Disclaimer - I do not own Inuyasha and this is chapter 25... lol.
A/N: Yay for chapter 25, who's happy? I AM! Okay :smiles like crazy: enjoy.
Kagome was the first one up. She looked over at the clock; it was 6:30 A.M. She tried to get up then noticed Inuyasha's arm over her stomach. Then, she noticed Inuyasha. She gently lifted his arm and he murmured something incoherent and rolled over, freeing her to get up without any trouble. She held her giggles in and walked over to the sink for a glass of water.
"We're really going home today..." She said quietly with an almost inaudible sigh as she finished up her water. "Funny, I thought this trip would last... forever." She crushed the plastic cup in her hand and walked into the bathroom to take a shower before everyone woke up and fought over the bathroom even though there were two. As she undressed she decided maybe a bath would be nice. When the tub was finally full, she stepped inside and went under. 'This is very relaxing,' Kagome thought as she rose out of the water. She took some shampoo and began to lather it in her hair. The suds turned her bath into a bubble bath and the smell that filled the bathroom was beyond sweet. Kagome laughed quietly as a bubble rose up from the bath and it popped before it got too far. Suddenly, the door opened. It was Kouga.
"Oh God!" Kouga blocked his view. For some reason Kagome couldn't stop laughing. "Kagome, you okay?" Kouga asked her, she laughed even harder.
"Kouga, i-it's okay!" She said, still laughing. "But, you m-might want to use the other bathroom!" She laughed, tears filling her eyes. He began to laugh as well.
"Yeah, okay. Bye!" And then he left Kagome to her laughter.
"Wow…" Kagome said with a smile, her giggling beginning to die down. Then, there was a knock at the door. She put a towel around her waist and opened the door, it was Sango.
"Hey," She said tiredly. "I really gotta pee, ya think you could like step out for a sec. Kouga's using the other one."
"Sure," Kagome said, and let her friend go to the bathroom while she shivered on the other side of the door. Suddenly, she felt someone pull her towards them and she screamed. She couldn't help it, she just screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Shhh, Kags... Kagome it's just me!" Inuyasha turned her to face him. Her face was moist with water and tears. "Oh Kags, I'm sorry… I just woke up and came over to give you a good morning hug." He rubbed her shoulders and she smiled at him. Then forgotten tears found their way down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, it's just I thought… I don't really know what I thought. I think I thought you were my... father." She told him. He wrapped his arms around.
"That's understandable… I'm sorry." He rubbed her toweled back to sooth her and it worked. She laughed falsely.
"No, no it's okay." Then, Sango slowly walked out of the bathroom and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sleeping for a bit more." She said to herself more than anyone. Inuyasha chuckled quietly then let go of Kagome and hugged Sango.
"You're in the hugging mood." Kagome laughed. Sango hugged him back and shut her eyes while she yawned again.
"You're really warm Inuyasha." Kouga's laugh could be heard from the bathroom and Sango jumped. "Oops, I almost fell asleep in your boyfriend's arms." Sango smiled at Kagome. "Niiight,"
"Good morning." Inuyasha corrected. She laughed tiredly as Kouga came out of the bathroom.
"Okay, before I get into a conversation with you now, I'm heading back to my bath." Kagome said over her shoulder with a smile as she returned to the bathroom and heard more chatting going on behind her.
"What the hell took you so long?" Inuyasha asked him roughly.
"Don't know, I'm tired." Kagome laughed as she heard Inuyasha grunt then go back to bed. She slid into the tub once more and relaxed.
"I never thought that taking a simple bath would be so… difficult. So much for taking an early shower." Kagome said quietly to herself as she rubbed her arms. "Hm, waters gotten cold." She pouted. She drained some of the water then let some more hot water into the tub. "Better," She smiled. Soon, she was through with her bath and she stood up as the water drained and turned the shower on to rinse the suds off her body and in her hair. Once she was done with that, she got out and wrapped her hair in a towel and the towel she'd used earlier around her. She looked in the mirror and she was confused. 'Who am I?' She questioned the mirror but it gave no response. "No, really. Who am I? How would the others explain... me?" She asked aloud but, once again, her reflection gave no response. She remembered how about a week ago she looked at her reflection and she'd been so sure of who she was. She was Kagome Higurashi, beaten constantly by her father. Kagome had no confidence, she had no one. Her mother and brother were the only ones who even gave a damn about her. Now, she was Kags or Kaggy. She was more stable. Kagome had five other people who would do probably anything for her. So, who was she now that all that happened? "You're still nothing." She said angrily to herself. Then she combed her hair out and brushed her teeth. She told herself when they got home everything would go back to how it was before. They would forget her and go back to their old lives.
"Kags, hurry up! I gotta peeee!" Alexis cried.
"Kags..." She whispered to herself. "Lexi, there's another bathroom ya know." She yelled back.
"Yeah, Miroku's stinking that one up." She said. Miroku hollered.
"Hey, I was not! I didn't even shit, shut up!" Kagome laughed in spite of herself.
"Gimme a sec, I'll be right out." She told Alexis.
"Kay." Lexi yelled back.
"Keep it down, would ya?" Inuyasha fumed at Alexis who was yelling way too loud. Kagome was only on the other side of the door, no need to yell.
"Shush, I'm being quiet." Alexis said with a shiver, why was it so cold that morning? Kagome walked out of the bathroom, still with only her towels wrapped around her and she noticed the lights were on and everyone was awake. They were all staring at her.
"What?" She asked them with a smile. "What is it?" She looked down at her shoulders and legs. "Oooh," She smirked. "That's what you're staring at. And to think, I thought it was because I was just drop dead gorgeous." She said with sarcasm. No one laughed. "Oh stop it." She walked up to her things and got her clothes. Then, she dropped the towel that was around her and everyone gasped. "Shit," She muttered and she hurried to get the towel back around her but the damage was done. They all saw how badly her father had beaten her and how awful she looked... how skinny she'd gotten.
"Kaggy, we're taking you to the hospital." Miroku said with finality.
"NO! I mean, no. We have to get back… school." Flashes of her mother and brother came into her mind. "Miroku, I'm fine. Trust me, it's been worse." She got dressed in the closet and came out with most of her bruises covered. She wore regular blue jeans and a white turtle neck to cover herself. She put her hair up in a pony tail and allowed some tears to go down; she vowed they'd be her last. With a quiet moan of sadness she left the dark closet and smiled at the others. "So, when are we leaving?"
"Soon. Everyone ready?" Inuyasha asked. They all nodded and headed down to the lobby. As they stepped into the elevator, they all silently agreed they were going to whatever it took to help Kagome. She needed them, she just wouldn't admit it.
"Stubborn." Inuyasha muttered as the elevator went down.
"What was that?" Miroku asked with amusement.
"Nothing," And from that point on they were all silent until they reached the car.
A/N: So, it's late... This means I have to go to sleep and now you all must review... because it makes me write chapters faster… What? It's half the truth! Nah, just kidding. But seriously, please review.
Byyy the way, the reason I haven't been updating ANYTHING lately is because school just started for me about two weeks ago. Plus, I've been focusing more on the newer fic of mine… hehe… Plz forgive me!