Wandering Child Chapter 2: So Lost, So Helpless, an inuyasha fanfic

A/N: I do not own the following ahem:

InuYasha

Phantom of the Opera

Josh Groban or Broken Vow

The Sound of Music, Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin' in the Rain, or Toy story

Containers of vanilla/chocolate swirl ice cream

Thank You.

'words'-thoughts

"words"-dialogue

Words-singing

Ch.2 So lost, So helpless

Kagome slipped her key into the lock and stepped into the dark apartment. She smiled as she saw her adopted son Shippo asleep on the floor in front of a fuzzy TV screen, curled up in his ratty old baby blanket. The babysitter was passed out on the couch in a small puddle of drool, surrounded by A.P. textbooks for every subject imaginable. Quietly Kagome woke and paid the girl with a small "Good Luck" on her final exams and a reassurance for the following night's work.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping kit and be hit with a sleepy reflex fox fire, she popped a CD into the player on the shelf and skipped around until she found a song. Piano followed by a sexy male voice filled the room as Kagome sat down on the couch.

Tell me a name I want to know

The way he looks and where you go

I need to see a face

I need to understand

Why you and I came to an end.

I let you go, I let you fly

Why do I keep on asking why?

I let you go, know that I found

A way to keep, somehow,

More than a broken vow.

She had known all along about Kikyo. She had told herself that InuYasha might just be making a mistake, but tonight finally convinced her otherwise. She had wanted to believe that InuYasha would stop sneaking around behind her back, and go back to being completely hers. It was no use.

She was an idiot to think she could keep anything she wanted away from her older sister. It had been that way her whole life. Everything good she ever got went to Kikyo. That's why being Christine meant so much to her. To go out on that stage and do what she loved, and be loved in return without having to stand in her sister's shadow, an entire cast standing behind her, flowing through 18th century France together everyday.

Tell me the words I never said

Show me the tears you never shed

Give me the touch, the one you promised would be mine

Or has it vanished for all time?

I let you go, I let you fly

Why do I keep on asking why?

I let you go, know that I found

A way to keep, somehow,

More than a broken vow.

He had promised. He promised every night to protect her from the dark. Being cast as Christine had been the greatest moment of her life. How she felt when InuYasha, her boyfriend, was cast as her hero and love interest, Raoul, she thought she would never come down out of the clouds. First day of rehearsals had been the All I Ask of You number. Before hand, he had pulled her aside behind the curtains…

FLASHBACK

"Kagome…I love you." And with that he had placed a necklace over her head. A diamond ring as the pendant.

"Kagome, when I sing this song with you, it's my promise to you. Every night."

It was usually difficult for the gruff and distant hanyou to discuss his feelings so intimately with anyone. She had kissed him and walked back out onto stage elated and feeling very much like Christine.

END FLASHBACK

A single tear fell down Kagome's cheek as she fingered the ring on the chain around her throat.

I close my eyes

And dream of you and I and then I realize

There's more to love than only bitterness and lies

I close my eyes

I'd give away my soul to hold you once again

And never let this promise end

I let you go, I let you fly

Now that I know, I'm asking why?

I let you go, know that I found

A way to keep, somehow,

More than a broken vow.

Tears were streaming down Kagome's his face when Shippo woke up to the sound of his mother's whimpers. Had he been any other child he wouldn't have been able to hear them, but demon hearing allowed him to hear her pain.

Quietly he crept up onto her lap and wrapped the faded blue blanket around them both. He hated to see her cry and desperately tried everything to make her stop. He kissed her cheek, he hummed the lullaby she always sang to him before bed, he tickled her nose with his tail.

"Momma, what hurts?" he asked, tears falling down his own cheeks.

"Nothing, baby. I'm alright!" She wiped the tears off of their faces with a corner of the blanket.

"We're going to stop crying, eat some ice cream, and watch a movie to celebrate! You don't have school tomorrow so we can watch as many movies as we want! You go pick out the first one while I make us some Sundaes!"

"Alright momma!" and with that the kit scampered of with deviant grin to the movie case that held every movie imaginable. 'I know just the movie to make momma all better!'

Half an hour later Shippo and Kagome were hand in hand whirling around the living room singing along with Shippo's movie at the top of their lungs.

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens!

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Crème colored ponies and crisp apple strudel !

Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles!

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Girl's in white dresses with blue satin sashes!

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes!

Silver white winters that melt into springs

These are a few of my favorite things…

When the dog bites, when the bee stings!

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel

So bad!

That night they went through Singin' in the Rain, Meet Me in St. Louis, half of Toy Story, and two containers of vanilla/chocolate swirl ice creambefore collapsing on the couch in a worn-out heap. Kagome sprawled out with Shippo curled up in the crook of her arm with a chocolate mustache across his mouth. Shippo's blanket lay forgotten on the floor as he held onto a lock of Kagome's hair instead, snoring contentedly. Kagome smiled sleepily and snuggled closer to her kit before going to sleep herself.

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InuYasha looked at the woman sleeping below him. Had there not been a two year age difference, Kikyo and Kagome could have been twins. Kikyo's face was sharper with dark brown eyes and her torso longer; while Kagome had long slender legs, blue eyes, and an adorable pout . But other than that, they were almost identical.

He honestly felt remorse hurting Kagome like that. Actually, come to think of it, it was that mangy wolf's fault. If he hadn't of opened his trap like that, he could've had his cake and eaten too.

'Grrrrrrr….damn that Kouga! How can I face the rest of the cast tomorrow night? They all adore Kagome.' She had been adopted as something like the theatre baby. She was so damn innocent and loveable that everyone was charmed by her. She honestly cared about everyone, didn't matter if they were human or demon, and she would spend hours with the techies or the old couples that would wait at the stage door after rehearsal, genuinely listening to their stories or asking questions and learning about their trade. It was a rare day when her laughter and light tones weren't heard somewhere. Her voice alone made people brighten up.

InuYasha thought about her voice. She was the best singer he had ever heard. All his life he had been around singers, but no one could wind herself into the song and make the listener believe in angels. When he was with Kagome, he loved her. But when he was with Kikyo, she was all he could think about. He sighed heavily, causing Kikyo to stir.

"Something wrong, love?" Her navy eyes blinked up at him.

"No, koi, go back to sleep." He nuzzled his nose into her collar bone and promptly fell asleep.

Kikyo smirked over InuYasha's head. She had won this round with Kagome. 'Kikyo: one million and two, Kagome: one.' Kikyo scowled. It was that one that haunted her. Kagome had been chosen for Christine, not her. She would repay the favor to her dear sister.

'That's the last time I stay out all night.' Souta groaned to himself. 'Kagome's gonna murder me. What the hell was I thinking?' He trudged his way up the stairs, barely able to see straight, to the three bedroom apartment he shared with his sister and her adopted son. The little kit had already wormed his way into his heart and was the brightest little boy he'd ever met for his age. 'Damnit, 'Gome's gonna launch into some spiel how I should be setting a better example for Shippo since I'm the only male figure he's got. Damn I hate when she's always right.'

"And where have ye been out so late, young man?" Kaede stepped out of her apartment door, one floor before his, for her normal morning jog. 'Damnit, that means it's about five o'clock! Fuckshitdamn! Kagome's gonna have a cow!'

"Umm…Umm…I was over at…Kohaku's! Playing…video games! Yeah! That's it! See… we got caught up in this intense battle, trying to see who could win the most rounds of Soul Caliber II and…"

"Ye had best save it for Kagome. She's going to tan ye a new one whatever cock-and-bull-story ye come up with either way." And with that Kaede made her way done the stairs and out the door.

That was one crazy health-nut of an old lady. For being a retired dance instructor, she was actually pretty cool as they went. She played Madame Giry, and was almost the complete opposite of her character. Most people called her Granny Kaede, even though she was still quite young. But you had to admit, seeing her on stage with that eye patch of hers was pretty cool.

'Well, time to face the firing squad'. Souta trudged upstairs and let himself in. He had been expecting a banshee attack, not quiet. Inside, the TV was on, the credits for Toy Story going up the screen. Kagome and Shippo were curled up on the couch fast asleep. 'Yes! I get away! Who's good? I'M good!' and danced around the kitchen before crashing in to bed, not noticing his "sleeping" sister smirk. 'Oooooh is he in for it!'.

Kagome gently and quickly removed her hair from Shippo's fist and replaced it with his blanket before he could even notice. She picked him and tip-toed to his bedroom and tucked him in so he could sleep a awhile longer without being disturbed. 'Hmm…Now, how to deal with a certain little brother…' Kagome's eyes glinted in sadistic amusement as she thought up a "punishment". Now where was her case of stage makeup?

A/N: Sorry it's a bit short, but next chapter will be longer. I promise. Ex-Girl Scout's honor… an' all that jazz. Don't you just love fuzzy moments? Anyways (my favorite word…) if my muse keeps cooperating with me, I should be updating steadily with maybe some more fuzz stuff next chapter.

Glares over the computer screen at the man in a French 19th century style suit, cape, and cane reading in front of the fireplace.

"Isn't that right Jess?"

Jess rolls his eyes and goes back to reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin without falling asleep. How the hell he does that is beyond me. But, that's beside the point. Please read and review and any suggestions you have would be awesome! Flames will be read, but as to being taken seriously is something else entirely. Thanx all!