Kagome ran. She ran from her so-called father. She ran from her mother. She ran from her life. She just had to get away. She couldn't believe her mother would let such a thing happen to her if she could help her. As Kagome ran past another corner, she collided with something rock solid and would have fallen over had there not been strong hands to steady her. In her daze, she looked up at her savior. It was none other than Sesshoumaru.

"You should pay attention to where you're running. Next time you may not be so lucky." He lectured. He let her go and watched her take a step back.

"I'm sorry Sesshoumaru. How did you find me?"

"My men were watching your every move."

"So what do you want?"

"That is what I wanted to ask you."

"Me? I want…" She hung her head. "I just want it all to go away. I know this may sound a little strange but I want things back to the way they were. Before I knew I was promised to anyone. When everything made sense."

"I understand what you want. Why don't we talk elsewhere? Come follow me."

'You understand what I want?' Kagome thought in disbelief as she followed Sesshoumaru to his car.

> > > > > > > > >

"Miroku, what if they're aren't there?"

"Then we will go to Inuyasha's house."

"What do you think will happen if we find them at Kagome's house?"

"Sango, stop worrying yourself. You're giving me a headache." Sango had been asking Miroku questions since Inuyasha left. Half of them she already asked. Miroku being the gentleman that he is didn't have to heart to tell her she was annoying him, but after hearing it for about two hours straight, his patience was running thin. He got that she was worried for them, mainly for Kagome, but Buddha help him, if she asked him another idiot question he would head for the hills.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, but please keep the questions to a minimum. The sooner we get out of school, the faster we'll have some answers." The bell rang as if on cue signaling the end of school. Sango and Miroku rushed out of the classroom and to their lockers. Ayuma Asakura walked up to them and cleared her throat.

"Ms. Asakura? Is there something you need?" Sango asked rather impatiently.

"Yes, there is. I need information on Higurashi, Kagome."

"What is it that you need?" Miroku inquired.

"What is different about her these past years?"

"Different? I'm not sure what you mean."

"Her bruises. Do you not see them? She claims she has gotten into a fight with Ms. Tajiya. Yesterday was the worst I have ever seen of her. Today she did not show. I know you have something on her and I want to know what." She looked at Sango's heated glare and Miroku's curiously raised brow. "Please, don't get me wrong. I want to help Kagome. I know her father has been abusing her but our school's policy stops me from interfering unless I have proof. I need your help. You're her closest friends other than Mr. Matsura."

"Fine, but not here. Kagome wouldn't want everyone to know. She'd die from embarrassment." Sango instructed.

"Fine. Meet me in my room in five." Ms. Asakura walked away.

"What do you think Sango? She sounds pretty sincere."

"That's not what I'm worried about. What would Kagome say if she knew I told someone? She made me promise."

> > > > > > > > >

"What do you know about what I want?" Kagome turned to look at the man she had been driving around with for the past hour. His phone had rung a good ten times before he decided to turn it off. She was pretty sure it was either Inuyasha or her mother. Frankly, she didn't want to hear from either.

"Are you hungry?"

"What? I'm a little hungry."

"I know of a good restaurant in this area. " Sesshoumaru waited until she was calm again before speaking again. "I was in your place once. My father had died. My mother had always warned him that working in such a dangerous field could cause him his life. He had not taken her seriously. Anyway, I lost her when in my tenth year and my father in my nineteenth."

"You were pretty young to be left alone. Poor Yasha. What does this have to do with understanding what I want?"

"You want to get away. You want to get away from Yuma, Onigumo. You want to get away from life, am I right?"

"Yes. I want to get away. Not forever. Just for now."

"Where would you want to go?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

Kagome thought about going out of country but when she thought of that, she thought of her brother. "Would you take me to see Sota?"

"Why?"

"Because it's the best way to get away from this mess and see my little brother who I haven't seen in two years."

"I supposed that could be arranged. What about your friends and school?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't. I was simply mentioning them in case you forgot."

"Oh, I don't know. I could just say the bastard broke my leg this time."

Sesshoumaru looked over at the girl who looked as if she was in a contemplative mood. "Would your school believe that without proof?"

"I supposed not. Do you have any ideas?"

"I am not aiding you in your escape from school."

"Fine. Be that way. I'll figure it out by myself." She sat further in the seat and crossed her arms.

Sesshoumaru let a smile grace his lips. Kagome was giving the impression of little girl pouting because she couldn't get what she wanted. "There is a way." He glanced at the girl who shot up from her seat.

"You know a way that wouldn't get me in trouble? TELL ME!" She screeched nearly causing Sesshoumaru to stop the car.

"Calm yourself, girl." Sesshoumaru said sternly. "Yes, I know of a way."

"Tell me please. I really want to see Sota. I miss him so much, Sesshoumaru. Please." Kagome all but begged.

"Lie."

"What? Sesshoumaru this is supposed to be a way for me not to get in trouble."

"It is."

"Explain."

"You tell them that you are leaving to live with your relatives in America for a while."

"They wouldn't believe that. They would ask Onigumo for consent. He wouldn't give it. You know that."

"I assure you it's very possible. I know people in your school. Your teacher, Ayuma Asakura, is an associate of mine."

"My teacher? Does she know about… you know?"

"Yes." In a glance, Sesshoumaru saw her narrow her eyes in anger and opened her mouth to speak with it. "Before you open your mouth to accuse me of something, realize that she is not the only one who knows and this Sesshoumaru did not tell her. She knows from the way she sees you. Is that not how my brother and your friends figured it out?"

"I guess." Kagome sighed and turned her head. She looked out the window at the passing trees and occasional houses letting the topic drop in the silence. It didn't look anything at all like her neighborhood. "Sesshoumaru, where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you to eat."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Where? I didn't realize that the restaurant was this far out."

"It's not. It's just outside of town." Sesshoumaru explained.

"I didn't realize the town was so big or is it just the roads that make it seem that way?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

"What do you think? Should we count them?" Sesshoumaru asked in mock interest.

"No. That's all right." Kagome narrowed her eyes at him and returned to her view as the rest of the car ride was in silence.

> > > > > > > > >

"Where do you think Kagome is?" Inuyasha asked. They arrived at his house an hour ago. They had tossing and turning all the ideas they had about where Kagome and Sesshoumaru could have gone.

"I do not know. I hope Sesshoumaru has found her and taken her far away from here."

"Where would he take her if he had found her?"

"I do not know. He may take her out of town. Sesshoumaru is one of the ones to go to when you want to get lost."

"What about school and her friends? Kagome wouldn't want to leave her friends so quickly and without telling us."

"I don't think Kagome would want to be anywhere near here anymore."

"I understand. I just wish she says goodbye before she goes."

> > > > > > > > >

"How long has she been going through this?" Ayuma questioned Sango and Miroku as soon as they sat down.

"How long has who been thru what?" Sango said in mock wonder.

"You know who. Kagome. How long has her father been abusing her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sango, I know you're just trying to protect your friend but she's is immediate danger. Her father is a dangerous man. He may kill her if you don't say something. She must have made you promise to keep it a secret but you need to tell me. I have to have proof in order to help Kagome." Ayuma expressed.

"What have you found out about Kagome," asked Miroku.

"I know Onigumo is a terrible man and an abusive father. It is not everyday you see a girl come to school looking as if she got into a fight when she has not. I know you two know. I want you to tell me what you know. I know you probably don't trust me but you've got no real choice in the matter. You see if Onigumo keeps going down the road he's going then there will be no more Kagome. If you want to save your friend then I suggest you tell me what's going on. Who knows what he has done to her to make her not come to school today."

"You already know Kagome's story, don't you?" A teary eyed Sango asked.

"Yes, but I need to hear it from you or Kagome herself."

"Kagome never made me promise," he began. "I am not one to tell another secrets but in this case, I can make an exception. Yes, Kagome's father abuses her. He's like a predator to his prey. He won't allow me or Inuyasha around her. As a result of seeing her around us, he pushed her down the stairs that broke her arm. Two nights ago, he raped her. I'm pretty sure he did it again."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"You didn't see the look he gave us as he sped off out of the parking lot that afternoon. He had the look of murder."

"Oh Kami. Miroku, do you think-"

"No, Sango. He couldn't. He doesn't have it in him yet." Miroku interrupted.

"What makes you think so?"

Miroku sent a cold look to his teacher. "I thought you wanted us to tell you about Kagome, not what we think?"

Ayuma ignored his look. "It would help if I had what you thought as well."

"I think he doesn't have it in him because he needs Kagome. He needs her for something I can't quite put my finger on. He would put up a fight to get what he wants and most of the time he wins." Miroku explained.

"Do you know this for a fact?"

"Miroku, don't!"

"It's all right, Sango. She won't hurt Kagome. Kagome doesn't know that we know. Onigumo raped Kagome's mother as well. He wanted Yuma but she was not interested in him."

"Quite interesting."

"Asakura-sensei, we are worried for our friends. If we are done here, we would like to go see if they are okay."

"Oh, yes we are done. You may go."

Miroku and Sango got up and bowed to their teacher before leaving the room.

"Your days are numbered, Onigumo. You have made a grave mistake. This time you will not get away."

> > > > > > > > >

They arrived at a restaurant called Yoshi's Cuisine in twenty minutes and were seated in a secluded area upon Sesshoumaru's request.

"Ah-choo!" Kagome sniffled and wiped her nose. "Someone must be talking about me."

"I can imagine they would," He said signaling for a waiter. "You only ran away from your father and said you hated your mother. They are probably deciding what to do with you or what you would do." Sesshoumaru replied smoothly.

"That bastard is not my father." Kagome sneered. "Don't ever say that again."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her attempt to intimidate him and sent her a hard, cold stare. "Do not think to tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have had to if you had your facts straight. My father was a kind hearted man that loved me and my mother and would never hurt either of us."

The waiter comes just a few minutes later and takes down their orders. He returned a few minutes later with their drinks and appetizers.

"Yes, I knew of him." Sesshoumaru commented when the waiter left.

"Sesshoumaru, how old are you?" Kagome said after the silence set in.

Sesshoumaru, breadstick halfway to his mouth, tensed up and looked at the girl. "Why do you want to know?" He put his breadstick back in the basket folded his hand on the table. Clearly, he would not be able to eat unless she got out everything she needed to.

"Just asking. I guess I'm trying to change the subject."

"Hmm. I'm twenty-eight."

"You're not much younger than my mom. Did you guys know each other then?"

"Our fathers got the idea to send us to the same school. She wasn't in my grade but I knew of her. Her father was ungrateful of his family. He treated them all as if they were beneath him. One day, she came to me during break and told me her name. We became friends and after grammar school, we were distant until now. I was the only one who knew of you or your father. She told me her secrets and her dreams and I told her mine."

"Wow. It seems like you two were the best of friends."

"Not really. She wanted someone to talk to. I was her only choice because everyone at our school was either too afraid of her father to be bothered with her and they just didn't care," he said simply.

"But how did she know you would care?"

"She didn't, at least that is what she told me. She said that I looked like I needed a friend."

"You guys had to have been best friends for her to tell you so much." She urged.

"We confided in each other and no other, "Sesshoumaru continued. "I told her how I felt about my brother and she accepted that feeling. She said that it was selfishness."

"What did she tell you about my father?" Kagome asked, changing the topic.

Sesshoumaru waited as he saw the waiter come back with their meals and took away the appetizers before speaking. "She said he was a great man. They were together in high school years. I didn't really get into it. He treated her well and that was all I cared about," Sesshoumaru finished.

"Do you know about his murder?"

"Yes. He knew as well. He-"

"How would he know?" Kagome interrupted.

"Had you not have interrupted me, I would have told you."

"Sorry. Please continue." Kagome smiled sheepishly.

"He knew by the way he kept having 'accidents'. One could only have so many before they would get suspicious. He asked me to look into it. I spied on her father talking with some men and one of them was Onigumo. The others I recognized as Naraku and Hakudoshi. They used to do business with my father." Sesshoumaru explained.

"So they really did kill him." Kagome stated more than asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded solemnly. "He knew that day was coming. It took everything in his power and mine to convince Yuma to let it happen. She was a stubborn woman."

"I see where who take after."

"The only traits you have from your mother are her beauty and her stubbornness. The rest comes from your father. Anyway, Yuma relented and in two weeks, your father was dead. He only had one wish."

"What was it?"

"That you were taken care of. That was the bargain he made with her father. He wanted me to watch over you. He had no idea that this would have happened to you."

Kagome felt the tears brimming her eyes. "Why just me? Why not mom too?"

"Hiroki was certain that Yuma would be taken care of but he wasn't sure about you."

"What did you say?" Kagome stared at him in disbelief.

"Your father wasn't sure about you." Sesshoumaru teased.

"Sesshoumaru, did you just say my father's name?"

"Yes."

"Say it again."

"Do not give me orders."

"I'm sorry. Please say it again. I want to remember it." Kagome urged.

"His name was Hiroki." Sesshoumaru watched as the tears fell down her face.

"Hiroki." Kagome whispered and then smiled. "My father."