Chapter 4:

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. He was always taught to be tough and strong. When someone around him cried, he ran away, not towards.

The pattering of the rain created a sullen atmosphere as said half demon entered the threshold of the familiar beach house. The floor was spotted with puddles that reflected his worry.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha tried, not really knowing where to find her. He experimented the air and could only smell fear, as if the house were drenched in it. She's really that scared?

He started to follow the puddles and came to a door slightly ajar. "Kagome?" he tried again. The room was small and simple. Plain, white walls surrounded the area and the bed itself was white. It looked like something out of dream. Focusing clearly, his hearing pushed through the rampant rain and heard soft whimpers coming from the closet. As he grew closer, the whimpers drowned him more and more into despair.

"Kagome."

There, her huddled form, head bent into her legs, and tucked into the farthest corner, he went to her. His whole world seemed to shift as he watched her face slowly rise from her legs.

"Inu…Inu…Inuyasha." She sobbed. She looked so broken that even his voice threated to shatter her. Taking a chance, he sat next to her and pulled her into his lap and just tried to shield her from…everything. This caused her sobbing to slowly quiet back down into whimpers and soon into gentle breaths; her form calming along with the storm. Inuyasha couldn't help but follow.

…

"Inuyasha." Kagome tried, her breath tickling Inuyasha's face. He couldn't help but groan as he was in such a deep slumber. At that, Kagome started to stroke his face, feeling the soft skin of his cheek, down to his neck, traveling down his arm to his hand, which she grasped lightly. "Thank you."

At that, he opened his eyes. Kagome's face was still red from all the crying, tear marks stained her cheeks, and her eyes were a little strained. He couldn't think of anything more wonderful.

"How are you?" He asked cautiously.

"Better." She gave him that careless smile that he didn't realize that he was missing. "I'm guessing you want to know what that was all about…" she waved her hand towards the door.

"It would be nice." He watched as her expression become strained. "But you don't have to tell me right now." He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes again, finding that it was oddly comfortable.

"I was there when my parents were murdered."

Inuyasha opened his eyes to find that she was looking towards the door, her stare blank as the walls on the other side.

"At a young age, I had…gifts that I shouldn't have had until now, maybe even later." She started to pet the carpet. "The gifts allowed me to be employed to protect others, a great responsibility that I was honored to receive. Umm, could you close your eyes? It's easier for me to talk if you're not looking at me." She looked at him, eyes pleading but calm. Consenting, Inuyasha went back to resting against the wall.

"One man in particular favored my gifts and asked me to watch his wife. He was very well known, both good and bad, in the demon community and feared that his wife was in danger. He even asked if it was ok for me to stay there for a while and offered my family to stay as well." Kagome paused. "It turns out that his underlying motive was to wipe our family out. To erase the possibility of my gifts being…reproduced."

Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder what it must've been like. To be betrayed so suddenly, and at so young an age.

"He had us trapped in his own environment. My father was the first to leave me." Kagome choked a little but continued nonetheless. "I kept trying to find a week spot, anything to stop him. My mother was next. Attack after attack, he would only slow a fraction. Lastly, my brother."

Kagome found Inuyasha's hand and gripped it tightly. He dared a peek and saw that she was still looking away. Turning his hand over, he grasped hers as well.

"Before he could finish me off, his wife came in the room. She was only human and so beautiful. He had taken his attention off me for only a second. That was all I needed. I called on as much strength as I could and dealt a huge blow to his chest, knocking him towards the far wall." Kagome turned and started to pet Inuyasha's hair, seeming to find comfort in its snowy silk. "I can still remember the scream of the wife as she crouched to him. The look in her eyes was nothing but fear as she ran her hands over him…I took that chance to run away. That night, that awful night, it was raining." Kagome smiled at him sadly.

Inuyasha could see it all; Kagome fighting for her life, a young little girl, facing a demon that overpowered her greatly. Then walking away with nothing but the blood of her family on her hands. The words that he wanted to say, couldn't find its way to the surface.

"Kagome." He pulled her towards his chest and held her, stroking her back as she held him tightly. Inuyasha said only what he could think. "I'm sorry."

…

And that's where I shall end it for now. So…thoughts? I'm curious if anyone can guess what I have in store. (^_^) I feel like this chapter could've turned out better, but I have no time to review and rewrite. I hoping I can take this story to where I need it to go. Sorry to leave it off so sadly. The next chapter will hopefully come as fast as this one.

With Love,

Hoku-lele