Chapter 11

Dark Memories of an Unwanted Past

Serena woke up to a bright sunny morning in the middle of a forest. Something was breathing in her ear and a warm hand was on her shoulder. She was snuggled deep in a soft, fluffy boa when she moved her head to see who it was she was sleeping on.

She recognized the blue crescent moon on the forehead and the red marks under his eyes. Sesshomaru looked so peaceful when he was asleep. She snuggled back into the fluff and stayed there. She noticed the others were still asleep and she didn't want to disturb them.

Sango was sleeping on big Kilala. Miroku was sitting up right with his legs crossed and his staff leaning on is shoulder. Rin was still on Ah Un and Jaken was sleeping against the dragons' side. Inuyasha was on a low tree branch with his Tetsusaiga in his hands and also leaning against his shoulder. Kagome was below him in her sleeping bag with Shippo beside her on her pillow. The fire that was burning last night had gone out and was smoking slightly.

The hand on her shoulder gripped her slightly as Sesshomaru woke up. A shiver went back down her spine as his claws went through the cloth of the kimonos and pricked her skin. "Serena." Sesshomaru soft voice came to her ears. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did." She put a hand on his hand and said. "Thank you for saving me last night. I just froze up when I saw Narakus' face and the memory of what my ex did to me just…I couldn't breathe."

"What did this 'ex-boyfriend' of yours do to you?" Sesshomaru wished he had his left arm so he could stroke her hair out of her face.

"I don't want to explain the details but," Serena sighed and looked away from him. "Long story short…he raped me. He forced himself on me and almost killed me. Since then I've always been afraid of him. He's still alive in my time; he's out there waiting to have his way with me again."

"Why did he rape you?" She was shaking slightly and a single tear ran down face. Her eyes were covered by her long bangs.

After a moment of silence, she said, "He thought that…I was cheating on him to be with another man. He wanted…to own me. To make me his."

He pulled her closer to him. He tried his hardest to comfort her but wasn't having much luck. "If I was to go back to your time and found this man who hurt you, would you let me kill him?"

Remembering the promise he made to her last night, she said, "If it will stop the nightmares from come back then…yes."

From her sleeping bag, Kagome woke up and stretched. She noticed that Serena and Sesshomaru were quietly whispering to each other. So quiet, that is was almost like they weren't talking to each other.

"It makes me sick to see him like this." Said Inuyasha as he jumped down to sit next to her.

"Oh come on Inuyasha. It's about time she found herself a guy like Sesshomaru. From what I remember, she hasn't gone out with a guy since…" Kagome stopped there. It wasn't her place to say what happened.

"…since she was raped?" Inuyasha said softly. She looked at him and wondered how he knew. "You can't hear them but I can."

Oh yeah. I forgot about that. "Her ex, Naruki Hosenki, hurt her pretty bad. I was only kid when it happen."

"How did she get over something like that?" He watched how Sesshomaru held Serena close to him. He never saw him like this.

"I don't know." She lended against Inuyasha "From what i can tell, the nightmare still haunts her. All I remember her saying is that a bright flash of light came from her hands and Naruki went flying across the room."

After a moment of silence, he said, "You both said that Naraku looked like this Naruki guy. Is that true?"

"From what I can remember of Naruki, they looked exactly alike." She watched her sister bury her face in Sesshomaru's boa. She must be crying. "Except, Naruki had shorter hair. But they both have the same face. The same evil looking eyes."

She's had as rough a life as I have. "I feel sorry for her."

"A few days after Naruki attacked her, she packed up and left to live with a friend of hers in the mountains. That was the last day I ever saw her."

When the others had finally woken up, Inuyasha went out to hunt down breakfast and Kagome started the fire up again.