More Than What She Seems

A/N: -sweatdrop- Okay, I'm over flooded with questions here...just let me tell you this: I'm not an expert about the abusing world, so please don't act like I am. Anyways, things are getting complex in this story...and the questions that you have right now might be answered in future chapters. (Not to mention that a few of you already guessed correctly what would happen next!)

I'd also like to point out what was said in the previous chapter: it said that Kagome couldn't call anyone when she was at HOME from now on...I said nothing about calling at school...and some of you suggested that she have a cell phone. Lol...Judging by how it looks, I don't think she has the money for it :p.

By the way...I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATE!

Chapter 21: I'm Here For You

It was P.E. and the class was practicing kendo again.

Kagome blocked her opponent grimly with her wooden sword. Her mind was drifting off awfully a lot today...but who could blame her? Especially what her step-mother just said in the morning to her before school...

:.:Flashback:.:

"Bye, Mom and jii-chan!" Souta waved good-bye and left out the door for school.

"See you later, Souta," Grandpa looked up from his newspaper and nodded at him.

Mrs. Higurashi said nothing.

Kagome stood up from her chair and carried her plate to the sink and started washing it.

"I'll help you rinse that, Kagome," her step-mother said and stood up from the table and settled beside her at the sink. "I wouldn't want you late for school."

Kagome turned her head and stared at her step-mother straight in the eye. Cold eyes full of hatred stared back at her.

Kagome looked away and placed her plate on the other side of the sink to be rinsed. She washed her hands and dried them quickly.

"Bye,...Mom and jii-chan," she said uncomfortably.

"Have a nice day," Grandpa replied while he smiled up at her from his newspaper.

Kagome didn't even bother listening to how her step-mother would answer her. She hastily rushed out of the kitchen and toward the front door. She quietly slipped her feet into her shoes and slung her backpack around a shoulder. Just as she was about to turn the knob of the front door and leave, a voice said, "Kagome."

She went pale. Her hands started shaking.

"W-what?" she asked and faced the person talking to her.

Mrs. Higurashi stood firmly in front of her, "I'll just tell you this..."

Kagome backed against the door as her step-mother walked toward her.

"Never...EVER make me mad...which means disobeying me or being fresh with me...got it?" Mrs. Higurashi asked coldly. "If you do, I will HURT you...and I will hurt your step-brother Souta....you may think that I'm insane for hurting my own son, but he doesn't act like a son anymore...so why should I act like his mother? If you tell ANYONE about what happened, ANYONE...I swear I will hurt you...maybe even kill you."

Kagome threw open the door behind her and ran out.

"And don't forget! I know where your cousin and grandma live! You might want to consider them too!" Mrs. Higurashi exclaimed with a wicked laugh.

:.:End of Flashback:.:

"Something's wrong with that woman," Kagome murmured.

CLACK

She winced as the practice sword of her opponent struck her hard on her mask and dropped onto her knees. The person in front of her sighed.

"Kagome..." Inu Yasha pulled off his mask and knelt down in front of her. "What the heck is wrong with you today? You seem so out of it. Usually, I get a little fighting back from you...but today...nothing."

"Nothing's wrong," she murmured.

Inu Yasha lightly grabbed onto her right arm. Kagome let out a little shriek of pain. He let go immediately.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked in concern. Inu Yasha started to pull up her sleeve. Kagome slapped his hands away.

"Don't touch me," she whispered and stood up. "You didn't do anything to my arm...so just...don't worry."

Inu Yasha opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Kuno blew his whistle.

"Alright!" their P.E. teacher shouted to the whole class. "Time to put everything away! Class is over!"

Kagome turned away from Inu Yasha's direction and walked off.

'Saved by the teacher,' she sighed with relief.

:o:O:o:O:o: Lunch :o:O:o:O:o:

Kagome leaned against the sakura tree in the school's lunch courtyard and waited for Inu Yasha impatiently.

"Where is he?" she bit her lip. "He said he wanted to talk to me about something important...but I don't see him anywhere...I'm missing lunch."

A blur suddenly landed in front of her.

"Sorry I'm late," Inu Yasha said.

"It's okay," Kagome frowned. "Well, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

She let out a cry as he grabbed onto her shoulders and pushed her hard against the trunk of the sakura tree.

"We're going to talk about you," he said firmly and locked eyes with her.

:o:O:o:O:o:

"Where's Kagome and Inu Yasha?" Sango blinked as Miroku sat down across from her...alone.

"Inu Yasha told me that he wanted to talk to Kagome for a little bit," Miroku answered her and bit into his sandwich.

"Y-you don't think she's going to get hurt by him again, do you?" she asked uneasily.

Miroku swallowed and sighed, "Sango...not that again."

"I'm just worried," she protested.

"They're just having a lovers chat," he assured her. "And I'm sure it's nothing really important."

:o:O:o:O:o:

'Damn, I can't tear my eyes away...' Kagome clamped her eyes shut.

"Inu Yasha, there's nothing to talk about," she insisted. "And you're hurting me."

His hold on her loosened, but he still held onto her shoulders.

"What's happening?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Is something happening at home? It's your step-mother, isn't it? Is she hurting you and your grandma and cousin?"

Kagome bit her lip. He was so close to finding out the truth.

"No, she's not hurting us," she lied.

Kagome's eyelids slightly closed and thought, 'But she IS hurting ME.'

Inu Yasha gazed at her with a hurt expression, "Something's happening to you and you aren't telling me. I'm your boyfriend for Kami's sake. Didn't I say that I'd always protect you?"

She didn't answer.

"I guess...I'll have to find out for myself," he murmured. Before she could do anything, Inu Yasha pulled up her right sleeve all the way up to her shoulder. She reached over to pull it back down. He caught her hand and held it away.

"No, don't look!" Kagome started crying. "Don't look at it!"

Inu Yasha stared at her long bruise with a shocked expression.

Kagome's small cries soon turned into sobs.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.

"My step-mother, okay?!" she screamed and broke away from his hold. "Now leave me alone!"

"Kagome..." she heard him whisper.

"I want to die," she cried. "I want to die right now! My step-mother is back in my life! I moved back into her house and she's abusing me again! She's even hurting Souta. She's-"

"Kagome."

She looked up. Her eyes widened as his mouth pressed against hers and she soon felt herself relax against him. After a short moment, Inu Yasha pulled away.

"Calm down," he said softly. "I'm here for you."

"I don't want you dragged into this," she said bitterly and looked away.

"Too bad," he let out a small laugh. "I'm already dragged into it."

The corner of Kagome's mouth twitched up a little, "That's true."

"I miss the times when you smiled a lot," he remarked quietly.

Kagome swallowed, "How could I smile right now? How with my step-mother back in my life?"

Inu Yasha didn't answer. He just looked at her thoughtfully.

"Maybe I could 'take care' of her?" he suggested.

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and stared sternly at him, "And what do you mean by 'take care' of her?"

"Well....I could kill her."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "You'd be a murderer and I don't want anybody getting killed anymore."

"We could call the police and they can arrest her for child abuse," Inu Yasha continued. He blinked when he saw her mouth tighten. "What's wrong?"

"I already tried that," she murmured. "My step-mother tore the only phone in the house off the wall and broke it."

"Your step-mother is insane..."

"I already heard..." (remember when Grandpa said a similar thing to the line above in the previous chap?)

"Well," Inu Yasha grinned slyly. "You could always stay with me at my house after school instead of going home."

"Inu Yasha..." Kagome sighed back.

"What?"

"Don't start thinking like Miroku."

:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:

Kagome clung onto Inu Yasha's back as he was took her to her new home. Higurashi Shrine soon came into view and he landed onto the ground lightly. Kagome climbed off his back carefully.

"Kagome!" Souta waved at the top of the steps.

She pasted on a smile and waved back.

"Seriously, I admire the squirt's cheerfulness," Inu Yasha stared at the young boy. "How could he act so happy when he's living with a monster?"

Souta slowly made his way down the stairs and reached the two teenagers. When he spotted Inu Yasha, he moved closer to Kagome and tugged her sleeve.

"He isn't going to hurt me, is he?" he gulped, pointing to the hanyou.

Inu Yasha laughed, "In your dreams...I'd never hurt a kid like you."

Souta stared for a brief moment and then smiled brightly. His face grew more serious and he turned to Kagome, his voice full of anxiety.

"Kagome," he said softly. "Grandpa told me that the police came to the shrine while we were at school today."

She knelt down in front of him so that they were face-to-face.

"What happened?" she asked.

He took a deep breath and then let it all out, his face grim, "Grandpa...said that mom told the police that it was an accident...that one of us kids were just playing with the phone."

"But...then she would have been fined with money!" Kagome exclaimed.

"I bet you that paying money seemed better to mom than going to jail for child abuse..."

The two siblings continued discussing the issue seriously to each other with frowns on their faces.

Inu Yasha listened to them quietly, thinking deeply, 'I've got to do something...before it's two late for the both of them.'

His ears twitched when Kagome sighed and stood up. To his surprise, she turned to him and hugged him hard.

"Thanks for taking me home and making me feel better, Inu Yasha," she murmured. "And thanks...for worrying about me."

Inu Yasha noticed Souta watching with a sly look, and a blush crept into his cheeks. He stammered back, "F-feh, you ALWAYS make me worried about you."

"Aww...you always worry for me?" Kagome giggled. "You're so sweet."

She glanced at the late afternoon sky over his shoulders, leaned closer, and kissed him quickly, "It's getting late. Bye, Inu Yasha."

"Love you, Kagome," he answered as she pulled away. Inu Yasha watched as she and Souta made their way up the shrine stairs. A familiar person caught his eye. Mrs. Higurashi stood at the top of the stairs, her hands on her hips, and her face set in a stern glare.

"Hurry up, you two!" she shouted to Kagome and Souta. "We have to start making dinner!"

Inu Yasha noted her stone cold eyes.

"I'll save you from her someday, Kagome..." he muttered, while he watched the two siblings running up the rest of the stairs. When no one was no longer in view, Inu Yasha turned away and started to head home.

"I'll save you, Souta, and your step-grandfather," he said to himself. His hands clenched into fists. "I swear I will."

A/N: And there you have it...and if you think it can't get anymore worse...just wait and see! :p

Please review!!!