Chapter 13: Uncles and Caves
Kaori rubbed both eyes and moaned. She opened her eyes and smiled. At least she could open both now.
It had been around a week since Kaori was found beaten up in the kitchen. Sesshomaru helped her eat and move around. He stayed with her and made sure she was comfortable. Kaori stood and nearly fell over. He legs were still wobbly and sore. Her ribs and side felt worst. Most likely because she was kicked there the most. Sesshomaru showed up at the doorway as soon as he heard Kaori moan. Kaori smiled at him and offered him her hand. She still needed assistance moving around. Sesshomaru helped her downstairs and sit at the table. He brought out her usual breakfast (cereal) and a bowl. She munched on her breakfast and watched some TV before she heard a key turning in the lock of the front door. She was weary at who would have the key other than her parents and nearly leaped to the door to help whoever into the house. Seeing that she was still injured, she couldn't and it was good. It wasn't her parents but her uncle.
"Kaori, where are you?" He called out. He first saw Sesshomaru sitting at the kitchen table and smiled his sweet smile at him. He always put an act around Kaori's parents and any guest, but when no one was around, he abused her beyond belief. No matter how much she told her parents when she was a kid, they never believed her. In the end, she gave up and lived with the abuse any time he came around. Sesshomaru could tell he was a relative by his scent and didn't attempt to kill him at first glance. The smile he gave Sesshomaru gave Sesshomaru some suspicions, but shook it off.
"Kaori, where are you?" Kaori's uncle called out.
"I'm on the couch," Kaori told him, the big smile fading.
No matter how powerful Sesshomaru was, she wouldn't tell him what had truly happened to her. Throughout the week, he had asked her and she continuously told him she fell down the stairs. She knew if he found out her uncle did this, he would kill him. No matter how much she hated him, he was still family and Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to see her if her mother found out that Sesshomaru killed her uncle.
"Ah, so you have a guest over. Without telling your uncle," Kaori's uncle said in his happy tone. He sat next to Kaori and ruffled her hair. "So who is he?"
"He's Sesshomaru. My... boyfriend," Kaori said in a monotone. Sesshomaru could tell that she had some disappointment in it, but said nothing.
"Sesshomaru. Were you named after the great Lord Sesshomaru who ruled these lands for a long time?" Kaori's uncle asked to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru looked over at Kaori and nodded. He didn't technically lie.
"Well, welcome. Anyone who captured Kaori's heart is family in my books," Kaori's uncle exclaimed, standing up and going over to Sesshomaru. "I ought to tell you, since you probably don't know, Kaori's parents have gone to work around the world and I've been trusted to take care of Kaori. So, you are welcomed her, even if you aren't by Kaori's parents. Stay as long as you wish."
Sesshomaru gave a slight nod and looked over at Kaori. She had shut off the TV and held her head in her hands. Kaori's uncle caught it and went back to Kaori.
"What's the matter, niece?" Kaori's uncle asked.
"Nothing," Kaori said. Her eyes went wide and kept her mouth shut when he patted her back.
"That's my niece. Nothing bothers her," he said. Sesshomaru growled at Kaori's uncle and Kaori smiled over at him.
"Sesshomaru it's ok. It was just a little of pain," Kaori said with a huge smile. Sesshomaru stopped his growling and Kaori looked at her uncle with a huge smile.
"What happened?" Her uncle asked. Kaori caught the shine in his eye.
"Oh, was clumsy and fell down the stairs. Been sore for a week or so," Kaori told him.
"Well, I can tell you have your mother's feet," Kaori's uncle said, walking to the door. "I'll return soon with groceries. Don't expect yourself to eat off of leftovers."
Kaori smiled at him and watched him close the door as he left. Then she nearly collapsed off of the couch. She stopped herself by placing her hands on the table, keeping herself up.
"I don't like him," Sesshomaru said, kneeling next to Kaori. He saw one tear fall from Kaori's eye and even saw her wipe away a few. "He hurt you didn't he?"
"He didn't know," Kaori said, lifting her head and sitting upright.
"You need to rest. You're still injured," Sesshomaru told her, placing a hand on Kaori's.
"Maybe you should return to the past. Maybe Rin needs you or maybe Jaken," Kaori told him.
"Why do you want me to leave?" Sesshomaru asked. It was odd for Kaori to ask him to leave her. She usually wanted him to be near her.
"I don't. It's just..." Kaori trailed off. Sesshomaru looked at her. She seemed like she was trying to keep something from him. "I just don't want you to get hurt. It's a dangerous place in my era."
"Nothing can hurt me," he told her, placing a kiss on her damp cheek. "And I'm not leaving until you can walk on your own. Now, get up to bed. You need your sleep."
Kaori nodded and was helped getting upstairs and to her room. She was tucked into bed and Sesshomaru was about to leave when he heard Kaori's voice.
"Can you stay with me?" Kaori asked.
He looked back at her and knew by her look she wouldn't sleep if he wasn't near her. He sat in the desk chair and nodded. Kaori smirked and turned over on the side that wasn't sore. He sat back and nearly sighed. She never usually asked him to stay and watch her sleep. Maybe to hold her to sleep, but never to watch over. Maybe something was frightening her. He would protect her, so she had nothing to fear.
Sesshomaru heard a car in the driveway and almost left the room to find out who it was. He remembered he would stay with Kaori while she slept and sat back in the chair.
Kaori's uncle came to the door of Kaori's room.
"She's so peaceful and beautiful when she sleeps," Kaori's uncle said, looking at her. "Hey, can you help? At this odd age, it's hard to carry all those groceries in. Could you be a gentleman and bring them in for me?"
Sesshomaru stood and headed downstairs. Her uncle was here, so she was protected until he returned. As soon as he left the house, he heard Kaori's moan as she awoke. He took a deep breath and hurried to bring the groceries and returned upstairs. Kaori's uncle was standing at the doorway, smiling sweetly. Sesshomaru was suspicious but returned to his seat. Kaori had her back to both Sesshomaru and her uncle with her face hidden under the covers.
"What's going on?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Just a nice conversation with Kaori as she awoke. Did you bring them all in?" Kaori's uncle asked. Sesshomaru nodded.
"I really want to go back to sleep, so please," Kaori said underneath the covers. Her uncle smiled and left the room. Sesshomaru rubbed her arm, but felt her pull away as much as possible once she felt him touch her.
Sesshomaru was weary about this. Something was going on underneath his nose and he wanted to know what.
"Kaori, what's going on?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Nothing. Now I want to sleep," Kaori said.
"Kaori," he told her sternly.
"I'm fine, just tired," Kaori said.
"Come here," he told her.
"I'm fine here," she told him.
"Get over here," Sesshomaru ordered.
Kaori lifted her head from underneath the covers and he instantly saw the red mark on her cheek. It looked like she had been slapped recently, but Sesshomaru had been with her the last few days.
"Why is your cheek red?" Sesshomaru asked.
"It is? I never noticed," Kaori said, reluctantly sitting in his lap as he asked.
"Did he hit you?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Who?" Kaori asked.
"Your uncle," he said.
"No. He's family. Why would he hit me?" Kaori asked. A tear slithered down her face.
He wiped it away. "Did he hurt you when I found you in the kitchen?" Sesshomaru asked.
"No," Kaori told him, turning her head away from him.
"He did, didn't he?" Sesshomaru asked, rubbing her arm.
"Even if I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. No one does," Kaori said, turning back to him. Her eyes were full of tears.
"I do. I've seen the bruises and seen your pain. And I'm going to deal with him," Sesshomaru said, his soft, comforting tone changing to a threatening one.
"I knew it," Kaori said, hanging her head.
"What?" He asked.
"As soon as I told you, you would rush out to kill him and stop my pain," Kaori said.
"Why wouldn't I?" Sesshomaru asked.
"He's family. If you kill him, my mother will never forgive you," Kaori told him.
"Well, I don't really care. I will not just sit back and let him abuse you like this," he told her.
"I've had to deal with it for most of my life. I don't really care how much longer it will last," Kaori said. "But when he called you family, I didn't want you to be abused like I was. As soon as I was accepted by him as family, the abuse started."
"I'm going to have to do something, Kaori," he told her.
"Do nothing, all right. I've dealt with it. You should too. And don't mention this to my parents or to him. My parents won't believe you and I'll be punished," Kaori told him.
"You'll be punished?" He asked.
"Kicked, punched, slapped, spit at, or anything else he thinks of," Kaori told him.
"And you've had to do this most of your life?" Sesshomaru asked.
Kaori nodded and tried to get closer to Sesshomaru.
"Now, I really am tired, so if you don't mind," Kaori said, closing her eyes.
Sesshomaru allowed her to fall back to sleep by becoming silent. But he glared at the door, plotting something to get revenge for Kaori's pain. But if he did anything, Kaori most likely get punished for it by her uncle.
Two days passed and Kaori could finally walk on her own without the help of Sesshomaru. Though he said he wouldn't leave until Kaori felt better, he stayed with her. One day, Kaori pulled him into her room and locked the door behind them.
"You have to return," Kaori told him.
"Excuse me?" Sesshomaru asked.
"He doesn't want you around anymore," Kaori told him.
"I'm not leaving you with this monster," Sesshomaru told her. "He hasn't attacked you because I'm here."
Kaori looked away.
"He's attacked you?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Yesterday when you went out to get something for him," Kaori told him.
"The ramen he forgot?" Sesshomaru asked. "What he did he do?"
Kaori backed away from Sesshomaru, keeping her face away.
"What did he do?" Sesshomaru asked again.
Kaori lifted a part of her shirt up. A wide and long slash ran across her hip.
"Kaori," Sesshomaru looked down at it, his eyes wide.
"It's just a scratch. It'll heal soon enough," Kaori told him, putting her shirt back down.
"Did he do that with a knife?" Sesshomaru asked.
"A whip," Kaori told him.
"That bastard," Sesshomaru growled, looking at the door.
"Don't," Kaori told him, holding onto his arm. "Do you want to be banned to ever see me again?"
"Your mother wouldn't do that," he told her.
"Sesshomaru, he might be a bastard, but he's still family," Kaori told him.
"Family doesn't treat family like this," he told her.
"You shouldn't be talking!" Kaori yelled.
"What does that mean?" Sesshomaru asked.
"All that is left of your family is your bitter enemy and you try to kill him," Kaori told him.
"That's my family, and it's none of your concern," he told her.
"This is my family. You don't see me running out to kill Inuyasha, so you? So leave him alone!" Kaori told him.
"He attacks you since you were a child," he told her. "It's completely different."
"I saw him nearly chop off your arm. I did nothing but help it heal. I didn't take my bow and arrow and run after him to shoot him down, did I?" Kaori asked.
"So, you want me gone, I'm leaving. You can deal with your crazed uncle on your own," he told her and flew the door open and left.
Kaori stood in the middle of the room with her eyes wide. She didn't mean to drive him away. It was only a foolish argument. And now she was an easy target for her uncle. Speak of the devil, he showed up at the doorway, an evil smirk on his face.
"Nice job, Kaori. I thought you wouldn't, but you know better than that," Kaori's uncle said.
Kaori closed her eyes and a tear trickled down her face.
"How many times have I told you not to cry?" Kaori's uncle yelled. He slapped her, but she kept her mouth shut and fell to the floor without a word.
Sesshomaru had left her to die this time. He had left her unprotected.
She was hauled to her uncle's height by her shirt collar and thrown onto the bed. She screamed out loud, but she knew Sesshomaru was already gone to the past.
She opened her eyes and saw the anger in her uncle's eyes.
"How many times have I told you not to cry out or scream? And you still do," Kaori's uncle said. He brought the whip out and hit Kaori's head against the handle, knocking her out. Kaori's world went black as one word went through her mind.
Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the well and looked down. A scream pierced the air and he could smell tears. He felt stupid and foolish. He had left her unprotected and he truly thought he loved her. He hit his hand against the wood really hard. It nearly split.
He had made the mistake with his father many years ago. He wasn't going to do it again. He was as silent as a mouse and crept into the house. He heard Kaori's uncle mumbling upstairs, but there was no sign of Kaori's voice. He hid in the shadows as Kaori's uncle came thudding down the steps.
"That girl is exactly like her mother. She never listens," he mumbled. He grabbed the car keys and left the house, leaving the door unlock. "Let a mugger get her or I will."
Sesshomaru watch the uncle pull out of the driveway and drive away. He locked the door and went upstairs as quickly as possible. He found Kaori tied to the bed, blindfolded.
He cut the restraints that were tied to the bed and then slowly removed the blindfold. She was no longer knocked out. She had her eyes clenched and awaited anything that was going to happen to her.
"Let's get out of here," Sesshomaru whispered.
"I thought I heard a rat," Kaori's uncle said at the doorway. He stood with his keys in his hand.
Sesshomaru glared at Kaori's uncle as he stood tall. Kaori opened her eyes and sat up. She winced and held onto Sesshomaru hand.
"She's so injured, she can't get out of this place. Good luck getting her out of here," Kaori's uncle laughed.
"Silence," Sesshomaru ordered. "I truly don't want to waste any time on you, so move and leave us alone."
"No way. She's my bitch and I'm going to keep her like that," Kaori's uncle told Sesshomaru. "I trained her."
"Sorry to inform you but she my bitch," Sesshomaru said as his hair flew up without any wind. "And I'm going to keep it like that."
Kaori's eyes flew wide open as she held her stomach. Sesshomaru could tell by the smell of fresh blood what had happened and needed no explanation. Sesshomaru took Kaori's uncle confusion for granted and nearly had his neck in his claws. But Kaori's uncle whipped at Kaori, sending Sesshomaru to protect Kaori instead of attack. From the speed he was going at, the only way to stop it was to intercept it. He jumped into it and was whipped on his arm. He didn't sustain any pain, though his shirt was nearly cut through. He then took the offence and grabbed Kaori's uncle by the throat. From the speed he was going at, he found himself holding Kaori's uncle over the banister. Kaori's uncle's eyes were wide and was struggling for air.
"Sesshomaru, stop. Please," Kaori begged.
Sesshomaru glared at Kaori's uncle, tempted to drop him, but brought him to the second floor and dropped him.
"Leave before I change my mind," Sesshomaru said. Kaori's uncle was beyond shock.
"You're like her father, aren't you?" Kaori's uncle asked. "From the past?"
Sesshomaru glared down at him. He didn't exactly feel like being questioned at the moment.
"You are, aren't you? You aren't named after Sesshomaru, you are him! You're the great Lord Sesshomaru," Kaori's uncle exclaimed.
"You have no proof," Kaori told him, holding onto the doorway. She had somehow gotten herself out of bed, but it didn't last long. "Sesshomaru, just let him go."
"I am," Sesshomaru growled.
Kaori's uncle's eyes went huge and hurried out of there very fast. As soon as the car was gone, Kaori was heard falling to the floor.
"Kaori, you need to rest," Sesshomaru told her, holding her.
"Don't," Kaori said, clenching her eyes. "Let go."
"Huh?" Sesshomaru asked. He released her.
"I've been whipped many times," Kaori told him. Sesshomaru finally saw the wide, long slashes on her legs and arms.
"We need you to get bathed," Sesshomaru told her. He left her on the floor while getting her backpack, not caring what was in it. Whatever was in it at the moment would have to do for now. He grabbed it a carefully picked Kaori up. She winced, so he hurried to the past. The wounds needed to be cleaned or they would be infected. He got her to the nearest spring, which happened to be in her village.
"I need a secluded spring with no interruptions," Sesshomaru told one villager. He nodded and led Sesshomaru to Kaori's private spring. No one was allowed there but her. Sesshomaru laid Kaori near the spring and started washing her legs, getting as much dirt and bacteria out.
"Sesshomaru, you're getting my clothes wet," Kaori told him.
"How do you expect me to clean you wounds then?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Give me a few moments," Kaori told him, picking something quickly out of her backpack and limping to a secluded area where Sesshomaru couldn't see her. She returned and Sesshomaru nearly gasped. Her body was nearly all scars, slashes or bruises. He got her into his lap and had more assistance while she was in this clothing than her regular clothes. He looked down and realized also that it barely covered anything.
"What are you wearing?" Sesshomaru asked.
"It's my bathing suit. My bikini," Kaori told him.
"It helps," he told her, cleaning a deep slash. She winced and he held her closer.
He cleaned the wounds and looked around for her clothes. He couldn't find them anywhere. He called a villager and they came running.
"Bring it," Sesshomaru told the villager. The villager nodded and sped off to get what Sesshomaru was asking for. The villager returned with a package in hand and bowed while passing it to Sesshomaru.
"What is it?" Kaori asked. She only saw the package paper.
"I was planning on giving this to you some other time," he told her, unwrapping it. "I was also hoping you would be the one opening it."
Inside, Kaori saw something blue. Sesshomaru was careful to hold Kaori securely and pull it out. Kaori's eyes lit up as she saw the most beautiful material ever. It was almost shiny and it felt soft as some blew across her hand.
"Let me help you put it on. Can you stand?" Sesshomaru asked. Kaori nodded. She would be able to do anything with this material around, or so if felt.
Kaori stood, but was slightly leaning. Sesshomaru slipped it on her arms and over her shoulders. He brought out a sash and was very gentle while tying it behind her. She admired the feeling of the material.
"Is it silk?" Kaori asked.
"Specially made silk. I had it hand-made," he told her.
"For?" Kaori asked.
"You," Sesshomaru told her. "Now stay still or the sash will not be tied properly."
They returned to the village. Many just stopped and stared at Kaori. She seemed very royal in the clothing she wore. They finally looked proper together. Many bowed as they passed and Kaori was slightly confused why. She didn't ask Sesshomaru until they left the village.
"The material is very valuable. Many use it only for weddings," Sesshomaru told her.
"So, they think we're married?" Kaori asked.
"Most likely," Sesshomaru told her. Her reaction to marrying him wasn't as he expected.
"Wow," Kaori said, looking back at the village. Sesshomaru stopped and looked back at her. Kaori turned back at Sesshomaru and smiled. She then attempted to take his hand and it felt wet. She looked down at her hand and found blood.
"Are you injured, Sesshomaru?" Kaori asked, concern in her voice.
"No," he told her. He saw the blood on her hand and looked at his. Sniffing once he realized it was Kaori's. From him holding her. She had started bleeding at her house so it had continued.
"We should return to the village," Sesshomaru told her, wiping his hand off of his clothes. That's when he noticed a huge blood stain on his lap. He wondered how no one in the village had mentioned in. Kaori's eyes went wide and fell into Sesshomaru. He felt Kaori's teeth on a piece of his silk.
A little while went by and she pulled away. "Sorry about that," Kaori told him.
"Maybe we shouldn't return," Sesshomaru thought.
"What are you planning?" Kaori asked.
"I've needed a break from Rin and Jaken and finally we have it," he told her.
"And?" Kaori asked.
"It will also guarantee no males will go after you," Sesshomaru told her.
"Well, I could use a break," Kaori said. "But where? Jaken knows almost always where you are."
"The cave we were at," Sesshomaru stated.
"Kouga," Kaori told him.
"No, the other one," Sesshomaru told her.
"The one we nearly died at? That doesn't exactly hold dear memories," Kaori told him.
"Where else?" Sesshomaru asked.
Kaori rolled her eyes and finally complied. "But let's get there quickly," she told him.
Sesshomaru got them there quickly, but Kaori was in constant pain from her bruises. He had to carry her and got there almost immediately. He dropped off her backpack at the corner of the cave and made a small bed for Kaori. He didn't expect to have bloodstains throughout this break, did he? He told Kaori he was leaving to wash off the blood and left her to unpack her items. He was washing the bloodstains off and as soon as he finished, a familiar scent hit his nose.
"Why is he here?" Sesshomaru asked out loud.
Sesshomaru turned and went back to the cave to find Inuyasha and Kagome at the mouth of the cave.
"This seems like a nice place to camp in, doesn't it?" Inuyasha asked.
"I don't know. It feels cold," Kagome told him.
"Find somewhere else," Sesshomaru told them. Inuyasha instantly turned around, unsheathing his Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru didn't feel for a fight. He was more worried why Inuyasha could not sense Kaori inside. A scream was heard inside the cave and Sesshomaru ran passed both Inuyasha and Kagome, knocking Kagome backwards. Inuyasha had to catch her from the force of the push. Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru disappear into the cave and followed after he knew Kagome was all right.
Kaori ran into Sesshomaru, holding her arm.
"Something's in there," Kaori told him.
"Are you all right?" Sesshomaru asked.
"It burns," Kaori told him, taking her hand from her arm. Something boiled on her arm and Sesshomaru told her not to touch it. It was some type of acid, from the smell.
"What's in here?" Inuyasha asked, running in.
"Get out," Sesshomaru ordered. Kaori was hidden by Sesshomaru's body.
"There's a female in here," Inuyasha stated. "And she's-"
Inuyasha blushed scratching his head.
"Inuyasha, what's going on?" Kagome asked, following him into the cave.
"Uh, I think we should let Sesshomaru deal with this one alone," Inuyasha said. He turned around and saw Kagome's eyes open wide. Before he could ask, a large tentacle had hit Inuyasha to the wall of the cave. The impact sent above rocks to fall. Kagome ran forward to Inuyasha in time to avoid the falling rocks. They closed the cave mouth, trapping all four of them in a cave with an acid demon.