Disclaimer: I couldn't own them. I'm not worthy.

Chapter Four: New

Kagome took her time unpacking her things and the few things that Shippo had aquired since he had come to live with her. Her new room was on the bottom floor of the new house that Atsuko had only recently purchased. It was an average sized house with four bedrooms. Atsuko and Rei each had their own rooms. Yusuke and Souta shared a room and Kagome would share a room with Shippo for the time being. The room wasn't as big as her old one, but the pale blue walls made her feel comfortable. She sat back on her bed as Shippo cuddled at her side.

She could hear Souta in the backyard playing tag with Yusuke and Kuwabara. They were laughing, yelling, laughing some more. The noise annoyed Kagome. She rolled off the bed and Shippo watched to see what she was doing. She checked her hair once in the mirror and then announced that she was going for a walk. She motioned for the kit to join the boys in the back to play. It wasn't healthy for him to stay inside all day. Shippo didn't protest and hurried out before Kagome.

She stepped out the front door and shielded her eyes from the bright midday sun. She hadn't walked around the neighborhood yet and she really needed some time alone to think. She picked Shippo up, kissed his cheek and sent him running to the backyard. She smiled when she heard Kuwabara's voice rise with happiness at the sight of his new friend. She turned and opened the front gate.

"Where are you going, Kagome?" Yusuke asked loudly. He was running up to talk to her. She turned to face him and he could see the sorrow still in her eyes.

"I am going for a walk." she answered softly and walked out the gate.

"Can I come?" he frowned when she shook her head.

"I just want to be alone is all. I'll be back in a little bit. Please keep an eye on Shippo."

She walked away. Yusuke leaned on the gate and watched her go. She was never going to be happy. He couldn't blame her.

She was walking along the street when she found the park. It had two sets of swings, a slide and a a weird plastic thing shaped like a car. The place was quiet. Only a few people were there. A mother was pushing her child on a swing. A guy her age sat on a bench reading a book and two young teenage boys were tossing a ball back and forth. Kagome decided to sit quietly on a bench underneath a large cherry tree. The pink blossoms were bright and their sweet, delicate fragrance drifted to Kagome's nose. She leaned back and watched the clouds drift by slowly.

She didn't realize it at first, but after a few moments she had the feeling she was being watched. She looked around at her surroundings and saw no one looking her way. As odd as it was, she remained calm and leaned back, her eyes still scanning everything around her. That's when she caught the boy on the bench sneak a sideways glance at her. She stood quickly and ran from the park.

The boy, who had brushed his red hair behind his ear, narrowed his emerald green eyes as he watched the girl take off quickly. It was unmistakable. The girl had an aura that attracted his attention, and her sadness left him even more curious to just who she was. He refrained from following. She was obviously already scared and he did not want to cause her anymore fear. He leaned back and continued his interest in the literature in his hand.

Kagome stopped running only a block from the park. She remembered the doctor's warning of taking it easy. She breathed heavily and looked back to the park. Whoever the boy was, he was not following her. She retraced her steps back home and was greeted again by Shippo who had smelt her fear as she was walking up the street. He stood on the fence and jumped into her arms when she came close.

"Mom, are you alright? Did something happen?" he asked, his turquoise eyes open wide.

"Everything is fine, Shippo, except you know you're not supposed to be in the front yard. What if people see you?" Kagome scolded the kit and carried him to the backyard.

"I only came I out because I could tell you were frightened. I could smell you. You were scared." Shippo pouted and hopped onto the ground.

"Scared of what, Kagome?" Yusuke put his arm around her shoulder, "You weren't gone for more than thirty minutes."

"There is nothing wrong. I'm not scared anymore." she pulled away from Yusuke. He gave her a stern look, "Fine! There was some weirdo in the park looking at me! It gave me the creeps so I left! Are you happy now!"

She stormed into the house, slamming the door closed behind her. She retreated to her room where she once again fought back tears that forced there way to the surface. She buried her face in the soft, plush pillow and cried for the millionth time since her world fell apart. She ignored the soft knocking at her door, knowing that it was either Yusuke, Shippo or Souta. Right now she wanted nothing to do with anybody.

"Kagome, can I come in?" It was Yusuke.

"No!" she yelled angrily, "Go away!"

"Please?" he begged, sounding like a persistent child.

"I just want to be alone!" she yelled again, but her anger had been pushed down.

"Come on now, Kagome. You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do!" she was breaking. She giggled and threw her pillow at the door, "I hate you, Yusuke!"
He opened the door and peeked in. She was wiping the tears off of her cheeks and she gave him a mean, pouty stare.

"Now can I come in?"

"You really are like a pesky brother." she shot at him and motioned for him to shut the door, "I really don't have much to talk about."

"That's okay. You can talk to me about anything. Hell, you could even talk about kittens like that ape Kuwabara and I would listen, but only if it makes you smile more."

"I don't like to smile." Kagome stood and walked to the window. She watched Kuwabara chase after Souta and Shippo.

"That's not true. I've seen you smile, Kagome."

"That doesn't mean I liked it." Yusuke chuckled and Kagome fought back the smile that played at her lips. She hated the fact that he could make her smile.

"Come on, Kagome." he grasped her arm, "It's not healthy for you to be trapped inside all day."

"You're right." she sighed quietly and allowed Yusuke to lead her out of the room.

The Following Morning

Kagome was showered and dressed in her new school uniform before Yusuke had even begun to stir. She could hear Atsuko yelling at him and he yelled back. Kagome hoped it wasn't this way every morning. Shippo sat on the dresser watching his adopted mother prepare herself for her first day at Sarayashiki Junior High. Her new uniform wasn't much different than her old one, with the exception of the colors. She adjusted her blue skirt and then pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. She gazed at herself in the mirror and turned to her side. She had gained weight. Her stomach was starting to round out a bit and there wasn't much hope at hiding it any longer. The kids at the new school would know that she was pregnant. She was sure they'd say things behind her back, but she was thankful that she had Keiko, Yusuke and Kuwabara there to help her through.

Breakfast was ready when she entered the kitchen and Rei gave her daughter a hug. Kagome sat next to Souta and Shippo settled in on the other side of her. They were just starting to eat when Yusuke sauntered into the room and plopped down in his seat yawning. Souta laughed and Yusuke gave him an evil glare that made the little boy jump and continue eating.

"Somebody is not a morning person." Rei laughed and motioned to the food on the table, "Eat up, Yusuke."

"This is something new." Yusuke mumbled, "I haven't had a decent breakfast for as long as I can remember."

"I know that and I've discussed things with your mother. Things will be different from here on in." Rei smiled warmly, "You'll have breakfast every morning."

They finished their meal and Rei shooed Souta out the door and to the car. Yusuke stetched and yawned. He motioned to the door.

"Shall we?" he asked and she merely shrugged. It was best to just get it over with.

They walked together quietly, enjoying the silence and the delightful weather. A breeze danced through the air and Kagome momentarily thought of the wind sorceress Kagura. She sighed and Yusuke looked at her. She ignored him and refocused her thoughts on her first day in a new school. She was trying to remember every turn she would need to take to get to the school. They were at the front gates when they met up with Keiko. She waved to them and ran to meet them.

"Hi, Kagome. Yusuke." she kissed his cheek quickly, "Are you ready, Kagome?"

"Oh, hey look! There's Kuwabara!" Yusuke pointed and the two girls looked. He had pointed at nothing. When they turned back, Yusuke had vanished.

"Yusuke, you jerk!" Keiko yelled out, "He does this all the time!"

"He skips school?" Kagome followed Keiko into the building.

"Yes, quite often too." Keiko fumed.

Kagome was given her schedule for her classes and was happy to find that she shared most of them with Keiko. The day went by quickly and Kagome managed to meet a few nice students and even got a few weird looks when she ate lunch with Kuwabara and his friends. He had taken the liberty to explain how most of the students feared him and Yusuke because they were both so strong. Inwardly, Kagome had rolled her eyes, but smiled polietly during the long explanation.

She met Keiko by the front gate when school had let out for the afternoon. Keiko laughed as Kagome explained her situation at lunch. The two girls laughed together and Kagome, for once, felt a little happier. After stopping to get an ice cream cone, the two girls started to walk towards Yusuke's home. Each of them were planning a sort of punishment for the boy's disappearing act earlier that day. Neither of the girls were very happy with him. As Kagome looked around in her backpack for a napkin, she heard Keiko yell out to someone.

"Oh, hey, Kurama!" she called. Kagome could see the girl wave out of the corner of her eye and she glanced up to see who she was waving to. Her heart missed a beat as she saw the red headed boy from the park wave back. He walked towards them and Kagome took one step back. His eyes caught with hers for a moment and she shifted to look at the ground.

"Hello, Keiko. Where's Yusuke?" he was in front of them. Kagome swallowed hard.

"Who knows? He skipped school again."

"I see things with him haven't changed much." he stated and looked at Kagome.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Kurama, this is Kagome. Kagome this is a good friend of mine and Yusuke's. His name is Kurama." Keiko introduced them. Kagome straightened and extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you." she said timidly. He took her hand gently.

"Yes, you as well, Kagome. I hope I didn't scare you yesterday in the park." he smiled innocently and Kagome blushed. She pulled her hand away.

"It's okay. I'm new to the area and it was just...very weird to sense someone staring at me." Kagome confessed.

"Do you mind if I tag along with you to Yusuke's house, Keiko? I was going there anyway."

"That's fine." Keiko smiled. Kagome settled her nerves. He wasn't a bad person, in fact, he was very polite.

When they reached the house, Kagome opened the door and began to step inside. Kurama caught the little kitsune hiding behind a doorway frame. His little turquoise eyes sparkled as he watched the people walk into the house.

"Kagome!" he called her name out right after she had placed her shoes in the hallway. She turned in time to catch him in her arms and hugged him tightly.

"How was your day, Shippo? Did you learn anything while I was gone?" she asked. Kurama watched them walk down the hallway, very surprised at the appearance of the kit and it's affection for the human.

"Hey, Kurama, what are you doing here?" Kuwabara was walking out of the kitchen, "Urameshi's in his room."

"Hello, Kuwabara." Kurama followed Kuwabara up the stairs.

"Tell Yusuke I'll be up later and not to vanish on me again." Keiko called up the stairs before disappearing into the room Kagome had gone in.

"Hey, Urameshi, you have a visitor." Kuwabara said and allowed Kurama to walk in. Yusuke nodded and glanced out the door. After noticing the coast was clear he closed the door with a sigh.

"Tell me something, Yusuke, who is that girl and who is the red kitsune?" Kurama asked. He leaned against the wall and gave a questioning stare.

"An odd pair, aren't they?" Yusuke sat down, "Kagome is the daughter of my mother's friend Rei. Shippo is a little kitsune youkai that tags along with her."

"Have you noticed the amount of spiritual energy within her?"

"Yes, I noticed it the first day I met her, when her grandfather died."

"Is that why she is so sad?"

"No, it's more complex than that. She said she'd tell me when she's ready."

"And she will!" a bubbly voice yelled from the window. Yusuke opened it and allowed their new visitor in.

"What are you doing here?" Yusuke asked her, "First Kurama, now Botan. Where's Hiei? Is he coming too?"

"Not likely." Kurama laughed, "Botan, do you know of this Kagome girl?"

"Not much I'm afraid. Koenma told me to keep and eye on her. He's aware of her spiritual energy and of the young youkai with her. His magic caught us off guard about a week ago. We weren't even aware that he was here. His energy is so weak."

"He's just a kid." Yusuke smiled, "He's pretty funny for a young youkai."

"Kagome! Kagome, wait!" Keiko yelled. It was quiet for a few seconds and then the front door slammed shut. Yusuke jumped to the window and watched Kagome run down the street. She was wiping her face with her hand. He hurried downstairs to Keiko and Shippo. The others followed him, curious to what he was going to do.

Keiko stood in the hallway with Shippo in her arms. His little eyes were filled with tears. He cuddled closer to Keiko and she held him close.

"Guys, what happened?" Yusuke touched Shippo's head gently, "Where did Kagome go?"

"She had an incident." Keiko said nervously, "It's my fault. I asked her about the scar on her neck. It upset her."

"I should go after her and see if she's okay." Yusuke stepped to the door.

"No." Shippo sniffed and rubbed his eyes, "Kagome, just needs some time alone. She'll come back."

Kagome settled at the park again. There was no one there this time and she sat on an empty swing. Her tears fell freely down her face and she refused to hold them back. Everything was flooding her mind again. All the images she was fighting to leave behind her. All the fear she had felt returned. Her body shook uncontrollably as she clung to herself. She remembered Inuyasha's screams and the look of pure enjoyment on Sesshomaru's face. She had never seen the inuyoukai have an expression that obvious before and it had frightened her. She touched the mark on her neck gingerly. It would serve as a bad memory for the rest of her life.

Night had crept up on her while she was lost amongst the many memories of the feudal era. She heard a rustle that snapped her from her thoughts. She looked around and stood slowly as two ugly, ogre-like guys stepped before her, each of them holding a knife with a long blade. They watched her and chuckled. The taller and, bluish, guy stepped closer and grabbed her chin roughly. She cringed as she noticed the three horns on top of the guy's head. He was not human, but a repulsive youkai.

"How strange you are, miko. Out all by yourself." he held the knife to her throat and growled when her eyes met his. He shovered her to the ground with a forceful shove.

"Hurry up and kill her already. This place is giving me the creeps." the other youkai spoke.

"I was just getting to that."

Kagome bowed her head and waited for what she hoped was a swift and painless death. She closed her eyes. The sounds around her were quiet until two soft thuds were heard in front of her. She opened her eyes to see both of the youkai lying on the ground before her and another guy standing next to her. He was dressed in all black and his hair was spikey. She looked up to the guy and her eyes met with a pair of crimson orbs. He held a katana firmly in his left hand. His expression was one of confusion. She was angry. She stood and dusted herself off, ignoring the guy who saved her and started walking back home.

She arrived to find Yusuke and Kurama talking at the front door. Yusuke straightened when Kagome came into view. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he noticed how angry she was.

"Hello again, Kagome." Kurama spoke gently. She nodded and walked into the house.

"I'm gonna find out what happened. I'll talk to you later, Kurama." he waved to the shadowed figure by the trees, "Tell Hiei I said hi."

"I will. Goodnight, Yusuke." Kurama said and walked to the gate. Hiei quickly joined him.

"Who is she?" he asked, anger causing his voice to be louder then normal. Kurama gave him a calm smile.

"Her name is Kagome."

"She has a death wish."

"How is that?"

"Hn. She wants to die, fox. I saw it with my own eyes."

"You were following her?"

"Only from the park." Hiei shoved his hands into his pockets, "She was almost killed by two youkai there."

"Did her energy spike at all?"

"No. She is an untrained miko."

"Yes, I noticed she is a miko. She has a young red kitsune youkai with her."

"A red kitsune?" Hiei looked at Kurama, "Does Koenma know of this?"

"Yes, for the most part."

"Hn."

"We should stop by for a quick visit. I think he'd be interested in knowing of a miko carrying an inu youkai child and raising a kitsune youkai."

A/N: Brain farts! Brain farts! I have been having Brain farts! I was able to get to a computer this week, but this story wasn't being friendly in my head. I think I was too focused on one of my other fan fic stories and then the other one I want to write, but i'm gonna wait until at least one of the three i am writing is finished. Anyways, please review!! I hope this chapter isn't too bad!! If it is...sorry. I'll fix it if there are things you don't understand or maybe even particularly like...but be nice when you break the news to me...I'm fragile. Just kidding!