A/N: Here's chapter two! Enjoy:D
Summary:A Place Where I Belong: AU. Kagome accidentally discovers a secret that her abusive family has hidden from her. She was adopted. Desperate to find her birth mother, Kagome enlists the help of Inuyasha, a private detective who always finds what he's looking for. But what happens when she finally finds the truth? Will Inuyasha be able to help her find where she truly belongs?
---
A Place Where I Belong
Chapter Two: Help Me, Inuyasha
"Inuyasha…" Miroku's voice was soft. "We're pulling up your driveway right now."
"Why am I doing this again?" Inuyasha frowned. "I don't think this is any of my business…"
"It's the right thing to do, trust me." Miroku answered, clicking his phone closed and slowly lifting Kagome from the car.
Kagome writhed in pain, digging her nails into Miroku's skin.
"It's all right, Kags. You're going to be all right. We've brought you to someplace safe…" Miroku reassured her.
Inuyasha already had the door open. His eyes widened. "What the hell happened to her, Miroku?"
Kagome stared, her face darkening in fear. "Miroku, no! Please…don't leave me here! He's a…"
"He's a really good person, Kags. And he is going to keep you safe from your parents until we can figure this out. They don't know who he is, so you will be safe here. I wouldn't bring you somewhere you wouldn't be safe, would I, little sis? Everything is going to be fine…"
Kagome relaxed slightly, and closed her eyes. "Thank you…" she whispered.
Sango choked back a sob. "Inuyasha…please protect her. I don't even know all of what happened…or what has happened, for that matter…but we couldn't leave her there…"
He nodded. "I'll take care of it for you." He took Kagome from Miroku and nodded to Sango. "Just get home and get some sleep. I'm sure you'll have one hell of a backlash waiting for you tomorrow…"
"We won't be able to visit her for a couple of days, Inuyasha." Miroku added, handing him the photo. "Give this to her when she wakes up. It's important."
Again, Inuyasha nodded. "You got it. See you around."
---
"Miroku…what if they find her?" Sango worried.
Miroku shook his head. "They'll have to go through us first, Sango. And even if they could manage that, they'd still have Inuyasha to deal with when everything was all over."
Sango frowned. "You don't think…?"
"There's no way. I'd have to be dead for that bastard to get within one hundred yards of my little sister ever again…"
"You really have known Kagome a long time…" Sango remarked.
Miroku smiled. "We were about this tall," he made a hand gesture, "when we met. My father had just died, and Master Mushin had just taken me in. Kagome came into my kindergarten class half way through the year, and we've been best buds ever since…"
---
Kagome groaned, and her eyes shot open. She didn't know where she was, and she felt the fear grip her like a tight vise. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to scream. Then she saw him, and she remembered…
"Calm down, Kagome. You're all right. Just try to sleep. You'll be safe. I won't do a thing." Inuyasha spoke. He had been observing her from the other side of the room. "Are you feeling all right?"
Kagome shook her head. "My stomach…it…"
Without another word, Inuyasha crossed the room, and lifted up her school uniform just high enough to view her stomach. She flinched. He didn't seem to notice her reaction. He was too busy staring at her stomach. Nearly the entire area of it was black and blue. He even noticed what seemed to be actual shoe prints on her skin.
"Holy shit…" he whistled. "What the hell…?"
Kagome yelped in pain. "Who…?" she started.
"Name's Inuyasha. I'm a friend of Miroku and Sango's. You can trust me."
"You're a…you're a…de…" she stammered.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Only half demon…but what's that matter? Got a problem with it?"
Kagome seemed to shrink inside herself, and she shook her head hard. "No…No.." she repeated. She continued to shake her head. "My father…he…I…" Kagome quieted, shivering slightly and pulling away from Inuyasha.
"Kagome…what exactly has this guy done to you, huh?" Inuyasha nearly demanded.
"Nothing…" Kagome squeaked. "Nothing. It's fine. I just…"
"I don't think it's nothing," Inuyasha smirked under his breath.
---
"That bitch!" Naraku snarled. "Where could she have gone? How in the hell did she get the door open?"
"Isn't it obvious? She had help." Kagura commented.
"Help?" he repeated. "She couldn't even walk, Kagura!"
"My money would be on those troublesome kids she hangs out with at school. What were their names?"
Naraku shrugged. "I don't know! Do you think I even give a damn?"
Kagura laughed. "Well, if you 'gave a damn', we could find them, and they will lead us straight to that troublesome child of ours…" Naraku growled, and Kagura placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Naraku. We'll get the little bitch back. It just may take some damage control after the fact."
"Damage control?" Naraku nearly spat. "I'll kill that little bitch if she's done anything stupid!"
Kagura sighed, walking past her husband and to her daughter's desk. She opened the top drawer, and smiled. "Bingo."
"What is it?" asked Naraku.
"Kagome's yearbook. It has everyone's names in it. All we have to do is match the faces I know to the names in this book…" She paused. "It won't take that long. They're both in Kagome's year. We'll be out the door in less than twenty minutes."
"Good."
---
"There's a lot more to this than she is telling any of you…" Inuyasha commented into his cellular phone. "And she won't tell me anything…"
Miroku nodded. "We've guessed that much, but Kagome definitely isn't going to be talking about it all anytime soon. I guess if we just give her some time…"
"What if she doesn't have time?" Inuyasha suggested.
Miroku sighed. "Just please, Inuyasha. Keep her safe. There's no doubt that Kagome's parents have figured out she's not in her room by now. They'll probably come for me and Sango. Kagome is with you because they don't know about you."
"I know that already." Inuyasha smirked.
"And Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you help Kagome? Help her find that woman in the photo."
"Why?"
Miroku frowned. "Because, Inuyasha. You're the best there is, and we think that the woman in that photo may be Kagome's mother."
"Her mother is a crazy…"
"No!" Miroku interrupted him. "Her real mother, Inuyasha. Think about it…Look at the picture…and really think about it. You will understand what I mean."
There was a pounding on the door, and Miroku sucked in a deep breath. "Yash, I think the cavalry has arrived. I have to go. I don't want them to know I was talking to anyone."
"You mean Kagome's parents are there?" Inuyasha worried.
Miroku shrugged. "No sweat, Inuyasha. I've dealt with worse before. I'll handle it. Besides, it doesn't matter what happens, because they won't be getting any information out of me."
"Good luck, Miroku…" Inuyasha clicked the phone closed quickly.
---
"Where is she, you little bastard?" Naraku growled at Miroku. He picked Miroku up by the collar of his shirt, and easily hoisted him off of the ground. "What did you do?"
Miroku laughed. "You can't threaten me, sir. I don't care what you do. Do not presume that your use of force will scare me into telling you anything. Besides, even if I did know where she was, you'd certainly be the last person I'd divulge the information to."
"Why, you little…"
"Although," Miroku continued boldly, "I do believe that if the cops ever did find out the way you really treat Kagome, no amount of threats or tantrums would get you out of where they would send you…"
Naraku's face hardened in anger. "Do you wish to die, boy?" he threatened.
"Not particularly," Miroku smarted. "But I don't think you'd kill me anyway. It would be a lot harder to explain my accidents to the authorities like you've explained away Kagome's in the past…and besides, you're under the sad impression that I actually have information to give you…"
Naraku tossed Miroku across the room.
"I'll get what I want," Naraku swore, an evil glint in his eye. "One way or another, with or without you, boy." He turned as though he was about to leave the room, then turned back again. "Tell Kagome when you see her to sleep lightly. It won't take me too long to find her…"
Miroku's jaw remained set. "We'll see about that," he huffed out in anger.
---
"Kagome, where did you say you found this picture?" Inuyasha questioned.
Kagome shook her head. "It fell from the ceiling of the well house at my family's shrine. I've never seen that woman before, but that baby that she's holding…it's me." She pointed to the baby in the photo. "I don't understand why I wouldn't remember something like this."
"You were a baby. You can't expect to be able to remember something from infanthood."
Kagome sighed. "You're probably right. I just wish I knew who she was. Miroku and Sango think that I'm adopted. When my father saw this photo…he…he…" she took a deep breath, and continued, "…he was so angry. But what if what Sango and Miroku think…what if it's true?"
Inuyasha seemed to think about that for a moment. "There's only one way to find out…and that's to find her."
Kagome's eyes widened. "What…How do you expect we do that?"
"Not we…we would not be safe, because you are in danger. I will find her for you. After all, it's what I do…and I'm good at it. Give me a couple days, and I'll find out the truth for you."
"Thank you…" she whispered, her gaze distant.
---
"Those little brats wouldn't tell us a damned thing!" Naraku fumed. "How in the hell are we supposed to find her?"
Kagura cleared her throat. "Well, you are a demon…does your nose not work properly?" she teased.
Naraku shook his head. "This is Tokyo! I can not possibly think to single out her scent with as many people as there are that inhabit this city!" He began to pace. "If she finds out about Kikyou, there will be trouble. Don't you get it? If she finds out about Kikyou, she could find out about the jewel, and if she manages to awaken that power, everything we have done will have been in vain!"
Kagura could not help the small laugh that escaped her lips. "Naraku, you fool. The girl is not going to find the jewel. She won't find Kikyou, either. You killed her, remember? There is nothing left to find. Without her, it is practically impossible to find the jewel."
---
There was a knock at the door, and Kagome's face paled.
Inuyasha stood. "I'll get it, Kagome. It's all right. I think it's only Miroku."
Kagome nodded, although she still appeared to be worried.
"Miroku, I thought you guys said you wouldn't be coming around here?" Inuyasha chastised him. "You nearly gave Kagome a heart attack. Not to mention you should be at school right now."
Miroku nearly laughed. "You…lectuting me about going to school? Ha! Besides, that's not the point." He added.
"Then what is?"
Miroku frowned. "Naraku came to see me today. I'm worried he'll go after Sango next. Graduation is soon. If we don't figure out something fast, he'll be sure to find Kagome there…"
Inuyasha shook his head. "Naraku won't put a damn hand on her after what I saw last night, Miroku. I'll make sure of that." He paused. "Naraku…" he repeated. "Where do I know that name from?"
"I have no idea," Miroku replied. "How is my little sister doing?"
Inuyasha sighed. "As good as can be expected. She showed me that photo. I think I can find the woman. Then we can start to try and figure this whole thing out…" he looked away. "I just wish we knew everything. We can't stop everything until we know what everything is…"
"I know, Inuyasha…" Miroku agreed sadly.
---
"Sleep tight, Kagome. Just yell if you need anything, all right? I'll be right down the hall…" Inuyasha told her.
Kagome brought her blanket up to her chin. "Are the doors…?"
"The doors are locked, yes." Inuyasha promised. "Just get some sleep…"
Inuyasha had only been asleep for about half an hour when he heard it. Screaming. Coming from down the hall. Kagome! He could sense it…her fear…the terror she was feeling…
What was going on? There's no way someone had gotten into the house without him knowing it!
He flung open her bedroom door, and was almost relieved to find that she was still sleeping. Almost. She began to cry in her sleep.
"No, daddy! Please don't do it! I won't do it again…please!" she sobbed.
Inuyasha rushed to her side and began to try to wake her. He shook her for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she jumped into a sitting position.
Inuyasha was surprised when she tried to push him away. She jumped back, pulling the blanket up as if to shield herself from him. "No, Inuyasha! Please don't…don't hurt me, please…" she cried. "Don't do it…"
His eyes darkened in anger as he realized what she must have been talking about. Suddenly, he had the strongest urge to meet this Naraku…if only to rip his throat out. How could he have hurt Kagome like that? How could he do something so vile to her? He was supposed to be her father.
"I won't hurt you, Kagome," Inuyasha tried to suppress the growl in his throat. "And I won't let him hurt you anymore. I'll protect you. Got it? I will protect you. And together, we're going to get to the bottom of this. I'll make sure of it…"
---
A/N: All right, everyone! That was chapter two for you! Unfortunately for you all, I will be taking a trip to Charlotte this weekend, and that means that the next installment for this story will not come out until sometime on Monday. Sorry about that, guys. Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far!
Next, on 'A Place Where I Belong': Inuyasha has started the search for the woman from Kagome's photos. Following his lead, Sango and Miroku go to meet an old woman who may have some answers, only to discover another shocking piece to the mysterious puzzle that is Kagome's life. Meanwhile, Naraku thinks he may have finally found her…