More Than What She Seems
A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update!
Note-I had to reupload this chapter again because all the stars that "shift" to another scene didn't show up for some reason...now, I'll have to use :o:o:o: -sigh-
To punkwolfdemon: 00 Kill Kikyo again? Hm....not a bad idea. I'll see.
Chapter 17: I'll Love Her No Matter What
Mrs. Higurashi drove the van with a small smile.
"Jii-chan, wasn't it great to see Kagome again?" Souta asked as he and his grandfather talked in the back.
Mrs. Higurashi heard her father reply, "Yes...it was wonderful to see her again...she's grown. She's a lovely young woman now..."
'Lovely young woman? Say that to my ass,' she narrowed her eyes as she drove. 'That girl ruined my life.'
:.:Flashback:.:
"You love her more than me, don't you?!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed to her husband.
Mr. Higurashi's eyes flashed, "How could you say that?! You shouldn't compare yourself to her! She's just a child!"
"But you love her more than me!" she cried. "I know it's true!"
"You don't get what you're saying," he walked out of the room.
:o:o:o:
"I'll give that stupid girl what she deserves!" Mrs. Higurashi hissed to herself the next day as she added a small, small cup of alcohol into Kagome's cup of milk. She called out, "Kagome-dear! Come here and drink your milk!"
A 10-year-old Kagome walked up to her step-mother and took the glass carefully.
"Thank you, mama," she smiled.
"You're welcome, sweetie..."
Kagome took a sip of her milk and quickly made a sour face, "It tastes yucky! It's hurting my throat!"
"It's just your imagination, dear," she cooed. "Now drink it. It'll help you grow."
Kagome eyed her step-mother, "Okay..."
Mrs. Higurashi watched with glee as she drank the milk to the very last drop.
"Mama...I'm beginning to feel a little dizzy..." the young girl wobbled on her feet. "And a little hot..."
:o:o:o:
"She has a fever...that's the only thing possible," Mr. Higurashi murmured. "The only strange thing is...her head isn't that hot..."
He turned to his wife, "I'll buy her some medicine after work. Take good care of her, okay, dear?"
"Of course," she replied. "Anything for my step-daughter."
Mr. Higurashi smiled kindly at her, "Well, then, take care. I have to leave right now."
"Oh, the news said that there was going to be a big thunderstorm...so bring and umbrella and be careful," she quickly added.
"I will," he answered and left the room.
:.:End Of Flashback:.:
'And on that day, he was struck by lightning,' Mrs. Higurashi's mouth tightened. 'If he'd made it home a few minutes earlier instead of going to buy medicine for that little brat, that wouldn't have happened.'
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, 'It was that damn girl's fault because she just HAD to get sick. It wasn't my fault...'
"It wasn't my fault," she whispered.
:o:o:o:
Kagome slipped off Inu Yasha's back and gazed his house. She'd only come here once and that was when he didn't come to school because he was a full human at that time. In the rain, the house looked pretty. In the sunshine, the house looked beautiful. The sunlight reflected off the windows, making them sparkle. The flowers swayed gently in the wind in full bloom.
"Are you going to stand there and stare all day?" her boyfriend smirked.
Kagome shook her head.
"Do you know how much I envy you, Inu Yasha?" she asked.
He blinked, "You envy me?"
"I envy your life," she said quietly. "You have a great house. You have a great caring sister-in-law-"
"Rin's not my sister-in-law YET," Inu Yasha pointed out. "And speaking of her...have you met Sesshoumaru yet?"
"Your brother? No."
"Oh, he's going to be upset about that," he winked. "Come on, I'll introduce you to him."
He took her hand and pulled her towards the door.
"Do me the honor of ringing the doorbell, would you?" Inu Yasha nodded his head at the button.
Kagome pushed it hesitantly.
DING DONG
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, when Kagome was about to open her mouth and speak, the door creaked open.
"Inu Yasha, you're home early," Rin's voice was heard before the door swung open completely.
"I brought a guest here too," he added slyly. Rin's eyes flew over to Kagome.
"KAGOME!" she squealed. "It's so good to see you again!"
She ran over to her and gave her a tight hug.
"Come in, come in!" Rin urged them, shooing them in.
"Is Sesshoumaru home?" Inu Yasha asked her. "I wanna introduce him to Kagome."
"You're in luck!" she squealed. "He's in the office."
Rin pushed them both to the room excitedly.
"Fluffy!" she exclaimed. "We have a guest here!"
A man in his twenties that was seated at a desk looked up from his papers and blinked. Kagome couldn't help but stare. He had lovely silver hair...obviously more cared for than Inu Yasha's hair...judging by how it shined and how silky it looked. She spotted a purple crescent moon on his forehead. His eyes were golden, just like his brother's, and on his cheeks were faint purple streaks. Kagome's eyes landed on his claws...which were much sharper looking than her boyfriend's. A chill went up her spine when she recalled when Inu Yasha had turned demon and swiped at her. It had been painful.
"Fluffy, this is Kagome," Rin smiled cheerfully as she pushed Kagome forward. "She's Inu Yasha's girlfriend."
Sesshoumaru set his papers down onto the desk and stood up, "So...this is the girl whom my brother has been talking about during dinner for the last few months..."
Inu Yasha looked at the floor with embarrassment.
Sesshoumaru chuckled and walked over to Kagome, "He made a nice choice...maybe someday you'll be calling me brother-in-law."
Kagome reddened at the statement, "Eh..."
"Sesshoumaru, stop embarrassing us!" Inu Yasha snapped.
"I'm only pointing out some things," his brother replied calmly. Sesshoumaru turned his attention back onto the girl in front of him. "Well, I'm Sesshoumaru...Inu Yasha's brother."
"I'm Kagome...Inu Yasha's girlfriend," Kagome said shyly. She bowed, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sesshoumaru-san."
He waved a hand at her, "Just Sesshoumaru, please. The 'san' part makes me sound old...it makes me feel it too."
Rin giggled. Even Inu Yasha cracked a smile.
Kagome tried smiling herself, but she just couldn't.
Sesshoumaru frowned, "Is something troubling you?"
She shook her head, "No! No, no, no..."
Kagome bit her lip. She was such a bad liar. She could practically feel him staring at her right now...but maybe he'd buy it...
"Something tells me that you're lying..." he said slowly. "Something IS wrong, isn't it?"
Shoot.
"Okay, Sesshoumaru," Inu Yasha came to her rescue. "Stop interrogating her. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do, so we're going to do you a favor by leaving."
"I was only concerned, brother," Sesshoumaru answered calmly. "However, you've made a point. I DO have work to do and I shouldn't be interrogating a guest. So, it was nice to meet you, Kagome."
He took her hand and shook it.
Rin shooed the teenagers out of the room and followed after them as Sesshoumaru strode to his desk to resume his paperwork.
:o:o:o:
"Grandma," Kagome said softly. "I'm going to be staying over at Inu Yasha's house for an hour or two..is that okay?...Yes? Okay then...bye, Grandma."
She pressed the off button and set the phone back onto its cradle.
"Kagome," Inu Yasha said, staring up at the ceiling as he laid on his bed. "Tell me, why do you love...how can you love your step-mother after all that abuse she's done to you for four years?"
She took a seat beside him, "My father told me to. He said to love her no matter what. He said that she was my new mom."
Kagome's vision blurred slightly.
:.:Flashback:.:
"Listen, Kagome," Mr. Higurashi tucked his daughter in and kissed her on the forehead. "You know the new lady that has been coming to our house a lot these days?"
"You mean the lady that brings Souta-chan here so we can play?" Kagome yawned and rubbed her eyes with one of her little fists.
"Yes," he paused. "Kagome, do you like Souta-chan?"
"Yes! I love playing with him! He's like a little brother!" she smiled cheerfully.
"And how about his mother? Do you like his mother?"
"Well, she's okay..."
"Do you want her as your new mommy?"
Kagome blinked in confusion, "New mommy? What do you mean?"
"Well, since your old mommy left, wouldn't you like a new mommy?" her father asked lightly.
"I guess..."
"Well, if I marry the lady that's been coming here a lot, you'll get to play with Souta everyday. Wouldn't you like that?"
Kagome nodded, "Hai!"
:o:o:A Few Years After the Marriage:o:o:
"Kagome!" Mr. Higurashi called out, standing in the middle of the courts of Higurashi Shrine as he watched her play with a ball.
Kagome looked at her father questioningly, "Hai?"
"Come here."
She hesitated and then obeyed.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" she asked.
Her father smiled. She was so innocent, sweet and adorable.
"Kagome," he said softly, taking her into his arms. "Tell me. Is your new mommy being a little mean to you?"
Kagome's forehead scrunched up slightly as she thought deeply. After a moment, she answered, "A little..."
"Do you love her?"
"I guess.."
"Listen, Kagome," he said grimly. "Even though your new mommy is mean to you...I want you to still love her...and to love her as if she were your original mommy."
"Why?"
"Because she's..getting a little jealous of you," he replied, his mouth tightening. "She thinks that I love you more. I love everyone in our family equally, Kagome. I'm just worried about you...since your old mommy left when I found out she was having an affair..."
His voice trailed off.
Kagome hugged her father, "Okay, Daddy. I promise I'll love her."
Her eyes closed as her father hugged her back.
She thought, 'I promise...'
:.:End Of Flashback:.:
Inu Yasha eyed his girlfriend with curiosity, "But do you REALLY love her, Kagome?"
"I don't know," she whispered. Kagome drew up her legs on the bed and buried her face into them. "I don't know..."
:o:o:o:
Kagome slipped off Inu Yasha's back once they landed in front of her house.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she gave him a hug and started to walk off.
"Kagome," he grabbed onto her wrist and held her back. "Just keep in mind that I'll always be there for you."
Inu Yasha pulled her close to him, "In fact, Sango and Miroku will be there too. Don't bottle up everything inside you. We want to help."
"I'll keep that in mind," she gave him a small smile and gave him a quick kiss before walking inside.
A/N: Not much fluff, but some major stuff is going to happen soon. Think of these chapters as fillers. So now we know more to the story of the Kagome's father's death. Someone MADE her sick. And we know why Mrs. Higurashi is mean now...more stuff is going to be revealed along the way!!! Please review!
