Surely not. There's no way. This can't be her. But I'd know that scent anywhere. I walk out of my doorway and kneel in front of the tiny, frail girl before me, taking another sniff. Even in the darkness, I can see the blood and bruises on her pale skin, exposed to the frigid air by her thin, oversized t-shirt and what can barely be described as shorts. Her bones are much more prominent than I remember. Her hair, tangled, damaged, with sticks and leaves stuck out at all angles, coated in dirt and grease. Iron hangs around her like a blanket, Blood. Beneath all that, I can just make out her signature lavender and vanilla scent.
"Kagome? Is that you?" Hesitantly, I reach out to tip her head back to see her face but pull back when she flinches away. What the hell, I wonder, before shaking my head. "Come on, let's get you inside." I offer her my hand and wait while she stares at it. After several seconds, she very hesitantly places her hand in mine, allowing me to help her up. I can't help but notice how much smaller it seems than the last time I had held her hands, all bone and skin, much like the rest of her arms. She keeps her gaze on the floor as I lead her inside and waits while I lock the door behind us. I look down at her face and feel my eyebrows draw together in disbelief. Whereas before, she always had a sort of sparkle or fire in her eyes and every emotion showed across her face, even in the worst situations, now she just looks… resigned. Defeated. She's also shaking like a leaf.
"Let's get you cleaned up," I suggest, putting my arm around her shoulders. She flinches again but doesn't pull away. Her arms are wrapped around her waist, her steps slow. "How does a hot shower sound?" She doesn't answer, just lets me lead her to the bathroom. She stands there while I get the water started for her, still not looking at me. "Alright, I'm gonna go get you some clothes, help yourself to anything in there, and the clean towels are right here," I inform her, waiting for her to nod her head, just once, before retreating to get something for her to change into. I walk to my bedroom, digging through my dresser, head full of questions. What the hell happened to her? How is she alive? Does mutt face know? What is she doing in the forest in the middle of the night? Especially in this weather? I shake my head to clear my thoughts, Answers after she's taken care of, and grab the smallest pair of sweatpants I own, knowing they'll still be too big for her, a pair of boxers, and a long-sleeved henley shirt. Once I make it back to the bathroom, I knock twice before entering.
"Kagome, I got you some - " My voice is stolen by the sight waiting on the other side of the door. She was in the middle of taking off her shirt, exposing her torso. Every rib juts out sharply, barely covered by a thin layer of bruised, scarred, and bleeding skin. Her hip bones are in the same condition. She catches me staring and just looks at me with those dead eyes. This isn't right. I swallow passed the lump in my throat, placing the clothes on the sink counter. "Just let me know if you need anything." I shut the door behind me and lean against the wall, hardly able to believe what I just saw. With trembling fingers, I dig my cell phone out of my pocket and dial Ginta's number. He answers quickly.
"Hey, boss!" He yells into the receiver. "You on your way?" I sigh into the phone, walking into the kitchen, making sure to listen out for Kagome in the bathroom.
"Listen, I'm gonna have to take a rain check. Something came up," I inform him, unsure of how to even begin explaining the sudden turn of events.
"Everything alright, boss?" I hear Hakkaku asking what's going on in the background.
"I'm not sure, I'll give you a call tomorrow."
"Alright, we'll be here!" I hang up the phone and place it on the charger, leaning against the counter. I take only a moment to collect myself before getting something for her to eat when she gets out. First things first, I grab some chicken broth and pour it into a pot on the stove. Gotta get her to trust me again before she'll talk. When I hear the water turn off, I get down a glass and pour some milk and sugar into it, before depositing the broth into a bowl. She exits the bathroom, drowning in the clothes I'd given her, and finds me.
"Hey," I keep my voice soft and gentle so as not to frighten her. "Thought you could use this." I push the bowl and glass across the counter, in front of one of the bar stools. She eyes the contents wearily, slowly making her way over. After a minute or two, she carefully reaches out and grabs the glass of milk, sniffing it. She glances at me with narrowed eyes before hazarding a small sip. Determining there is nothing wrong with it, she takes a slightly bigger sip, easing herself onto the chair. I remain standing on the other side of the counter, giving her plenty of space. She sips the milk and, eventually, the broth in silence, taking slow mouthfuls of the liquids. Once they're gone, I notice her fidgeting on the wooden stool a bit, trying to get comfortable.
"Why don't we move to the living room?" I suggest, getting her attention. Her eyebrows are lowered, suspicion radiating from her every pore. "The couch is a hell of a lot more comfortable than that." I smile a bit, trying to lighten the mood. It seems to have the opposite effect, however, as her breath catches in her throat and her jaw tightens. Before I can question it, she sighs, nodding her head, and follows me to the living room. I turn around to face her only to find her right behind me. Slowly, she runs her hands up my chest before locking her hands behind my neck, as I stare down at her in shock. "Kagome? What, what're you - " She rolls her eyes, standing on her tiptoes until her lips are at my neck.
"Cut the shit already," her voice is hoarse, sad. "We both know this isn't real. Just have your fun and get it over with so we can move on to your next illusion." Before her lips can make contact, I carefully push her back, putting some distance between us.
"What are you talking about? What illusion?" She scoffs, a little of that fire sparking in the depths of her eyes.
"You've really outdone yourself this time. I've never gotten a shower or food before. You did your homework on him." Her voice is bitter as she reaches for the buttons on my flannel shirt again, only for me to grab her wrists.
"Kagome, this is real. I don't know what happened to you, but you're safe now." She barks out a laugh, one without any humour, and I can't help but think how wrong it sounds coming from her.
"Yeah, right, like I've never heard that before." She snatches her wrists from me and crosses her arms over her bony chest, reminding me briefly of the girl I met all those years ago, the one that slapped me in front of my entire tribe.
"Kagome, I can't protect you if you don't tell me what happened," I start, keeping my voice as nonthreatening as possible. "I know it's been about five hundred years, and I have no idea how you're still alive, but you're still pack." Her eyes widen at my words and her mouth falls open a bit as her breath catches again. I take the opportunity and quickly continue, "I do everything in my power to protect pack. That means you." She drops to the couch, breaths coming in shallow gasps, while she stares at me like she's seen a ghost.
"What did you just say?" She asks, voice barely above a whisper. I hold my hands out in front of me and sit on the coffee table in front of her, keeping plenty of space between us.
"I said you're still pack, family." I watch as she slowly draws her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
"He doesn't know he said that…" She looks at me again, eyes wide, looking almost desperate. "Say something else he wouldn't know," she demands. I can feel the confusion on my face and only feel worse as tears begin to pool around her eyes. "Say something only Kouga would know," she almost begs. I think of every conversation we'd had all that time ago, looking for something, anything, that could fulfill her request.
"Before you guys left for the final battle, you took me aside and made me promise to keep an eye on InuYasha, no matter what. I didn't understand why you would ask something like that unless you weren't planning on coming back from the fight, but you did. It wasn't until after you vanished, and your friends explained some things, that I understood why you'd asked me to do that." I meet her gaze, heart-clenching at the tears streaming down her face. "You were covering your bases in case you were forced back to your time." A sob shakes her body before she launches herself at me. I catch her, easily, clutching her small frame to my chest as she cries into my shoulder.
"It's you, it is you," she sobs into me. I run a clawed hand through her hair, carefully moving us to the couch. "I never thought I'd see you again, not the real you." Curled up like this, she feels even smaller than I'd thought. I can feel every bone in her.
"Shh, it's okay, I got you," I whisper, soothingly. Somehow, this only brings more tears forth as she holds onto me tighter, her limbs shaking. "I'm right here, I ain't letting go," I promise her. Once she stops crying, I lean over and grab a nearby box of tissues, passing it to her. She manages a chuckle before taking a few and wiping her eyes, blowing her nose. After she's calmed down, I keep an arm wrapped around her and quietly ask, "Kagome… what happened to you?" Her entire body stiffens beside me and her breathing stops. I wait, patiently, for her to work through her thoughts until she brings her knees up to her chest again.
"It started at the final battle…"