A/N: Wow, just finished this chapter, I'm gonna edit it tomorrow. I have so much to do tomorrow, I have homework I've been blowing off all weekend, the new episodes of Sailor Stars is coming on Hulu, and my mom wants to take me and my brothers out to lunch. Probably shouldn't have baked muffins and cookies all day instead of taking History notes. :/
**This chapter is now edited, enjoy! ;)
Kikyo woke up the next morning, she was exhausted. "Mom?" She called walking down the hall and peeking into her room, then downstairs. "Mom?" No answer. She walked back upstairs and got ready for school, then ran out the door. I'm late! She ran down the street and continued to run, a bell sounded through the air, she was still a block away. She picked up the pace and ran upstairs to her class. She stopped just outside the door and caught her breath, then she entered.
"Hisakawa?" The teacher seemed surprised and reluctant to send her out to the hall.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
The teacher smiled. "Take your seat and hand in your homework."
Kikyo gripped her satchel tighter and bowed her head. "I didn't do it."
"You're late and you forgot your homework?" He was slightly annoyed. "Go stand in the hall."
Kikyo turned and walked out of the class, she sunk to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, maybe I shouldn't have come today. She rested her head on her knees and closed her eyes, I really should not have come today.
Her friends crowded around her during lunch and she sighed, sitting back and crossing her arms.
"Where's your lunch?" Leiko asked.
"I didn't bring one." Kikyo hung her head.
"We can share!" Kaori smiled, offering her some food.
"I'll be okay," Kikyo smiled. "I'll just eat after school."
After school Kikyo glanced towards her house, then she sighed and turned away, I'll spend some time downtown.
She walked down the street, glancing into shop windows as she went, her eyes landed on a navy blue dress with cherry blossoms floating up from the hem. She walked inside and up to the counter. "How much is the blue dress in the window?"
"It's 10000 yen," The woman smiled at her. "Would you like to try it on?"
Kikyo smiled back, her heart sinking. "No, thank you." She exited the store and continued her walk down the street. She heard some laughter and turned to catch sight of some children running through the park. She smiled and turned towards the park, she walked down a path towards a patch of trees and a small pond. A young girl ran up and stopped her before she could enter the patch of trees.
"Mommy?" The girl flashed a toothy grin up at Kikyo.
Kikyo glanced down, surprised at the girl.
"Mommy!" She wrapped her arms around Kikyo's legs and cuddled against her.
"What's your name?" Kikyo asked the girl, quickly scanning the area for the girl's mom or dad.
"Mommy, will you buy me an ice cream?" The girl looked up at Kikyo with pleading eyes.
Kikyo smiled at the girl. "Sure, I'll buy you an ice cream, then we'll go find your mom." Kikyo walked towards the ice cream stand and the young girl reached and held Kikyo's hand in her own. Kikyo glanced down at her and found the girl smiling as they walked along. "What kind of ice cream do you want?" She asked the girl.
"Chocolate!" The girl smiled.
Kikyo walked up the ice cream stand and smiled at the man inside. "One chocolate and one vanilla cone." Kikyo glanced back as she heard a man yelling, she found the young girl holding a balloon and arguing with an older man. Kikyo quickly paid and grabbed the cones, then raced over to where the young girl stood. "What's the matter?"
The girl ran and stood behind her, clutching the balloon tightly. "This girl," The man said angrily. "Comes here every day and steals a balloon from my cart! She's a little thief!"
The girl stuck her tongue out, enraging the man further. "Here," Kikyo knelt down and handed her the cones, then she tied the balloon around her wrist in a bow so it wouldn't float away. "Go sit on that bench and wait for me."
The girl nodded and turned to leave, at the last moment she stuck her tongue out at the man once again, then ran over to the bench, eagerly devouring her ice cream.
"How much does she owe you?" Kikyo asked.
"2000 yen!" The man snapped.
Kikyo bit her tongue and pulled out 2000 yen. "Here." She thrust it out, there's no way she owed that much, over on the bench, the girl's mouth dropped in surprise.
The man grumbled and pocketed the money, then he moved his cart and continued walking. Kikyo turned and walked over to the girl who still held a look of surprise. "You didn't have to pay him." The girl said.
Kikyo sighed. "It's fine, now come on," She took her ice cream cone and untied the balloon from the girl's wrist and handed it back to her. "What does your mom look like, where did you see her last?"
"I told you," The girl smiled again. "You're my mommy."
"Akiko!" A middle-aged woman called from beside a bus, gaining both the young girl and Kikyo's attention.
"Well, I better go." The girl smiled and headed towards the bus. "Thanks, mommy!" She called back to Kikyo.
Kikyo stared at the sign on the side of the bus, Akiko was an orphan. She waved to her from the bus and Kikyo waved back, then she sighed and headed home. She arrived outside of her house to see a familiar car parked outside. Oh no. She thought running up the steps and throwing open the door to her home, the smell of alcohol wafted in from the living room. She saw Sesshomaru sitting uncomfortably while her mother slurred and spilled alcohol from the bottle in her hand.
"I can't believe Kikyo would leave me like this." Her mother slurred. "I need to go find her." He mother tried to stand, but fell to the floor, Sesshomaru glared at her.
"I'm right here mom." Kikyo sat her bag on the floor next to the door and shed her shoes, walking into the living room. "Sesshomaru, why don't we talk in the kitchen?"
Kikyo led him through an archway and into the kitchen, she opened a cabinet and got out two glasses, she filled both up with water and sat one on the edge of the counter, then she took a seat on one of the stools. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?"
Sesshomaru sat on the stool across from hers and pulled her phone out of his suit pocket, he sat it in front of her.
She smiled and put the phone in the pocket of her jacket. "Thanks."
"No problem."
From the other room, a crash was heard and Kikyo sighed. "I have to go take care of this, I'll be right back." She hopped off the stool and walked into the other room, her mom turned a hard glare on her.
"There she is," Her mom slurred. "The ungrateful daughter!"
Kikyo rolled her eyes and moved towards her. "Come on, let's go to bed."
Her mom glared at her, then reached out and slapped her hard. "You think I didn't see you, don't ever sass me again."
Kikyo backed up after the slap, she held her cheek, then moved forward. "Mom, come on." She moved towards her mom, but her mom only moved away from her. She grabbed a lamp and threw it towards her, Kikyo shrieked and ducked down, the lamp missing her.
"Kikyo!" Sesshomaru stepped into the living room and came over to help her up.
"I'm fine," Kikyo stood back up and moved quickly towards her mom. "Mom, it's dark outside, it's about time we got you up to bed don't you think?"
Her mother nodded. "I'm sorry Kikyo, you must hate me."
"I don't hate you mom," Kikyo let her mom lean on her and moved her towards the downstairs guest room. "I just want you to get some rest."
Sesshomaru followed them and watched curiously as Kikyo kindly put the woman who'd just thrown a lamp at her head to bed.
Kikyo rose and checked the windows, making sure they were locked. "Sleep well mom." Her mom mumbled back, then Kikyo ushered Sesshomaru out of the room and locked the door.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Yeah, just needs to sleep it off." Kikyo yawned and grabbed a trash can, she picked up discarded liquor bottles and the big pieces of the lamp.
"You should make your mom clean this up." Sesshomaru said as he placed a couple of beer cans into the trash.
"If I don't do this, no one will," Kikyo said. "You don't have to stay Sesshomaru, thanks for dropping my phone off."
"How long have you been dealing with this?" He asked, ignoring her comment."
Kikyo sighed and stared at the ground, thinking back as far as she could. "My earliest memories are of my father playing the piano."
"Come here Kikyo." Her father sat at the piano in the corner of the living room.
A young girl, maybe three or four years old ran up to the piano and sat next to her father. "Is mommy going to be okay?"
"Don't worry about her Kikyo, let's play our song." Her father began an upbeat rhythm in the lower octaves of the piano. The girl matched his rhythm, then she broke away as he began to play major chords and her fingers danced across the higher keys, playing a giddy, quick melody. Finally, they ended with loud long notes, filled with realization, it faded out conveying the end of the fantasy.
"Shut that thing up!" Her mother yelled, spilling liquor on the floor.
The young girl watched as the smile on her father's face faded.
"Sweetie, it's time for bed, come on." Her father walked towards her mother and led her to the guest bedroom where he put her to bed.
***four years later***
The young girl sat on the window seat and glanced out as rain poured down outside, she leaned her head against the glass. Her mom sobbed behind her. "I can't believe he's gone."
The girl sat at the piano and played her part of the piece, as it ended she looked over to where her father would have sat next to her, his smile wasn't there anymore to greet her. She turned and walked to her mom. "Come on mom, I think it's time we head to bed."
"I've been dealing with this for as long as I can remember." Kikyo said. She stood and opened the piano, revealing the keys, she opened the piano stool and pulled out a folder. She pulled out the pages inside and sat the faded pages of handwritten music on the piano. She sat down and her fingers rested lightly on the keys, Sesshomaru took a seat next to her and attempted to play the piece, Kikyo joined in, and she continued to play, even when his finger slipped or missed a change. He mumbled curses under his breath, but she didn't seem to mind. They played the last notes in sync and Kikyo glanced over at him, his face held a smile, only it didn't fade.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, R&R.
