Absconding Sorrow

Part Two – "The Result"

Author: profiler120

Email: profiler120@hotmail.com

Rating: PG/PG-13

Pairing: Naraku/Kagome/Sesshoumaru

Genre: Romance/General

Author's Notes: I thought I'd update this, it's just been sitting around. I haven't made any progress though, so I'm hoping maybe a review or two will inspire me. ^_^

"About time the girl finally broke off with you."

Gold eyes met in a fierce clash. "What the hell are you still doing here? You're the last person I want to be anywhere near me. Aren't I 'polluting your air space'?"

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "I'm surprised you remembered such a big word. So, brother, how does it feel to be caught?"

"Shut up, go away!" Inuyasha snapped before turning and presumably going after her.

Sesshoumaru followed suit, out the door with his tea in hand. Outside he could see his brother storming off, apparently back to the house. He knew for a fact 'the shrine' where she lived was in the other direction.

He found himself wandering that way, if only to get away from Inuyasha. His brother's temperamental moods annoyed him. He technically had work to be doing but he didn't feel like going back to it now.

The girl, Higurashi Kagome, was her name. She'd been dating his brother for almost two years now. Or had been, he corrected himself. Their first meeting hadn't been the best. They'd met quite accidentally in the local park. She had sneaked up on him and pelted him with a juice filled balloon. His attitude soured toward her immediately, and he felt justified in that assessment.

She'd showered him with apologizes claiming she thought he had been his stupid half brother, but then it was too late. She might have redeemed herself with the apology, but mistaking him for Inuyasha was an unforgivable offense.

Last night... well. He had no excuse for last night. He'd seen her at the cafe watching his brother and his other girlfriend enjoy the evening. She looked so crushed he had to come over, he felt drawn in. His insulting remarks toward Inuyasha seemed to cheer her up, which surprisingly cheered him up as well. Higurashi Kagome was not a girl made for anything but smiles.

It did not excuse his actions when it came to her during the latter part of the evening. Spending an hour or so degrading his brother was one thing, taking the girl back to his room was quite another and yet he'd done just that. He did get overly hormonal on occasion from cutting himself off from people so much, but she was not the right person for slaking his lusts. Not that it had mattered, apparently.

He'd still taken her. She'd told him she was a virgin and he'd gone ahead anyway. Now he wanted to royally thrash himself for doing it. He did not however regret it as much as she did. That was blatantly apparent. She could barely look at him. He wondered if she'd ever be able to again.

But to his surprise she had admitted it all to Inuyasha. She'd been honest in the face of being shamed for her actions and he was grudgingly respectful of such honesty. He didn't despise her; after all, he'd gone to bed with her. Kagome was a magnetic person, people were drawn to her. *He* was drawn to her, even if he didn't want to admit it. He didn't even want to be drawn to her; he simply couldn't help it and disliked her all the more for it.

He found her along the way. He hadn't wanted to, he just stumbled upon her. She was leaning back against the trunk of a tree, crying. They weren't hysterical sobs, but quiet broken tears that bespoke of pain. He felt sorry for her. He almost felt responsible for what had happened, although it was in no way his fault that Inuyasha was cheating on her. She'd known for months, she'd known and he knew she'd known.

"Go away Sesshoumaru. There's no magic words to make me feel better and if there were you of all people, wouldn't know them." She snapped a vicious tone to her usually melodious sounding voice.

"How do you know that? I soothed you last night, did I not?"

He hadn't intended to bring that up and almost wished he hadn't. He was almost doing a lot of things today.

Her head shot up. "'Soothe me' is that what you call it? Please! You caused me twice as many problems as I had before. Did it ever occur to you I might be pregnant?"

The comment caused the air between them to suddenly chill. He had not thought of that possibility until now. Damn her for scattering his thoughts this way. She was right, last night had been a mistake of monstrous proportions. He did not need a child, nor did she. He reached toward her, and with a rough jerk she was on her feet, stumbling along beside him.

He alternated between watching her and the path in front of him.

"If you are pregnant I will not shirk my responsibilities as a parent."

He had no other choice. He wouldn't let it ruin his life, but nor would he allow his irresponsibility to ruin the life of an innocent child. He did not want his potential child to grow up like he had, with parents that were at war with one another. If it were so... if it were so than he would make her his. They would be family, whether she wanted it or not. He had no doubts she could be persuaded it was the right course of action. For now however, he prayed silently she wasn't pregnant and that this would all blow over.

* * * *

She broke. Tears spilled over uncontrollably. The figures in the room with her watched silently. Her life was over. It had been just short of three months now - there could be no question about it. She was pregnant. How was she going to finish college? What about her plans to see the world?

"It'll be all right Kagome." Her mother tried in vain to reassure her.

She shook her head weakly, unwilling to be consoled. It wouldn't be all right. Her doctor rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. She pushed her away, sliding off the table.

"I want to go home now."

The walk home was short and silent. Neither Kagome nor her mother spoke. She couldn't be more ashamed; her mother must think her the most disappointing thing on the planet. How could she have allowed this to happen?

"Kagome... I don't wish to pry, but what about the father?"

She sighed heavily. "What about him?"

"Are you going to tell him? I know Inuyasha is a bit high strung but-"

"It's not Inuyasha," she replied brokenly, her eyes bubbling with tears. "It... was his brother. I can't believe this! When did I turn into an idiot and start making stupid mistakes?"

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, Kagome. Everyone makes mistakes, it is the human nature."

"But Mom... I'm pregnant! How can you make a bigger mistake?"

"Inuyasha's brother?" Her mother mused. "His name was... Sesshoumaru?"

"Right."

"Well, this Sesshoumaru then, are you going to tell him?"

"Absolutely not! The last time I talked to that guy, he basically said if I was pregnant he would 'take responsibility' that probably means marrying me and I hate that guy!"

She stopped suddenly realizing what she'd said. Sure she hated him, she'd slept with him. What was wrong with her?

"Oh, my life is over... how could I do this to myself? Self-sabotage! I'm an idiot!"

"Calm down, Kagome. We'll work it out, don't worry."

Kagome stared back at her mother, more tears spilling over. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be a disappointment to you. I didn't... mean for this to happen..." She bit her lip nervously.

Her mother smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around her daughters trembling shoulders. "Some of the best things in life can be things we never asked for."

* * * *

Her watched her, his favorite pupil. The model of perfection that strode each day into his classroom and gazed at him from the front row. Her spectacular eyes tracing his every movement, ears picking up every word. He almost wished she were a bad student so that he could fail her and make her take his course again.

Today, however, his little joy was distracted. Her eyes were not so keenly focused on him as they should have been, and she had taken again to biting her lip, a nervous habit. He was happy when the class drew to it's close and he was able to beckon her to him after the other students had gone.

In response she slowed, gathering her things, waiting for everyone else to filter out before she approached the podium.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Is there something worrying you, Higurashi? You are one of my best, it troubles me to know you might have some difficulties, anything with your workload?"

She smiled, falteringly. It caught his attention. There was something bothering her. Something important. "No, I'm all right."

"Are you certain? If there's anything I can do to be of assistance to you..." he trailed off as her eyes drifted toward the doorway, narrowing as though to focus on something.

He turned his own gaze to the doorway, and was surprised to see one of the school's main benefactor's son standing there.

"Excuse me, Professor Senaka, is Higurashi finished here?"

Sesshoumaru strode into the room with all the confidence and authority as if he owned the place. Kagome, he noted, had turned her gaze to the floor. Well now, wasn't that interesting?

"Oh... did you need to speak with Senaka-sensei, I can go -"

Naraku scoffed. "Hardly. Masaharu-san here does not take any of my classes."

Kagome turned her gaze back to Naraku, smiling weakly. "I should go, I promised Souta I would come to his soccer game today, but thank you Professor."

She stepped past Sesshoumaru, who turned, immediately falling into step behind her.

. . .

"Kagome," he called out, voice soft but commanding.

She slowed but didn't stop. "What? I have to get home."

He followed, drawing many curious stares. Kagome was silent, pushing through the crowds to the door and stepping out, Sesshoumaru behind her.

Before she could walk off he gripped her elbow, pulling her off toward the green. Kagome scowled, but remained soundless, quietly whispering encouragement's to herself. She could do this. She could. Her confidence dimmed, however, when he pushed her back against the bark of a tree well away from anyone else in hearing range.

"What do you want?" She finally asked, keeping her stare steady.

"Have you found anything out?"

"About what?"

He growled. "Are you pregnant or not?"

"I don't know."

"You haven't gone to the doctor? You could have at least bought one of those little tests at the market."

"Shut up," she sighed. "Stop meddling in my business. I have enough stress right now without you bothering me."

She pushed away from the tree as though to leave. He reached out, snagging the back of her collar pulling her back, and snaking an arm around her shoulders. He leaned down, leveling his mouth with her ear.

"Like it or not, if you're pregnant, you're mine, Higurashi."

She scoffed, pulling herself out of his arms. "I don't think so. I wouldn't want my child to become afflicted to whatever nasty germ you Masaharu males seem to carry." She spat.

He pulled her back to him again looping his arms around her loosely. "Would you really force the child to grow up without a father?"

He laced his fingers gently through her hair, pressing her against him ignoring the stares they were receiving.

"I don't think you're much of a father figure, Sesshoumaru. He'd be better off without you."

He drew back away from her, startling her when she could clearly see emotions simmering in those molten eyes. He stared down at her, mouth twisted into a frown. "This from the woman who could not even please Inuyasha so that he had to go find a duplicate?" He paused. "Or, maybe you were not even that, but a flawed replacement for Kikyo."

Crushed. She could feel her entire being crumbling from within. It felt like he struck her with a sledgehammer. She had thought those things on her own without him reiterating them to her. But she could take this, she could bear the pain, she thought, still staring up at him.

She stepped past him silently picking up the bag of books she'd dropped at the base of the tree. "Yeah well, life's like that I guess." She replied as she walked away.

She had barely made it back to the sidewalk before the tears that had been flowing within her the last few days, escaped once more. She couldn't stop them, and made no attempt to, but she was saved the embarrassment of not being bogged down with hysterical sobs. She reached the main doors and turned into the building, not wanting to be outside until he left.

She stepped in past the main doors, and then through the lobby doors into the beige colored abandoned halls. Classrooms, some open, some closed lined the halls. She walked down the hall, away from the office where the receptionists were sitting behind the glass wall. Farther down she sighed heavily, pressing back against the wall.

"Higurashi?"

She looked up, automatically wiping away her tears. "Oh, Senaka-sensei."

The tall, dark haired male approached, ruby colored eyes steady on her figure.

"You are troubled after all." He stated, staring down at her, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Come..."

She allowed herself to be led away.

"Anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head weakly. "No.. But thank you. I'll be all right."

"Does this have anything to do with Masaharu?" He asked quietly.

She hung her head, saying nothing and they merely continued on.

He sighed. "I'll take you home."

* * * *

"I don't really want to but... I guess I don't have much of a choice anymore. I can't... I can't go back with Sesshoumaru there. He'll find out sooner or later and I don't want him in my life. It's selfish and unfair but... Oh, mama, am I being awful?"

"You're just hurting now." The older woman replied, setting a steaming cup of tea before her daughter. "Maybe you should get away for a while, think things out. Everything will be okay. You always choose the correct path Kagome, because that's the type of person you are."

Kagome sighed, dropping her head, resting it on her hands. "I guess I'll... go to the school and settle my affairs then."

Her mother nodded glancing at the watch. "How many classes have you already missed?"

"Two," Kagome muttered.

"Finish your tea and get dressed. You might as well get up and moving. No use in moping around all day." The woman smiled, standing to collect her breakfast dishes, the only left on the table and took them to the sink.

Kagome remained, languishing a few minutes, thinking about her future. Who knew where she was going with her life now...

[End chapter two]