AN: Thanks for the reviews. Read on.

With You

Chapter – 3

The Beginning- Part III

"Mmmpghgff," Kagome muttered in her sleep as the sunlight hit her face. She tried to turn and hissed as a sharp pain shot through her. She slowly opened her eyes and then closed them again as the light hurt her eyes. Turning her face away, she opened them. She was still in her chair, though now quite stiff.

Then she remembered. The voice…Inuyasha…hanyou everything.

She wondered if it could have been a dream. A wonderful dream that too. One in which she was free at last. Sometimes life could be so cruel. It showed you things that could never be yours.

She somehow got up and walked slowly and carefully towards her bathroom.

Performing her morning duties she came out. She slowly walked towards her bed and lied down. Her body was hurting so much. And to think that she would have more of the bruises from her encounter with her mother sometime today…she sighed. She would have to bear it. Nothing could be done. She had suffered before… she would suffer now. Her life was an ocean of suffering. Well, nothing would come out of lying here and wallowing in self-pity. She wasn't that type of a person and never would be. Kagome Higurashi was brave.

She got up again and walked towards the cupboard. Changing into a blue sleeveless top and shorts, she went downstairs. Every step, making her flinch. Her mother wasn't anywhere in sight and Kagome assumed that she must have gone early to work.

She opened the fridge and took out some fruits. After having her breakfast, she took out her school bag and opening her history textbook, began to study.

AFTER TWO HOURS

"Enough of this history now," Kagome said to herself, putting down the book. "It's eating my brains."

She looked at the clock and saw it was 1 in the afternoon.

'What should I do now? Perhaps, I can just go for a walk.' She took her key and locked the door, knowing that her mother carried a duplicate.

She had just started walking, when she felt as if someone was watching her. She turned around but saw no one. Seeing a general store, she went inside, intending to while away the time.

"Can I help you, miss?" a pleasant voice asked her. She turned and saw a girl about her age with golden hair and deep green eyes. The girl had an American accent.

"Uh, no, thanks. I'm just looking around."

"Oh! Well, as you wish. I'm Diana Stevenson, by the way."

"I'm Kagome Higurashi," she said extending her hand. Diana took it with a smile.

They kept chatting and Kagome warmed up to her. "I'm leaving in 15 minutes. Would you like to hang out at that café just near here?" Diana asked her.

"Sure," Kagome said.

"Wait for me here, will you? That customer is looking quite lost. After that, we can leave," she said, winking at her and going over to guide a middle-aged man with brown shoulder-length hair.

Somebody bumped into her and she would have fallen had she not been caught in time by strong hands. She tried to turn but the person held her tightly against him, holding her by the waist.

"Thanks for making my job easy, wench," said a deep male voice.

'The voice! Inu-Inuyasha? So, it wasn't a dream.' Her eyes opened wide. "You!"

"Yes, me. Now let's go." He made as if pick her up.

"No, wait. Not now. I've to go out right now with a friend of mine."

"I'm getting late, girl. Can't wait."

"Hello, you are early, so how can you be late?" she demanded testily, struggling to get out of his hold, but his arms were like steel bands around her.

"I…well…feh!"

'How intelligent…' Kagome muttered inwardly, rolling her eyes. "Leave me, you jerk. If she comes here and sees us like this, she's going to think…" She stopped and blushed, realizing their position.

"Oh? Well, you can say I'm your boyfriend and you are going out with me," he said, sounding amused.

She elbowed him in the stomach hard and he let her go in surprise. "I'm going with her and you can't stop me."

She whirled towards him and stared. He had long silver hair and beautiful golden eyes, which were glaring at her right now. She saw two dog ears on his head and had an insane urge to touch them. She turned abruptly, his glare burning a hole in her back.

She hurried towards Diana and stopped by her side. She turned and smiled at her, taking her arm. "Yeah, let's go. I was just coming to get you."

'Whew, saved!' Kagome allowed herself to be dragged off by Diana.

"So, tell me about your life, Kagome," Diana said taking a sip of her cold coffee.

"M-my life," Kagome repeated startled. Now, what was she supposed to say? "My father died long ago."

"Oh, am so sorry," she said sympathetically placing a hand on top of Kagome's. "I know how it feels. I lost my little brother along with my mother in a car accident when I was 13. Since, then I have been staying with my Aunt. She's sweet."

"Why not your father?" Kagome asked her, curious.

"He…left us when I was still a baby," Diana said in a small voice.

Kagome squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry too. We both have lost people we loved. But we both have learnt to move on, right?"

"Yes," Diana said smiling. "We have. Tell me about your friends."

"Oh, there are many. I'll tell you about my best friend, Sango…"

And they went on chatting, relating amusing stories to tell from their life. Kagome was immensely enjoying herself. That is…until she caught sight of him outside the café.

Diana excused herself to go to the restroom just as she caught a glimpse of familiar silver hair. He was signaling her to leave, she knew, but she ignored him and waited for Diana.

She came back running. "Kags, am so sorry. Have to leave in a hurry. I think I left my front door open and my Aunt isn't at home. Here's my card."

Kagome took the card with a forced smile. She stood up to hug her and she left. She then glared at Inuyasha. Somehow, she knew he was behind this. He was grinning at her. She nearly stamped her foot in annoyance. The jerk, the stupid arrogant jerk! Arrghhh!

She went storming out of the café and right up to him. "What did you do?" she asked him angrily.

"Nothing, just got bored and decided to play a trick," he said yawning. "Now, let's go." He moved as if to take her arm but she took a step back.

"No! I wouldn't come with you," she shouted at him, attracting quite a lot of attention their way.

"Fine! Go home and see what lies in wait for you," he growled back.

Her face paled. Oh shit! Her mother would kill her for sure if she went back for going out without her permission. But she couldn't plead with him to take her. She had too much pride for that.

"F-fine," she said stomping off. She walked at a furious pace for sometime before her anger drained out of her and she was left feeling helpless. Now what was she to do? She couldn't go back home, she couldn't sleep on the street, she had no relatives…Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away. No, she would not cry.

"Are you done, wench?"

She turned sharply to see him standing behind her. "What do you want?" she snapped.

"You," was his reply.

Her heart skipped a beat and she felt some kind of warm sensation in the pit of her stomach. Sheesh, what was wrong with her. All right fine, he was handsome, gorgeous, sexy…stop! Damn, he was just talking about him needing her to find some Shikon-no…whatever. She saw him looking at her with a smirk on his face and realized that she had been staring. She went red and lowered her eyes.

"L-let's go," she mumbled.

She felt him coming closer and waited for him to say something. Instead he picked her up and ran. She screamed in surprise and fright and put her arms tightly around his neck.

"What the hell, you idiot! What do you think you're doing?" she shouted, as the wind howled against her ear.

"Running with a bitch like you," he said, grinning at her.

"I've a name you know…" she muttered under her breath, not knowing that he could hear her even in such noise. His grin became even more pronounced and he tightened his hold on her.

'This wench smells nice and she's cute too with her dark her and chocolate brown eyes…aaah, where did that thought come from?' he mentally growled at himself. 'I have to find the Shikon-no-tama and she's here to help me, nothing more. When we find it, she's going on her way and I'm going mine.'

School will start soon, so it'll take some time for me to update. A week or more perhaps. Take care and have fun!