Summary: Having a blessing means that you will have a curse at another time in life. Protecting the jewel is no different. With the Curse of the Shikon No Tama- something unknown to those who haven't protected it -Kagome is starting to lose hope. If something isn't done soon, she may lose more than that... Sequel to The Games We Play

Rated M. Why? Because the first one was nasty and full of gore. This one is likely to be just as bad, maybe worse… Also because I have a twisted, sadistic mind…

"Talking" (duh)
'Thinking'

Dates Written:
July 4th, 2006
July 5th, 2006
July 7th, 3006

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I was hesitant about making a sequel (I wasn't even going to post it so soon), and all the reviews have made my day. You guys made me happy that I posted it so early!

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The Hearts We Break
Chapter One: Nightmares

Edited By: InterwovenEmotions

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Kagome jerked from her sleep and glanced around her. She was sitting up with a large T-Shirt on her. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around her. Nothing. She wiped at her eyes in attempt to hide the tears. No one… She didn't want anyone to know that she was crying.

She slowly reached to the bedside and flicked on the lamp. The lamp flickered a few times before it went out. She had to get a new light bulb again. It felt like just yesterday she had put this one in. Or did she start to and get distracted? She couldn't remember.

She looked at the clock. 'God, it's only one in the morning…' Kagome groaned. She fell back against her bed. She closed her eyes to sleep and took a deep breath. She nearly screamed when her vision was filled with red. She shot up and looked at her computer.

She no longer spoke to her diary. That was something she did two years ago. Now, she wrote her problems in her diary. It wasn't like there was anyone else to tell. Sesshoumaru? No. She loved him dearly, but she wouldn't allow herself to burden him. He had enough problems with becoming a doctor and aiding his father in the business.

Kagome felt more tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She turned the computer on and tried waiting for it to warm up. She looked at the picture in the frame beside the monitor and finally let loose. Tears spilled from her eyes and her body shook with the sobs that she was unable to form.

'Why did you have to leave me here? Why! Why didn't you tell anyone sooner? Why!' She thought. Pain flooded her body. Not physical pain, but mental and emotional pain. He was gone and she could have helped. She didn't know exactly what she could have done, but she could have done something!

Kagome stared blankly as the computer turned on. She brought up Internet Explorer and Microsoft Word. She typed in a quick web address on the Internet. It was her alibi. It would have to be a good one, though. What was so important that she was up until 1 in the morning? Or what caused her to get up this early?

Kagome opened up her folder in which her diary was held. Everything was in the same document now. There was no having different documents for different days' entries. She didn't even like admitting to keeping a diary. But she had to. It was the only thing she had left now. It was the only thing she could count on.

November5th (1:00 am)
I had another nightmare. I can't take it anymore. Each time I dream of it, it gets worse. I don't know what to do anymore. It feels like yesterday he was here and telling me that there was only one way to get rid of the people who hurt me... It feels like just last week I was visiting him and speaking once more.

But he's gone. I've finally accepted it and come out of denial... But that took a long time. And now the pain is still there… The pain of not being able to do anything… The pain of knowing that I'll never see him again... I'll never see the family that he wanted so badly to have...

The nightmare... We were all at the wedding for them-him and Ophielia. I could hear something going on in the background, but I forced myself not to hear it. I wanted to be there for the wedding. Suddenly the gun went off. Two. No, five gun shots. I tried to run to him, but I couldn't... I was stuck in a tar-like liquid.

He began to fall into the black pit- into the tar. I pushed my way to get to him, but I was too late. By the time I got there, he had already sunk into the tar. Ophielia went after him. Then, slowly, I began to stop moving and the tar began to swallow me up.

I should be getting to bed right now. Sesshoumaru is probably going to be coming home soon, and I don't want him knowing that I still keep a log of how things are going. I don't want anyone knowing what's going on inside of me. It was because I let them know that Souta's dead... Even worse, Ophielia had to die from my weakness too..

Kagome wiped her tears away, saved the file, then closed it. The pain was there- the pain and the guilt. There was nothing she could do to erase it. In movies and books, people always had problems. Who didn't? When a loved one died, they got over it by loving someone else or by drowning themselves in school or work.

Kagome tried and it didn't work. Her work got sloppy and her homework made no sense. Kagome turned the computer off and looked around. She knew that there must have been a scent over everything- the scent of her tears. Slowly, she got into bed and hugged the blankets close to her. Butcher- the stuffed animal Rin had given her- being squeezed to death in her arms.

- - -

Sesshoumaru sighed as he began packing things up. He missed the days in which he was able to just be with Kagome at the apartment. He missed that more than he would admit to most people. But work was calling. The more experienced he got, the higher-paying jobs he was given. But money couldn't bring him his Kagome. Money couldn't do anything other than aid them in living.

Sesshoumaru packed up his work supplies and put them in a drawer. He used his keys to lock the drawer then he left. He was going to see Kagome, even if she wouldn't see him. She was asleep. He was sure of it. If she wasn't asleep, then she was waking up from her nightmares.

He feigned oblivion. He acted like he had no idea what was wrong. Each time he had tried confronting her, her face would harden and she snapped that nothing was wrong. But he knew otherwise. She often times woke up in the middle of the night, crying, grieving over her brother's death.

It had been two years. She still couldn't handle it, and it worried Sesshoumaru. The woman he cared most for was having problems. He wanted desperately to help her, but she wouldn't let him. She wouldn't let anyone. She was withdrawn more than she was when she refused speaking.

The thought intimidated him. What if she decided to stop speaking once more? He had been grateful for every word she spoke in the past two years. But, even though he told her that, he feared that she would someday stop speaking anyways. He didn't want that. He only wanted to heal her heart. But that was something he couldn't do. No amount of demon powers or love could heal her. He knew that now.

He had often hoped that, if he just loved her more, it would make up for the loss of her brother. Or if he got her just the right gift, she would no longer grieve. But he hadn't succeeded. The pain was in her heart, and she wouldn't allow anyone close enough to take it away.

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky. His little brother would be human tonight. He looked back at his car and got in.

He wished that she would just let people know what was going on in her mind and her heart. He wished that, even if it wasn't him, she would tell someone what was wrong so she could get help. He drove home, his mind turning and turning on the events of the past two years. She seemed to take some of it fairly well, if you didn't know how well she could hide things.

Sesshoumaru walked into the cold apartment. Whenever Kagome turned the heat off, it usually meant that she had a nightmare. She woke up sweating and hot, so she would turn the heater off. Sesshoumaru shivered and walked over towards the thermostat and turned the heat back on once more.

Winter was a bad time for her. She hated the snow, and it snowed every winter. It was hard just to convince her to come out of the house. It got harder each day.

Sesshoumaru gently took off his jacket and long-sleeved shirt. He put them on the chair that was resting in front of the computer. He could smell tears. Her nightmare had come already. Pain filled his heart at the thought that she had not called him and the fact that she would not trust him.

Sesshoumaru gently slid off his pants. She would be cold and she would need the warmth of his body. He slowly got into bed, doing his best not to wake her. He wouldn't think of trying to ruin her beauty sleep- even if she couldn't get any more beautiful. Even though he had done a good job of not moving the bed too much, she still stirred.

"You're home." She murmured softly. Sesshoumaru smiled and slid under the covers. He pulled her cold body against his and kissed the back of her neck. "How was work?" She asked quietly.

"Forget about the hospital. You had a nightmare." Sesshoumaru spoke into the back of her neck. Kagome's body shuddered, and he wasn't sure if it was from speaking near her ticklish spot or her memories of the nightmare that caused it.

"I don't want to talk about it." Kagome said. She turned around and looked into Sesshoumaru's eyes.

"Why not?" He asked as he hugged her waist closer to him. She didn't stop him, either.

"Because it's hard to think of sad things around you. Can we sleep now?" Kagome pleaded. Sesshoumaru smiled and kissed her lips. Kagome returned the kiss more than eagerly. The two of them smiled and slipped off into the world of sleep.

- - -

Sango groaned as a loud cry rang through the air. She got up from her rather comfortable spot on the couch and walked towards the crib. There was her daughter, Lynn, crying and wailing. Sango picked her daughter up and began rocking her back and forth. She couldn't smell a dirty diaper, so that meant that her daughter was hungry.

Sango knew that it was just about time to wake their son up, too. She looked towards the master bedroom of the house- where Miroku was at the moment. As if he knew she was waiting for him, Miroku came out and made a turn for the kids' room. He came out with a very tired little boy. Rockey.

"Miroku... I got a call from Sesshoumaru." Sango said softly. Miroku raised not one, but two eyebrows. Not only was Sesshoumaru their friend, but now Sango's doctor. Sango was on her way to having their third child.

"And he said..." Miroku prompted her after a few moments of silence. Sango shook her head.

"Two things. Baby is in good shape- he just got a chance to look at the x-rays this morning, and that Kagome's doing it again..." Sango's voice grew more distant with the mention of Kagome. It pained her when she thought of Kagome. They were still great friends, but Kagome wasn't the same since Souta and Ophielia died.

"You're trailing off and sounding wistful. What's going on?" Miroku asked. Sango took a deep breath.

"Her grandfather kicked the bucket."

"What a heartless way to put it, Sango."

"Shut up. It's not like I'm telling her yet. I knew, you knew, everyone knew that he was getting old and that he wasn't going to be around much longer... Just... Kagome won't be able to handle it in a level-headed way like you or Sesshoumaru or I might." Sango said. Miroku sat down beside her on the couch with Rockey lying against his lap.

"What do you mean?" He was afraid to ask what Kagome might do if she heard the news.

"Kagome stopped talking when she was raped. Kagome stopped trusting when Souta and Ophielia died. One more thing- no matter how small -Kagome might just decide she wants to quit living." Sango said. Miroku's face paled.

"Then how should we tell her? Does her mother know that we might not say anything for a while just for the sake of Kagome's life?" Miroku asked. Sango nodded.

"Yeah. She said that there wouldn't be a funeral. Whatever we tell Kagome, we have to tell her so she can go along with the story..." Sango said. Miroku sighed then shook his head.

"We should tell her... But things have been so hard for her... I don't want to burden her more." Miroku said. Sango nodded and pulled her shirt down when Lynn was done.

"I'll see her today. She said she'd come over." Sango said. Miroku nodded then stood.

"I'll be leaving to work then, dear. Will she bring you lunch or shall I?" He asked. Sango giggled.

"I think she'll do it, but I wouldn't mind if you come home for lunch." She said with a sly smile. Miroku's eyes widened at what she had hinted at. If they didn't already have two kids, he would take full advantage of that.

"I'll come home. Give me time to get some... stuff..." He trailed off. Sango smiled and nodded.

"I'll tell Kagome to come after lunch, then." She whispered to Miroku seductively. He smiled then went into their bedroom to dress for work.

- - -

Kagome quietly opened the bathroom door, she waited a few moments to let some of the steam clear out. She walked in and sat down on the toilet lid. She gave Sesshoumaru some time to acknowledge her presence. Demon senses were often useless during rain; showers were just like rain.

"Kagome, what are you doing in here?" Sesshoumaru softly asked. Kagome moved around a bit in her seat before she figured she'd get to it. The sooner she said it, the sooner she would be able to apologize for walking in on his shower.

"March 3rd." Kagome said shortly. Sesshoumaru paused long enough to turn the water off and peek his head out of the shower door. Kagome looked at him with a blush. He knew that she was trying to resist the instinct to look down. He grabbed the towel from behind her, clearing his throat.

"What of it?" He asked curiously. Kagome smiled, for once a genuine smile, this time. He found himself starting to smile back as well.

"Can that be the day of our wedding?" Kagome asked softly. Sesshoumaru was, to say the least, surprised that she had brought it up. He knew that she was stuck in her memories of Souta and that she wouldn't be able to move on until they were gone. Was she over it? He certainly hoped so, even though he knew that the chances weren't likely.

"What makes you say this, Kagome? Are you setting a date just to please me or do you wish to get married now?" He asked. Kagome hesitated. This was one of the few times that he wouldn't be able to know if her hesitation was good or bad.

"I want to get married. I've put it off long enough... If I expect to get over their deaths, then I need to start making memories to cover up those ones." Kagome said. 'It won't work.' Sesshoumaru thought for a fleeting moment. But, if that were the way Kagome wished to do things, he would not interfere. He was just glad that she knew what she wanted so he would be able to please her.

Sesshoumaru stepped out of the shower with the towel wrapped around his waist. Kagome walked behind him and placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder. That was always her endearment to him, and he wasn't quite sure why.

She had her own reasoning, he was sure.

Kagome left the bathroom and Sesshoumaru sighed. March 3rd. That was the day he would be getting married now. That was going to be the day of their marriage.

He wanted to feel happy, but he couldn't. A part deep inside of him knew that Kagome was trying to seize her suffering and to make him happy. She was never selfish and always wanted to make other people happy. She was doing it to see him smile. And her way of covering up her scent that screamed of a lie?

Kagome was good at that sort of thing. She had done it to Naraku and Andrew, and now it was going to be done to him. He hated the fact that he was receiving the same treatment. At least it was out of love, not spite. Naraku and Andrew had suffered the result of her anger. They had damaged her and paid the price.

O o O o O o O o O o O

He was always trying to protect me… I am such a horrible person. He died because of me. What have I done? I killed someone by being weak. No longer will I be weak. I won't let anyone know that I have weak points. I will become strong. I won't sink to needing protection… I'll do it so I don't hurt anyone else…

O o O o O o O o O o O

Phrase above... To those who read The Games We Play, you'll know that this is my signature. This time, all the things that are written above are small excerpts from Kagome's diary... Yeah, that means they aren't random things anymore... But I will change them randomly. So, keep looking at them.

Review Replies:
RaspberrySorbet-
they are the beginning of Kagome's problems. After all, what good is a story if someone doesn't have problems to deal with?
Blue Dart- I did think of whether or not to kill of Sesshoumaru. But, I can't. This is a SessKag fic, and I can't kill him. It would totally mess up the romance... Sad how I can't write a story without romance...
Asukawatanabe- Heh. That part of the story was a bit different than my natural writing style. I read a book (about a P.I name Kat Colorado), and that was kind of how the author wrote the first page of the story. I liked it so much; I decided I'd try to write the same way... Guess I did well.
Veata- Yeah, I fear his temper too... Speaking of temper... I got an idea! And of course fate hates her. Just read the title of the next chapter. That's what she thinks of fate...
Black Juju- I missed writing it. I was working on another story, but I missed this plot so badly... I wasn't even going to post it until I was at least done with chapter five, but I missed writing it and reading the reviews that much...
YoukaiMei- I don't know how I do it. I made it after I had started chapter one (after I started, I decided I wanted a prologue since I never made an epilogue). But don't cry! If you cry, then I won't be able to get gifts, and then I won't be able to write anymore! If you cry, I can't write!

Next Chapter: Fuck Fate
Reviews Needed: 40

- Lonely Bird