Chapter 5

Kagome sighed as she stared out the window next to the twin sized bed. She hugged her puppy face pillow to her chest with her knees drew up. Her azure blue eyes trained on the white orb in the darkness shining over the endless sea of trees. She looked down at her knee with solemn eyes. She had been on crutches for three months now and she was happy to be rid of them.

But in that time she hadn't seen anyone but the two Germans and bits of the running boy. He was pretty dodgy about seeing her other to make sure they were still safe. The other two refused to leave her or take her home after her aunt's visit. The house was small with only four rooms. The back bedroom was for her while the boys shared the front room and the single sofa. The bath was small and needed a fire to heat it. The kitchen didn't have running water and an old fire stove.

The boys tried to provide Kagome as much luxury as they could while hiding here but it wasn't easy. She wasn't happy about being bedridden for months because of her knee. She was so happy when she was able to move freely again. But something else hung in her mind. Koga. He had been gone longer then usual. He usually checked up every two weeks. He had missed his last check. It had been five weeks now and she was beginning to worry.

A small tap came at the door. She looked up to see Bankotsu at the door. "Lights out Kagome. You need rest." He whispered and blew out the kerosene lamp on the bureau. The only light now was the small candle stub on the table next to her small old bed. The sheets were faded and the quilt was an old hand-made patch blanket. He smiled and shut the door quietly.

Kagome sighed and looked back to the window. She had to admit, it was a bit nicer here then home. It was quiet. Sure, the mansion was quiet but this was a comfortable quiet. Peaceful. Not eerie or ominous. She moved her gaze to the small box on the windowsill. She gently scooped it up and gazed down at the copper top. Small light holes created the picture of a butterfly. She twisted the small wire loop on the bottom of the wooden box and let it play its tinkly tone.

She had found it under the mattress. Along with an old diary from the first world war. The home had been built by the child's grandfather. She had shared the loft with her sister and three brothers. She had written of every passing day to her two older brothers in the war. But they never got the chance to read it. The last page was covered in dried tears. Another had written it. It wrote that she had died of pneumonia. Later on her mother, or she supposed, wrote in the deaths of her other children. The only one that survived was her eldest son who returned and married and had many children.

The girl's innocence gave Kagome comfort when her mind swirled with worried thoughts of Koga. She blew out the candle and scooted closer to the small box. It had been her treasure. The child's brother had made it for him. She wrote her eldest brother was a gentle soul and would make a wonderful father. Her other brother was rash and spontaneous. But the thing they had in common were their great courage and sense of justice.

Kagome glanced to the watch sitting next to it. The hands sparkled in the moonlight and read eleven thirty-four. She sighed again and stretched her arms and legs out. She pulled back the quilt and went to crawl under them. A quiet tap came at her door. She expected it to be Bankotsu so she just went into bed. She buried her face into the musty smelling pillow and listened to the quiet tinkling of the box. A soft click was barely heard.

She pulled the quilt warmly around her shoulder as the floor moaned under feet. She was so close to sleep she didn't hear the box being stopped. She did feel the back of a hand gently stroke her face and brush back a strand of hair. Her blue eyes lazily opened and turned up toward the form over her. She could make out the sky blue eyes through the darkness. A soft smile came to his lips.

A drowsy smile drifted to her face. "Hey." His soft whisper filled her ears.

"Hey." She said back.

"Sorry if I woke you." He whispered as he sat next to the bed on his knees. She lay her head on her folded arm and scooted closer to the edge.

"You didn't." She whispered back. He chuckled and kissed her on the nose.

"I wish I had. Would have told me you weren't worrying." He set his chin on his fist and stared into her hazy blue eyes. "I'm sorry I have to do this to you. I never should have went to the hospital." She shook her head against her arm and grabbed his with her free hand. He held her small hand in his larger one.

"Koga, if you hadn't come, I would have been cooped up in that hospital, stalling time to go back to Germany." He tilted his head to the side, confusion filling his blue eyes. She smiled. "My aunt came to get me."

"What for?"

"Didn't the guys tell you?"

"Kagome you have to remember we can't understand a word each other says." She giggled. "Those two barely speak a word of English while I defiantly don't know German."

"Sorry. Her husband got a business offer. They need a bond of partnership." He growled. "She wanted to take me back and have me marry the dude's son. She already talked to my uncle back in town. Seeing as my father left me in her custody and was too stubborn to give me up to mother, she has every right. If Ban and Jak hadn't come, I'd be getting ready for my wedding in Europe."

"Well I'm glad I did show up now." He said quietly. Kagome laughed and sighed happily. He kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." He got up and turned toward the door. A tug at his t-shirt stopped him. He found a pouting Kagome holding the hem of him.

"Please don't go. I don't know if you will be here tomorrow. And there isn't any place to sleep." She said. He smiled a bit and knelt next to the bed.

"I'll just take the loft. I stayed up there my first few weeks of hiding anyway." She shook her head. She scooted to the wall and threw back the covers. She patted the dusty bed and smiled.

"You can sleep here with me."

"But there's so little room Kagome. It barely fits you." He argued. She huffed and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the bed. "Kagome..."

"Please." She snuggled against his chest and smiled. "Just tonight." A blush brushed over her nose and cheeks. He couldn't protest now that she was asleep with her arms wrapped around him like he was her teddy bear. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her. His blush faded away as he inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla shampoo. I could get used to this. He thought before fading into sleep.

"Damn it Bankotsu! I want to go outside!" Jakotsu rolled his eyes as he moved his chess piece forward.

"But you can't Kagome. What if someone sees you?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere. Who would see me, let alone recognize me? I've never been here before. Can't I at least take a walk?"

"You're knee still isn't healed well. We removed you from the hospital before you should have."

"But I can walk. Limp at least. Please bankotsu. I'm tired of being in here."

"Come on big brother. We've been here for nearly a month. Don't you think it would do her good? And it's your play." jakotsu said, not even looking at the two.

"We have to wait for Koga." bankotsu said as he moved his piece. "Check. Besides, what good would it do? You could hurt yourself again." Jakotsu grinned and moved his piece. Bankotsu saw through it. "Check mate." Jakotsu slammed his head into the table, cursing under his breath.

"What good? Well it would get me out of this stuffy hole and relieve my lungs of dust, for one. And two, I need to get out. I'm as pail as a sheet!" The girl bellowed.

"Kagome I really don't think we should-"

"What the heck are you guys arguing about? It's giving me a headache." they looked up to the see the tan boy climbing down the ladder from the loft above. He finished tying back his long black hair and put on his head band. "Kagome, are you ever going to teach him English?"

"He refuses to learn it. Says what we say is none of your business. That's because he's a stubborn cow." She said the last of it in German, making sure he heard it right. Bankotsu stuck his tongue out at her. "And we're arguing because he doesn't want me to go outside. I'm tired of being stuck in here. I want to get out for a while."

"So let's go for a walk." He said, reaching for the denim jacket hanging on the hook near the door. Bankotsu watching in confusion as Koga helped Kagome shrug her own jacket on.

"Now wait on a minute!" He howled but he was met with two pairs of blue-eyed glares. Koga gilded the girl out the door, keeping close in case her knee gave out. Koga stuffed his fists in his pockets as they walked through the trees.

"I'm sorry I made you miss basket ball tryouts." He said softly. She shook her head.

"There's always next year. Have you heard anything about back home?" He sighed, running a hand through his black hair.

"If I go back now, that damn mutt'll throw a law suit on me so fast my head'll spin. I hear his father ain't to happy to hear he had caused the fight but he doesn't like the idea of someone attaching his son with a knife in school. But I hear your buddy Sesshomaru laughed at him when he heard." Kagome let out a small laugh.

"Rin said something like that at the hospital. You don't mind that do you?" He glanced down at her in confusion. "I mean being friends with Sesshomaru and Rin." he waved his hand.

"Nah! I'm fine as long as you stay away from his dumb ass brother. Sesshomaru's cool, he just doesn't like a whole lot of people. And I'm glad you're making friends with others. I means there's someone who can take care of you while I'm gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'? Are you going somewhere Koga?" he sighed, lowering his head.

"I can't go home Kagome, you know that. That bastard'll kill me. And I can't let my family get involved. They have enough problems." She stopped, grabbing his sleeve. He jerked to a stop, looking back at her in confusion.

"but what about what you said before that. What did you mean when you said you were glad someone would be there while you were gone? You're not leaving me are you?"

"Kagome, you can't stay with me. You're uncle will wonder. You aren't involved."

"I am too involved!" She shouted. "Koga, you came to see me at the hospital. You took me here to keep me safe. I'm as involved as you are because I helped you escape! And what about Bankotsu and Jakotsu, huh? If the police find them, they'll be arrested for kidnaping along with you. If we're doing this, we're doing it together. Those two will do anything for me and I'm not letting you do a thing without me. Do you understand?"

"Kagome, if you stay, you'll only get hurt. I hated what happened to you. I don't ever want to see you hurt again." He said, gently easing her hand off his sleeve. "I'll have those two take you home and you can get them tickets back to Germany or wherever. I'll write you, keep you posted, I promise." The girl growled, ignoring his calming voice. She grabbed his collar, jerking him down toward her.

"What can I do to get it through your thick skull! I'm not leaving you! End of story! You are not going through this by yourself, damn it!" Anger burned in her blue orbs. Koga lifted a hand to hers, trying to remove it gently.

"Kago-" She cut him off again. His blue eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping his lips to hers. She pulled away a bit and buried her face in his shoulder. "K-Kagome?"

"You're stuck with me, boy. Get used to it." He sighed, wrapping his arms around his slim middle. "I'm not going away. You're not going through this thing alone. I'll make sure of it."

I'm sorry it took so long. and i'm sorry this is so short. Thank you for reviewing and waiting. I own nothing. Thank you for reading.

Jo Manta