More Than What She Seems
A/N: Hey, everyone. Well, this story has turned very dark...hasn't it? The truth is, I'm sorta losing motivation (this happens all the time whenever I'm near the end of the story...the motivation keeps turning 'off' and 'on') and satisfaction for this fic. So, please forgive me if I seem to be "slipping". I've noticed that I have myself. -sigh- But I hate unfinished stories, so I'm going to finish this fanfic. So hold on everyone! Only 5 chapters (counting this one) left!
To ladykaa2: Well, Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha get along pretty well in this fanfic...and yup, Fluffy helps later, you'll see.
To QT102: O.o Lol. You're one of the many reviewers who make me smile in your reviews.
To Dragon Man 180: All I have to say to you is: you give some of the best suggestions ever! Lol (thank you, but I have some things really good planned and this story is ending soon REALLY soon) :D
Chapter 22: Going Over The Edge
It was Friday and Kagome jolted awake early in the morning at the sound of crashing objects.
"What, what's going on?" she whispered, clasping her blanket so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She strained her ears and was able to pick up any voices speaking...of course, she really didn't need to try when she heard familiar voices shouting.
"Daughter, calm down RIGHT NOW!" Grandpa scolded. "How could you be drinking again?! I thought you quit years ago! Now sit DOWN before you start getting seriously drunk or before you're going to hurt someone...especially Souta and Kagome!"
Crash.
"You're always on that BRAT'S side! WHY?!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed.
Another crash.
"For goodness, sake, stop breaking our dishware! Anyways, I have reason to be on Kagome's side!" her father snapped back. "I've let this go on long enough! I can't believe I've stood aside as I watched you hurt my grandson and step-granddaughter!"
Grandpa took a breath and continued in a loud hoarse voice, "You were once kind and gentle...always caring about the ones you loved, especially about your husband who I saw that you loved oh so deeply...that is, until you found out that your husband was having an affair. That was when you two fought and got divorced...and when you fell into despair."
Kagome got up from her bed and tiptoed quickly to her door, opening it slightly so that she could listen to what her step-jii-chan had to say next. As she peeked out the door, she wondered why she didn't know about all this. Her attention snapped back to Grandpa when he started talking again.
"You fell into despair because your husband left you for someone else...maybe someone who he loved more...maybe not," he stated. "And that was when you discovered drinking. You started drinking weekly during the night to 'ease your pain' and then 'weekly' turned to 'daily'. You drank for 2 years until suddenly, one day, you stopped. I was thrilled, thinking that you had finally moved on...and you did. You found someone new who you loved and had a lot of similarities with...and the two of you got married. And that was when Kagome came into your life."
Kagome stood quietly and noticed that her step-mother had remained silent during the whole speech.
"Well, after all, jii-chan IS her father..." she said under her breath.
"For awhile, I actually thought that things would go back to normal with you, but you started to get jealous of Kagome for some reason. Tell me, were the memories of your first husband resurfacing again?" Grandpa didn't wait for an answer, he just continued. "Because I caught you drinking again...Kagome's father may not have noticed, but I certainly have. And your hatred for Kagome grew as her father seemed to 'love her more' than you."
Kagome heard her step-mother letting out small whimpers. She was crying.
"But it's true!" Kagome heard her cry out. "He DID love her more! I heard in on a conversation they had before the brat's bedtime! I heard him tell her that the reason he married me was for her to have a mother-like figure in her life and a brother to play with!"
"Who said those were the only reasons?!" Grandpa barked.
Kagome gulped. She'd never heard Grandpa so angry before. Never.
He resumed speaking, "Daughter, I KNOW you put alcohol in Kagome's milk that day."
"You knew..." Mrs. Higurashi whispered. "How?"
"I was there washing the dishes...maybe you didn't notice...probably because you were so set on making your step-daughter over drunk. And when you set down the glass down on the counter beside the sink, I noticed that it reeked of alcohol," Kagome heard Grandpa's footsteps pacing back and forth. "You knew you could've killed her instantly by giving her a HUGE amount of alcohol...but you didn't. Was it because it would have been more convincing if Kagome died because of a 'fever'? Or was it because something held you back...like say, the love you actually had for her yourself. The love of a mother."
Mrs. Higurashi spat, "Feh! I don't think so!"
"And when Kagome's father decided to buy her medicine to help cure the fever, he was struck by lightning and died. And if he HADN'T went to buy her medicine, he would have made it home safely before the storm got dangerous. It was Kagome's fault, ne?" Grandpa's footsteps were no longer heard. "Or should I say, it was YOUR fault?"
"Shut up!!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed. "SHUT UP!!"
"You can't bear the truth, can you?" Grandpa replied calmly. "You knowing that it was practically YOUR fault that Kagome's father died...and it made you feel even worse when you had to look at her every morning because she resembles her father so much...and most of all because she's still alive and because people seem to love her a lot."
"That is NOT true!" Mrs. Higurashi hissed.
"You're jealous and you know it!"
SMASH
Kagome winced at the sound.
"How dare you strike your own FATHER!" Grandpa boomed.
"What's going on?-" Souta's voice was suddenly heard.
"Get OUT!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted. Souta let out a cry and Kagome's heart beat faster when she heard a crash.
"Souta!" she bolted out of her room and to the scene. Everyone was in the kitchen. Kagome found Souta sitting in a small pile of broken china cups.
"Souta!" she cried out and ran to him, ignoring the stares from her step-mother. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Kagome," he mumbled. "But get out before she might hurt you."
"I'm not leaving you here!" she protested. Kagome's eyes flew over him to for injuries. There were none.
"Get out, brat," she heard her step-mother growl behind her. "Your step-grandfather and I are having an important talk."
For a moment, it was silent. Mrs. Higurashi blinked when Kagome started laughing.
"Hehehehehe.." her step-daughter shakily chuckled. "So...YOU were the whole cause of this mess! YOU were the cause of my so-called fever! And during all those years, you made me believe that it was MY fault of my father's death!"
Kagome whirled her head around, her eyes swimming with tears.
"And then you took out all your anger, guiltiness, and depression on ME!" she exclaimed with a sour voice. "You made me suffer for FOUR years! What kind of 'mother-figure' are you?!"
Kagome blinked when she saw her step-mother's eyes soften for a split second and then harden into those usual cold and hateful eyes.
"D-don't you DARE start getting fresh with me!" Mrs. Higurashi ordered, her voice quivering.
"Why can't you move on?" Kagome whispered. She stood up and started walking toward her step-mother, knowing that she was finally getting through to her. "Why?"
She jumped when her step-mother let out a huge growl.
"All of you are driving me INSANE!!!!" Mrs. Higurashi hissed. "And I've had enough of it!!!"
Everything that happened next happened so fast before Kagome could realize what was going on. She felt a fist collide into her cheek and her body flying backwards toward the ground.
Souta screamed out in concern, "SIS!!"
She was still in shock...her whole body numb. Kagome felt Souta throw himself over her, crying hard.
"You were hurt because of me again..." he let out a small sob. "I'm not letting it happen a third time!"
Kagome opened her mouth to answer him, but sucked in her breath when she heard a shout. The next thing she knew, her step-mother was hovering over her and Souta with a knife.
"You wouldn't DARE to hurt us with that, would you?" Kagome asked with venom in her voice. "I swear, if you abuse us one more time, I'm going to call the police one way or another!"
She glared at Mrs. Higurashi, "I was thinking about calling them at school...but I was scared that you'd hurt Souta or step-jii-chan...but I have to confront my fears. Mainly you."
Her step-mother let out a cackle, "Lovely speech, child. Lovely."
Mrs. Higurashi gave her a wicked smile, snatched onto Souta's hair with a hand, and yanked him up. He let out a painful yelp. Grandpa began speaking out with disapproval and protest, but clamped his mouth shut when she pointed the knife at him, "Quiet, old man."
With that said, Mrs. Higurashi faced Kagome again.
"You were scared that I'd hurt Souta, right?" she asked, laying the knife against his bare and unprotected neck. "Well, you should be because-"
Kagome watched in horror as she slid the knife lightly along Souta's neckline, drawing blood.
"...because I'm not afraid of hurting him," her step-mother said tightly. "I'm sick of you two. Souta reminds me so much of his father...and you, brat, remind me of your father. Every. Single. Day. I'm tired of it."
To Kagome's, Souta's, and Grandpa's surprise, Mrs. Higurashi let go of Souta's hair and started to stroll out of the room, sticking the knife into one of the pockets on the apron she was wearing. Souta scrambled to Kagome hastily and hugged her tightly.
"And brat...just to let you know...if you DO call the police, and believe me I have my ways of knowing, I guarantee you that someone will seriously get hurt here," their mother stopped at the doorway, her back facing them. Her tone was dangerously threatening and cold. Souta's hug tightened around his step-sister. Kagome put her arms around him protectively. Mrs. Higurashi turned her head slightly and gave the two children a tight-lipped smile before leaving the room.
The last six words replayed over and over in Kagome's head like a broken record,
Someone will seriously get hurt here...
Someone will seriously get hurt here...
Someone will seriously get hurt here...
:o:O:o:O:o:
"There, all fixed," Kagome said gently, kneeling down on the floor as she secured the bandage on Souta's neck. She gave him a peck on the forehead and began to put away her secret first aid kit. The both of them had escaped safely to Kagome's room and now, the two siblings sat there quietly for a long moment.
Souta broke the silence.
"Thanks, Kagome-chan," he murmured and sat tensely on her bed. "Thanks a lot."
"No problem, kiddo," she gave him a warm look. "Just try not to butt into things and make a mess again."
"Kagome..." he sniffed. "I feel so guilty. Every time I do something stupid like today, you always end up getting hurt."
Kagome slid the kit under her bed and then plopped down onto the bed beside her step-brother.
"It's okay, Souta," she replied softly. "I'm used to it...I mean, I had to put up with it for 4 years, remember?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Just...try to avoid mom as much as possible."
"You know, I still can't believe how you can call her 'mom' so casually," Souta looked up at his step-sister and stared at her with admiration.
Kagome laughed in response, "Well, I just can. Now we'd better hurry. We have to leave for school in a few minutes."
Souta gave her a bear hug. Kagome returned the embrace and sighed, "I don't know how long we can take all this."
"Kagome, I don't want her to hurt me again," Souta said with a frightened voice.
She stared down at him and answered with determination in her voice and eyes, "Believe me. With me here, she won't."
:o:O:o:O:o:
Before Kagome and Souta had left for school, Grandpa stopped them in front of the front door and vowed that he would try to put an end to all their misery.
"I'm not going to sit around and watch your insane mother hurt you anymore!" he scoffed. "And if I don't say so myself, I'd say that I was insane too since I just stood aside and still like a statue...l-like a vegetable on a counter...like a-"
"Okay, Gramps," Souta rolled his eyes. "Now can we please GO? We're going to be late for school."
And so off the two siblings went, riding to their schools on their bikes.
:o:O:o:O:o: At School :o:O:o:O:o:
"Today, we'll be playing a little baseball," Mr. Kuno shouted out to the class. "Girls against boys! Split into 2 groups according to gender!"
"Come on, Kagome," Sango urged, yanking on her best friend's arm.
"Hm? Oh, coming," Kagome snapped back into reality and followed after Sango. She'd been thinking about what she was going to do after school.
'Inu Yasha isn't here today,' she sighed. 'It must be the new moon today. Well...guess that means I'll be visiting him and good thing it's a Friday too-'
"KAGOME!" a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hello?! Earth to Kagome!!!"
She blinked, "What?"
Sango pushed her forward, "You're the next batter! Get over there and pick up that bat before Mr. Kuno starts his usual fits!"
Kagome nodded in comprehension.
As she stood in position and as the pitcher, who happened to be Miroku, threw the ball, Kagome pictured the ball in her mind as her step-mother's head. She could see the image perfectly. Those cold eyes...that wicked smile...she wished she could just whack all that hatefulness out of her step-mother. The ball was nearing closer to her and with one huge swing, she sent it flying into the air.
"Oh, Kami! What a HIT!" Sango gaped. "Run, Kagome!! RUN!"
She didn't need to be told twice. Kagome bolted to first base and her eyes darted everywhere to see where the ball had went. It was still flying in the air...farther and farther away from them.
"You can make it to third, shoot, maybe even hit a HOMERUN! KEEP RUNNING!" Sango screamed her head off.
Kagome did so. She ran past 2nd base and ran towards third.
"QUICK! THE GUYS HAVE THE BALL!" Sango shrieked.
Kagome breathed in, adrenaline spreading throughout the inside of her, and she picked up her speed. She ran past 3rd base.
"Go Kagome! GO!!!" Sango hollered.
At the corner of her eye, Kagome watched as Miroku caught the baseball from one of his fellow male classmates and as he held back his arm for a good throw.
Now there was a mixing of, "THROW IT DUDE!" from the boys and "RUN, KAGOME!" from the girls.
Kagome clamped her eyes shut and sped up.
"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" the chants were endless from both teams. The ball was flying towards home base.
She leaned toward the ground and slid against the rough sand. Dust was flying everywhere.
"Who made it first?" a girl asked. "Can anybody see?"
Murmurs broke out.
"Kagome..." Sango breathed.
The catcher suddenly called out, "SAFE!"
All the girls erupted into applause and cheered.
The dust finally cleared and everyone saw that Kagome was laying tiredly on home base.
"Alright! Switch positions!" Mr. Kuno yelled. "Girls in the field and boys are the batters!"
"Alright you," Sango walked over to Kagome and pulled her up. "Great job. You scored big points for our team."
"Yeah," her best friend panted.
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yup."
"Okay!" Sango piped. "I gotta run before someone takes the pitcher's position!"
With that said, she ran off merrily.
Kagome watched with some amusement and then headed to the center of the field.
"Places ready!" Mr. Kuno barked. He blew his whistle, "Begin!"
Miroku tapped the floor twice with the bat and held it steady over his shoulder, waiting patiently for Sango.
"Hey, Sango!" he called out to her. "Throw me a good one and I'll treat you to a nice date!"
The baseball flew right past him and into the catcher's hold.
"Strike one!" Mr. Kuno exclaimed.
"WHO SAID I WANTED A DATE WITH YOU?!" Sango screamed to Miroku.
Miroku frowned.
"Fine, if you throw me a good one, I'll be your boyfriend for however long you want!" he answered loudly.
The ball flew past him once again and into the catcher's mitt.
"Strike TWO!" Mr. Kuno thundered.
"WHO SAID I WANTED YOU AS MY BOYFRIEND IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" Sango spat, catching the baseball from the catcher and tossing the ball up and down in the air with her hand.
"You KNOW you do!!" Miroku gave her a large grin, positioning himself once again.
"Why you..." a vein popped in her forehead. "YOU PERVERT!"
She hurled the ball straight toward him and this time, instead of landing in the mitt of the catcher, it hit Miroku on the head.
"STRIKE THREE!" Mr. Kuno bellowed. "Yoooooooooouuuuuuuuu're OUT!"
:o:O:o:O:o: After School :o:O:o:O:o:
"I'm going to be visiting Inu Yasha, so don't worry about me, okay?" Kagome asked lightly.
Souta nodded.
His step-sister smiled warm-heartedly at him and ruffled his hair. She had quickly changed out of her uniform and into a plain yellow dress with a thin, light blue long-sleeved outer coat. Souta followed her as she headed to the front door.
"So, if Grandpa asks about me, just tell him I'm visiting a friend and if mom asks about me..." Kagome trailed off. She really had no clue what Souta could say that her step-mother would believe. She slipped on a small backpack and ran the choices through her mind quickly. She took a deep breath and huffed out, "Well, just tell her I have to do some special errands for the school."
"Okay," her step-brother nodded. "I will. Come home safely."
"I will," Kagome gave him a thumbs up as she opened the front door. "And be sure to try to stay on Mom's good side."
He snorted, "As if she HAS a good side. She doesn't really seem to."
:o:O:o:O:o:
Kagome kicked down the brakes on her bike after she parked it near the entrance door.
"About one month of school left..." Kagome breathed, pressing the doorbell. "And then I'll have to stay home everyday...and I'll have to deal with my step-mother 24/7."
Rin opened the door and blinked.
"Kagome!" she smiled. "Come in."
"Is Inu Yasha in his room?" Kagome asked.
"Like always..upstairs..room to the right," Rin gave her a look. "Is something troubling you? You look kinda...grim."
"No," the teenager answered quickly. "Nothing's troubling me at all."
Kagome brushed past her and ran up the stairs. Rin raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
:o:O:o:O:o:
Kagome knocked on the door gently.
"Come in," she heard Inu Yasha say on the other side.
Ever since that day she discovered his secret on the day of the full moon, she started to visit him after school every time he stayed home from school.
Usually, whenever she entered his room, it would be black as night inside. Inu Yasha had kept insisting that he wanted to sit and sulk in the dark whenever Kagome asked him why he didn't want to turn on the lights.
"I don't wanna look at myself as a human," he told her. "It just reminds me that I'm a hanyou."
And no matter how many times she told him that being a hanyou wasn't that bad, he wouldn't listen to her...
Imagine her surprise when she opened up the door to find the room filled with sunlight shining from windows that were uncovered by their curtains. Inu Yasha, in his human form, was sitting on his bed and staring at the images flickering across the TV.
She blinked in confusion, "Inu...Yasha?"
He looked away from the television, "Hey, Kagome."
After closing the door behind her, she walked over to him and sat down on the bed. Kagome took off her backpack, dug inside and took out a thin paperback book.
"Hey...well, the only homework we have is for English class," she said, pointing to the cover. "We all have to finish this book by Monday. Ms. Kasumi is going to test us on all this stuff."
Inu Yasha took the book and paged through it.
"Parts of speech...where to put punctuation...I already know most of this stuff," he remarked and held the book toward Kagome to hand it back.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to review," Kagome held up her chin, refusing to take back the book.
"Alright, you win," he chuckled.
Kagome smiled and shifted into a more comfortable position, "So...why are all the curtains open? Don't you want to...well, 'sit and sulk in the dark'?"
"No."
"I see..."
"You should see!" Inu Yasha 'humph'ed. "It's all because of you!"
Kagome blinked, "Me? How so?"
"Your stupid words," he said dryly.
She sweat-dropped, again?"
She winced as he bonked her lightly on her head with a fist.
"You dumb wench," he murmured. "Before today, whenever it was the new moon, I always stayed in the dark and sulked...but then today...well, I just thought about everything you said to me on the days that you visited me and I realized that it was all for nothing....a complete waste of my time. From now on, I'll just act like it's any other day."
Kagome opened her mouth to speak.
"No, that doesn't mean that I'm going to start going to school on the days of the new moon," he said before she could say anything. Inu Yasha grinned when he saw her shut her mouth again. "That's a big step. I don't want anyone else to find out about my secret yet."
"And you better keep my secret a secret still or else," he added with a mild threatening tone.
"Or else what?"
"Just or else."
"Because you have no threats to make," Kagome giggled.
"Anyways," Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. "Anything interesting happened in school today?"
"Well..." she said thoughtfully. "We DID play baseball in gym class today."
"How'd it go?"
"Mr. Kuno split the class into two teams...a boys team and a girls team. And well, when I was the batter, I hit a homerun for the girls."
"Really..." Inu Yasha plopped down onto his back. "I'm not surprised. You showed everyone how fast you can be on the very first day you attended our school, remember?"
"Hai..." Kagome nodded. "I remember. I beat Kikyo at the track that day."
"So what else happened?"
"Well, we switched off and then Miroku was first to bat for the boys' team. He started talking like a complete idiot and got 3 strikes pretty quickly..."
Inu Yasha laughed, "Let me guess...Sango was the pitcher for your team."
"How'd you know?"
"I just do. I've known the two of them for years. And Miroku is usually good at sport games...except when Sango's participating in them...so that's all that happened in gym?"
"Well...Mr. Kuno yelled at the boys about how they played like wusses..." Kagome bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "He kept asking them why none of them weren't able to make a homerun like me...some of the boys even asked if I had a secret to it...and I kept telling them no...and it's true. I mean, all I did was think about my step-mother when the ball came flying at me-"
"How's your arm?" her boyfriend said out of the blue.
She sighed, "Fine. The bruise it going away pretty fast."
"Did the monster hurt you or the squirt today?" Inu Yasha asked quietly.
"...yes. She gave Souta a small cut on his neck with a knife."
Inu Yasha sharply turned his head toward her with an alarmed look, "What?!"
"Souta...he got...a cut," Kagome said with a trembling voice. She blinked when he sat up.
"That's it," her boyfriend scowled. "That step-mother of yours has gone too far. I'm calling the police."
"DON'T!" Kagome threw herself on him. "Inu Yasha. If we tell the police, she'll hurt Grandpa or Souta...especially me!"
She started crying. Inu Yasha's eyes softened.
"Alright then..." he mumbled, putting his arms around her and hugging her close to him. "...you win again."
"Th-thank you for understanding..." she sniffed, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you for everything actually. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all this."
"Well...how 'bout eating dinner and spending the night here?" he asked slowly. Kagome raised up her head so they were face-to-face.
"I'd love to...but my step-mom...if it weren't for her, then I WOULD, but she'd get really mad at me," she whispered.
"Oh, come on. I insist," Inu Yasha said as he stroked her hair. "And I'll take you straight home in the morning, how does that sound?"
"..."
"Sesshoumaru and Rin want to know more about you too...especially Rin," he added with a small laugh.
Kagome smiled, "Okay. You win."
:o:O:o:O:o:
After a short argument, it was decided by Sesshoumaru and Rin that Kagome would stay in Inu Yasha's room that night. One reason was because she had asked if she could sleep in a room near her boyfriend's and another reason was because all the other rooms in that floor were already occupied by things in storage.
"Of course, Kagome may have Inu Yasha's bed for the night...and Inu Yasha, you can sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor," Sesshoumaru said calmly.
"Why can't I just sleep in the bed TOGETHER with Kagome?" Inu Yasha protested. "I mean, I've slept together with her BEFORE!"
His brother and his fiancée stared at him.
"What?!" they asked simultaneously.
Inu Yasha growled, "Get your perverted minds out of the gutter! We didn't do anything! And besides, Kagome is NOT that kind of person...and neither am I!"
Rin and Sesshoumaru gave him a sure-whatever-you-say look and glanced at each other.
"Fine," Rin shrugged.
"You're old enough to make your own decisions anyway," Sesshomaru said coolly. "But if Kagome comes up to me the next morning and complains to me about you, you're going to find yourself in BIG trouble."
"Threat taken," the hanyou rolled his eyes.
"Very well then," Sesshoumaru nodded. "I'll be off then. I need my beauty sleep."
:o:O:o:O:o:
"Seriously...those two drive me insane!" Inu Yasha scowled as he stood on the left side of the bed and fluffed out his pillow. He'd changed into a t-shirt and red shorts (whoa...if you imagine him like that...he looks like a lifeguard! Lol.). "Especially Sesshoumaru. 'I need my beauty sleep!' he says."
"Well, I think they're kind of funny," Kagome giggled as she walked out of the bathroom in the large room. Rin had given her a new and unused pair of pajamas to wear overnight and to bring with her when she went home. Kagome stopped beside the right side of the bed, pulled out the blankets, jumped in, and pulled the blankets over her.
"Feh, I don't think 'funny' is the word," Inu Yasha grunted, laid down his pillow, and slipped in beside his girlfriend. "'Weird' or 'insane' would fit them more..."
"Alright, alright. Whatever you say...goodnight," Kagome closed her eyes and curled up. She let out a small shriek when she felt his arms snake around her waist, pulling her close to him so that her back was resting against his chest.
"'night, Kagome," he murmured, burying his face in her hair.
Kagome smiled and closed her eyes again...and for the first time that week, she felt completely safe.
A/N: There you have it. Man, it took me a whole day to type this chapter...-sigh- I made this chappie longer than usual because... It's my membership anniversary! Last year, around this time of year, I joined and started "You Stole My Heart". I can't believe it. I've been writing fanfiction for a year now. :D I'm so sorry for the long update! I was busy.
Anyways, more was revealed in this chapter...and we found out more about Mrs. Higurashi's past. Oh, another thing: I don't have anything against her. She's a great character...but she just has to be this way in this fic. I'm never EVER going to have her like this again in future fics. Definitely. :D
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