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"Speaking English"

Speaking Japanese

Speaking Youkai

---Pov---

Recap from Last Chapter;

Well there's one that I have warned not to hurt her. Logan will be much harder to talk to about it, because he won't admitt that he's attracted to her. Oh well whats meant to be will be. I just want to see Mom happy and I'll do whatever I can to help her. Whether she likes it or not.

Chapter 7

---Shippou---

After I finally make it back to my room, clean up and change I have just enough time to go and grab Mom and still be on time for dinner. I head out the door and start to Mom's room.

I guess I'll have to get used to calling her Gome in front of the students and most of the staff. They would never understand why I call her Mom, she doesn't look that much older than me. And if they knew the truth of how much older I really am than her then they really would be confused. But to me she is the only Mom I can remember.

As I get closer to Mom's room I catch several scents near her room. The strongest one is Logans, if it wasn't so strong around the front of her door I would say that he just passed by going to his room but from the strength of his scent he stood there for several minute's. Hmmm what was he up to out side her door?

I reach her door and I listen for a second, I hear her moving around in there. I knocked on her door and open it after she tells me to come. I walk into her room and see her brushing her hair. She's changed into a pair of comfortable looking jeans and a blue t-shirt. If Remy and Logan thought she looked good in a skirt then wait till they see this outfit. I can't wait to see thier reaction to seeing her in tight jeans.

"Will this be allright to wear to dinner Shippou?" She asks me with a worried look on her face.

"You look good Mom, and its no where as tight as some of the outfits that I've seen the other teachers wear around here." I tell her with a grin.

"The Professor told me nothing to tight or revealing." She says quickly.

"I guess he forgot to tell the rest of the women here of that rule. Besides you really look good in jeans Mom." I tell her with a grin.

"I guess we should head down to dinner. Do you have any idea where I'm supposed to sit?" She asks me as we head out of the door into the hall way.

"Well I had hoped you would want to sit with me. Besides most of the other teachers sit around in and among the students. Scott and Jean normally sit together at one table of students. The Professor and Ororo normally at another table of students, and Hank, Remy, and Logan all sit at different tables. So you could say that there is at least one or two teacher's at each table." I tell her with a grin.

"Who's table do you normally sit at?" She asks me as we walk down the hall toward the stairway.

"I normally sit at Remy's or Logan's table. That's where most of my friends sit at." I tell her.

"Where do you plan to sit tonight?" She asks me.

"More than likely at Remy's table, he's easier to get along with than Logan and more fun too." I say with a laugh.

"It wouldn't have nothing to do with the fact that Logan reminds you of Inuyasha, now would it?" She says with a grin.

"Well maybe a little, I get along with him well enough most of the time. But he's one of the few who can piss me off with a single comment or look." I tell her honestly.

"You shouldn't let the past with Inuyasha color your view of Logan. I'm sure he has reasons to be turned like he is. Everyone is shaped by thier past, you, me and everyone is shaped by what they have lived through." She says quietly.

"I know Mom, you've always said never to judge anyone on your first impression of them, and that you should get to know them before you judge them." I say to her.

"We really don't have the right to judge anyone, but you should know them before you write them off. I'm sure that Logan has very good reasons to be turned like he is. From what Sess could find out about him, he's had a very rough life. I think that he's very social for everything that he's gone through." She say quietly.

"Hmm I guess your right, but I still think Remy is more fun to hang around with." I tell her with a grin.

"Shippou you promised that you wouldn't attempt at playing matchmaker between me and anyone." She tells me with a frown.

"Honest Mom I'm not trying to play matchmaker between you and anyone here, but like I said I won't have to. " I tell her with a grin.

She looks up at me with a frown on her face.

"I hope you're really kidding Shippou! Thats the last thing I need and you know it." She says quietly.

"No I happen to think that you're wrong. I think that you need someone to love you more than anything else. You were never meant to stay alone Mom. No one wants to be alone. Not even you , and you know I'm right." I tell her vehemantly.

I guess one of the first things I'm going to have to do is convince her that she deserves to find someone to love her. And that will be hard to do. I know how stubborn she can be. I will have to go about it with caution, and tread lightly until she does accept it.

We finally reach the dining room. One of the first things I notice is that Remys table is full and the only ones at Logan's table is Rogue and Jubilee.

Hmm this throws a wrench into my plan to get Mom and Remy together. I guess everyone is stearing clear of Logan because he blew up this afternoon. It seems like most of students and the staff is afraid of him when he loses his temper. I don't know why they would be afraid of him though, because when he does get mad he normally takes off into the woods until he calms down.

I guess this means that me and Mom will be eating at his table tonight. I look down at Mom and grab her hand and lead her over to the tray line to get our supper. After we fill our plate's we head over to Logans table. We pull out the chairs opposite of Jubilee and Rogue and sit down. I grin at the two girls who are sitting across from.

"Hey Jube, hey Rogue." I say to them as they blush at my grin.

"Hey Shippou, man it seems strange to hear you talk. " Jubilee says with a grin.

"Hi Shippou." Rogue says with a pink tint to her cheeks.

"Let me introduce you to Kagome. Jubilee, Rogue, this is Kagome Higaroshi. Gome this Jubilation Lee and Rogue, and you remember Logan from the meeting in the Professors office." I say while looking to see Mom's reaction.

To see her duck her head to hide her pink cheeks. I quickly turn my head away from everyone at the table so they can't see my grin. I sense Mom shift in her chair so I turn back to face them. Logan is staring down at his plate ignoring all of us, Jube and Rogue are sitting there just watching Mom and me. Mom is smiling softly towards the girls and eating quietly. I can tell that Mom is nervous by the way she's eating her food. I lay my hand on her shoulder to have her turn and look up at me and smile with gratitude and love shining in her eyes. She reaches her hand up and lays it on top of mine and she gently squeezes it.

"So Miss. H how do you know Shippou?" Jube asks her with a grin on her face.

"Well I've known Shippou since he was a small boy. A good friend and I bumped into him after he had been separated from his Dad." Mom said with a sad smile on her face.

"Gome took me with them, and raised me until I was reunited with my Dad. I lost contact with her since we came to the states. I also refused to contact her or Sess when my Dad was killed." I say quietly.

"If you were so close to her than why didn't you contact her when your Dad was killed Shippou?" Rogue asks me gently.

"Because I want to take revenge against the one's who murdered my Dad. And I knew Gome would never allow me to go after them, and I didn't want to put Gome in any kind of danger. She has the tendancy to put herself in harms way to protect the people she cares for. I would never forgive myself if Gome were hurt trying to protect me." I say quietly.

"Do you know who killed your Dad Shippou?" Jube asks me.

"Yes I know who killed him. And Gome is the only one who knows who they are besides me, and that is the way I intend to keep it." I say to them.

"What about Sess, Shippou? We'll have to inform him who they were so he can keep track of there movements." Mom says quietly to me.

"Well he is the only other person that has the right to know who they are kasaan. But he may have trouble finding them and keeping track of them, but if anyone can its him." I say to her with a small smirk on my face.

"Kid I think the rest of the staff should know who attacked and killed yer Dad. Cause if there a new group of humans who kill mutants out there then we should know who they are so we can keep an eye out for them. That way we may be able to prevent it from happening to someone else." Logan says roughly.

"It wasn't humans who killed Shippous Dad Logan-san. It was 2 mutants who were trying to recruit them to join them in there fight against humans. They killed his Dad because he refused there offer." Mom says quietly to him.

"You mean to tell me it was other mutants who killed yer Dad kid?" Logan asks me quietly while watching me and Mom to see if he can tell if we are lying about it.

"Thats exactly what I'm saying Logan. You must know that there are mutants out there that are just as violent against anyone who is not part of there group as they are against humans, and unfortnutely that includes other mutants as well. Just as there are groups of humans out there who are just as bad, they hate anyone who is not part of there group." I say to him in a quiet voice.

"Shippou is correct Logan-san. There is hate and ditrust on both sides. That saddens me that there is hate among people, but unfortunately that is how it has always been in this world. It has ran rampant all through out history. Not just now in the present, but if you check out your history books it has always been that way." Mom says sadly.

"So your saying Miss. H. that it isn't just in the present that all the hatred and fighting has occured because people were different?" Jube asks.

"That is exactly what I am saying Jubilee. Take a look at ancient mythology and history, there has always been fighting between cultures, mainly because they didn't like anyone different to themselves or because the other group had a different set of beliefs then they themselves believed in. Allmost all wars were because of this, very few were against evil. There has been very few times when all groups were united against an evil enemy." Mom says quietly and earnestly.

"But whos to say that the few times that people of different beliefs and back grounds were actually fighting someone who was evil, they might not have been evil they could have just been different from the ones who were fighting them." Rogue says quietly.

"Your correct about that young Rogue, but there are legends of beings in japanese mythology that were evil and went against both human and youkai. These figures were considered evil because they didn't care of who got hurt or killed in thier quest for power, because they killed with out any kind of remorse anyone who tryed to stop all of the suffering and death. That is my definition of evil, someone who hurts and or kills to achieve there goals, or someone who enjoys causing others pain. There is already so much pain and suffering in this world with out someone who does it on purpose." Mom says to them.

I lay my hand on Moms shoulder to have her look into my eyes with a look of deep sadness in her eyes. She gives me a weak smile and squeezes my hand in response.

---Kagome---

I look at Shippou, who is watching me with worried and sad eyes. I give him a weak smile and squeeze his hand that he layed on my shoulder. I look over at the other occupants of our table to see that the three of them were watching us. Rogue and Jubilee we're watching us with curiosty, Logan was watching us with an intense gaze. I give the three a weak smile and then I turn back and look at my plate as Shippou removes his hand from my shoulder.

I keep remembering everything that I have been through in the last ten years and how much my experiances has changed me. Both physically and mentally. I was once a normal human who lived a very normal life, I didn't believe in all the storys that Granpa told of youkai and I didn't believe in all of the myths and legends, not until I went to the fuedal era. Funny how you can see things with such a narrow point of view, until you have to live through something that you never believed was possible.

I sense that I am being watched so I look up to find that Logan is still watching me. I look him straight into his intense hazel eyes and give him as a convincing smile as I could muster. Then I turned my attention back to my plate and tried to finish eating.

After several minutes I notice that some of the students and the staff are taking there plates and eating utensils and handing them to the dishwashers. I look over to where Shippou to see that he is finished eating and is sitting there talking to the girls. I sit there and listen to them as they talk about things and people at the school.

After several minutes Shippou noticed that I had stopped eating and was just sitting there listening to him and the girls talk. He grinned at me and reached for my tray and set it on top of his. He got up and took them over to where the dishwashers were waiting to recieve them, he grinned at the one who took and stood there talking to them for a few minutes before he came back to the table.

"Gome are you about ready for your tour of the facility?" He asks me with a grin on his face.

"Sounds good to me Shippou. Are you going to be the one to give me the tour or are going to let someone else do it?" I ask him with a smile.

"Of course I'm going to be the one to give you the tour Gome. I don't trust the rest of them to do it right, they would leave out the best shortcuts." He says with a grin.

I grin up to the young youkai who thinks thinks of me as his Mom. I am the only mother that he remembers in his life. His own had died when he was very young from a fight she had gotten into while he and his dad had been some where else.

He reaches and takes my hand into his and pulls me up from my seat. I smile at the occupants at the table and then look at Shippou. He reads the request that I have in my eye's.

"Jube, Rogue, and Logan would you three like to join me in showing Gome around the school?" He asks them with a smile.

"I would love to Shippou but Rogue and I promised to help Bobby with his homework tonight. Maybe we can hang out with you two tomorrow?" Jubilee says with a smile.

"Plus I'm sure the two of you would like a little bit of time to catch up on each others lives. We wouldn't want to intrude on it tonight, besides Miss. H. is going to be here for at least the rest of the school year." Rogue says with a shy smile on her face as she looks at the two of us.

"Ok, what about you Logan, will you be joining us tonight?" Shippou asks him.

"Maybe some other time kid, I need to talk to the Professor and the rest of the teachers about what you said earlier about the ones who killed your Dad. You know that they will want to know who did it, don't you?" Logan asks Shippou.

"I know they will want to know who it was Logan, but the way I see it. It's none of there business. Gome and Sess are the only ones who has the right to know who it is. Don't worry about me planning on going after them either, Gome and Sess won't let me go after them for revenge. But if there is any way I can stop them from achieving there goals then I will. I promise you that much. " Shippou says quietly.

I walk over to Shippou and pull him into my arms for a quick hug.

"Its going to be ok Shippou-chan. We're here now." I say to him very quietly as I release him from my hug.

"I know Gome, and as glad as I am to have you and Sess with me again, in a way I wish you weren't here." He says with a sad look on his face.

"Shippou how can you say that to Miss. H.? You said yourself that you consider her almost like your mom, why wouldn't you want her here?" Jubilee asks him.

"Because Jubilee-san, Shippou-chan doesn't want me to get involved in something where I may get hurt. He and Sess are very protective over me, even if though they both know that I am able to protect myself." I say to the trio who is watching us.

"I don't know about that MissH. some of the mutants that the X-Men go up against would rather kill a human than look at one. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt by them either, and I just met you for the first time today. Wolvie says that normal humans will get hurt if they were caught in a fight between two mutant groups, cause like I said some mutants hate all humans and would love to see the whole population of humans be destroyed. I was amazed when I heard that the Professor hired you to teach here knowing that you are a normal human, some of the students are really predjudiced against humans. I'm actually afraid that some of them might try to hurt you." Jubilee says to me with a worried expression on her face.

"You have no need to fear for my safety at either here in the school or in the outside world Jubilee. I'm quite capable of defending myself against humans or mutants." I tell her with a smirk on my face.

"Shes right Jube, I know that Gome is more than capable of defending herself. What Sess and I really worry about is her getting hurt by putting herself into harms way trying to protect the people that she cares for. Shes done it before and knowing Gome as well as I do I know she'll do it again." Shippou says to her.

"So what yer saying kid is that she has the habit of getting hurt because she gets in the way trying to protect others." Logan says.

"She doesn't just do it for people she knows, I've seen her do it to protect perfect strangers too." Shippou says.

"Your kidding aren't you Shippou? Shes put herself into danger to protect people she doesn't even know?" Rogue asks him.

"No, I'm just stating facts Rogue. Its part of who she is, and her miko training just reinforces it." Shippou says to her.

"What is a miko? " Jubilee asks.

"A miko is a shrine priestass, we use herbal remedys to treat illnesses. Mikos also teach and protect people who are under there care." I tell her.

"Why do they need to protect people? Isn't that what the local law enforcement agencys are for? " Jubilee asks me.

"According to legends and myths, mikos use to protest there villages from evil spirits and from mauradering youkai and hanyou who were prone to attack humans and thier settlements." I answer her.

"What are 'youkai'?" Rogue asks.

"Youkai is the japanese word for demon, and hanyous were half-demons." Shippou answers her.

"You don't meant to tell me that you believe in demons and half-demons? They never existed, people made them up to scare thier kids into behaving. Thay never really existed, thats why they are myths and legends, and everyone knows that those were used to entertain people." Jubilee says.

"I think that it is all on how you were raised Jubilee. I mean look at Shippou and myself, we were raised hearing about youkais and hanyous. They are part of our upbringing, we have been told about all of the myths and legends about them, and there is always some truth in all of the myths and legends. They are for the most part partially true." I answer her.

"Gomes right, most myths and legends are based on things tha really happened. Can you imagine that in a hundred years from now the storys that will be told by your descendants? They will be telling of all of the mistrust and fighting between the normal humans and mutants. For all we know one or the other of the groups will be more dominant if both even survive. One group could totally destroy the other and all that will be remembered of the group that is no longer alive will be myths and legends. I for one believe that there were once youkai who walked out in the open with man, for all anyone knows there could still be youkai out there somewhere, who are able to blend in with humanity. " Shippou says earnestly.

I know that Shippou feels bad that he can't come out in the open and admit that he himself is a kitsune youkai, and he also dislikes having to hide how old he is from everyone here. He only appears to be 17 or 18 years old, who would believe that he is over 500 hundred years old. No one would believe him if he tried to tell them the truth of his past and of his origins, just like no one would believe me if I told them of my adventures in the past.

I lay my hand on Shippous arm to gain his attention, he looks at me as he lays his clawed one over mine.

"I believe that you promised to show me around the school Shippou-chan. Shouldn't we get it started before I fall asleep on my feet? I did after all just arrive in the U.S.A. just this morning, and there is a time difference that I need to get use too as well. Shall we get the tour done with so I can get a little bit of sleep." I ask him quietly.

"Your right Gome, I keep forgetting that you just got here today from Japan. If you guys don't mind I'm going to give Gome a quick tour before I take her back to her room. I'll see you all tomorrow." Shippou says quietly as he leads me away from the table and out into the hall way.

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to update this story. I hope you think that it has been worth the wait. Please review and tell me what you think of it so far. I'll try to do better at getting the next chapter out on it quicker.

Thanks,

echo21