYasha and guided Kagome into an upright position.

"Are you insane? Of course there's wrong. She's completely unresponsive." This was true. Kagome didn't even respond to InuYasha and Sango's help and remained fairly limp, leaving them to support her. Ms. Urasuea raised a brow.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," she said in a final tone. As though to defy her statement, Kagome fainted into InuYasha. He sighed.

"Can we go now?"

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A/N: There. What ya think? I sort of like it. I hope you did too. If your wondering, i got about 42 reviews for the thing. Honestly, I wasn't expecting that many. I was just trying to get a grip on how many people read this story but I didn't want to make it seem like I'm trying to get reviews for my own selfish need. Anyway, review if you think it was good. If you hated it, don't insult me or else you will get a tongue lashing. Send constructive critisism so I know what to change for next time. Ciao my friends!