InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Father Figure ❯ Compensations and Discoveries ( Chapter 11 )

AN: Sorry it's been a while, just been a little busy lately ^_^ And I'm having trouble with Kikyo… as it stands this minute - is she dead? Or is she alive? I'll read the manga translations tomorrow and find out…

Father Figure

Compensation and Discoveries

"What the hell happened?" Inuyasha demanded snappishly as he trailed after Kagome along the sidewalk. She was refusing to acknowledge him in any way beyond the odd passing glare. "Didn't you talk to your mother - why isn't Denji gone yet?"

Kagome struggled to keep her emotions in balance as she looked both ways and crossed the street, Inuyasha mooched after her, still on his irritable role. "What happened Kagome?! I beat the crap out of that guy so he would leave - why is he still in that house?!"

"Because!" she snapped.

"Because what?!"

"Because he just is!" Kagome clenched her fists in her cardigan. "Mom didn't believe what I said. She doesn't think Denji would molest me. And because of the way I've been acting around them both lately, they think I'm just making it up to get him kicked out."

"Has it ever occurred to her that you might just be acting strange because he's messing with your head?" Inuyasha ground out in a forced patient tone. "Maybe I should go kick her ass too-"

"No!" Kagome whirled on him, bringing them both to a stop on the pavement. "No more kicking ass! The last time you kicked ass you got me into trouble. My mother thinks you're a violent, aggressive half-wit now! You really helped a lot Inuyasha!"

"What was I supposed to do?!" he growled. "He touched you the way lovers do - you don't do that kind of thing unless you're a couple or a Miroku! And Miroku's harmless if you think about it. Denji is poison!"

"I know." Kagome turned to start walking down the path again. Inuyasha caught up quickly.

"So what do you plan to do next, carpet girl?"

She ground her teeth and fixed a glare into the bushes beside the pavement. "I can't convince Mom… and my behaviour is tearing the family apart… so I'm going to stop."

"Stop?" Inuyasha froze, causing her to walk on ahead heedlessly. "What are you talking about? Stop what? Stop fighting back? You're just going to give in to him?"

Kagome opened her mouth to speak before she felt his hands grab her shoulders and spin her around to come nose to nose with the furious boy. "You will not give in to him Kagome! If you just give up and let him make those advances on you then I will kill him and I will drag you back to the feudal age with me no matter how many times you sit me and I will break the goddamned well so that you can never put yourself out like that again!"

Her expression melted a bit, softening to appreciation that she had someone like Inuyasha to fall back on, no matter the situation. His face was livid and his hands were squeezing slightly too hard, but the concern he showed was unbelievably genuine… God she loved him… "I know you would. But that's not what I meant. I just meant that I would stop trying to get rid of Denji through my mother. There is more than one way to fight back."

"Another way?" His grip lessened and his expression switched to confusion, his anger ebbing away just as quickly as it had come. "What are you planning?"

"I don't know yet…" Kagome shrugged a little lost. "I could tell the police, I could tell Dad, I'm sure they'd all believe me. Either way Denji will end up being taken away - thank the lord. But I won't."

"What?!" His anger surged again. "You stupid cuss!"

She firmed her stance slightly and glared at him. "If I go to someone else and winge about my problems and have Denji taken away and done for molesting then imagine what it will do to the family! Souta and Mom love him to kingdom come - having the police take him away will break their hearts - and even worse - they'll hate me for it. Denji is tearing the family apart and I will not let him break us all apart completely in his final moment. There has to be another way."

"We could always…" Inuyasha shrugged slyly. "You know… make him have an accident…"

Kagome stared at him. "We're not talking about bed wetting here are we?"

"It would be an awful shame if he were to just… I don't know… walk off a cliff? Run into the pointy end of Tessaiga? Or my fist?"

Her glare came back as she turned and stormed off again. "We are not going to kill anyone, Inuyasha!"

"Then what do you plan to do?" he asked again, following her at a distance of a few feet. "Denji has your entire family hostage. You can shoot him down in flames, but that may run the risk that it'll bring your family down too. Personally, if I were you I wouldn't give a shit. I'd shoot him down and watch them all burn."

"Well, I'm not like you." She said, not unkindly. "Believe it or not, I love my family."

"Don't we all?" Inuyasha grumbled, moving to walk beside her. "So are you just going to put up with him now? Because if that's the case then you know what I'll do to him."

"I know." She sighed. "Just give me time to think. I want to get rid of him without hurting my family too much. If they lose faith in him then it'll hurt less if he gets taken away. So I just have to make them lose faith."

"And how long will that take, rug?"

"As quickly as humanly possible." She said with determination. "I will not let him marry my mother or be a father to Souta - and he won't be my oppressor."

"That's just the coward's explanation." He snorted with contempt. "You're too chicken to fight back."

"That's not it!" she snapped.

"Then what is it?"

"I told you!" she gave an exasperated sigh. "So far Denji hasn't done anything really bad! All he's done is give me a few weird looks and said hurtful things - but that's no more than what you usually do."

Inuyasha snapped a surprised look on her, unable to speak for a few moments.

Kagome didn't notice. "Well… that and molest my knee - but that isn't quite the same as rape now is it?" she sighed and looked up at him. "I don't have proof… Denji might not even get prosecuted by the police for what he's done so far. Making digs at someone isn't an arrestable offence. And touching my knee… he might have thought I was my mother… I mean - it was dark so he could have been mistaken. We have very similar knees, me and Mum."

"You're making excuses for him." Inuyasha growled. "That's pathetic."

"It's being realistic!" she snapped back and looked up at the building they'd arrived at. "We're here, 'Yoko'." She told him frostily and went on ahead of him into the building where her father lived.

^_^

Mr Higurashi looked between one teenager and the other, staggered by the almost electric atmosphere that had been bred between them. Last session they'd left happy and contented, assured that they could deal with their troubles…

What the hell had happened?

Kagome was squished up at one end of the sofa, infinitely more interested in a note pad/calendar that sat beside her on the table at the end of the couch. Yoko was scrunched up at the other end, chin rested tensely in his palm as he flexed those fingers with nail extensions on the smooth leather of the arm rest. If he wasn't careful, he was going to leave scratches.

"Ok…" Mr Higurashi shot another wondrous look between the pair before shaking his head and getting back to what he planned to do that session. "How was your weekend, Kagome."

"It sucked." Was the blunt reply.

Mr Higurashi curbed his urge to correct her use of language, but under the circumstances, being authoritative and contradictory to her wasn't going to help. "Ok… And yours Yoko?"

"It blew."

Mr Higurashi rolled his eyes discreetly, seeing as they both avoided looking at him and each other. Before they started this session they needed to get comfortable, it wouldn't work if they were all tense and guarded.

"Right. I need more ice." He discreetly nudged the already brimming bucket of such a substance under the table and out of sight. "I'll be back in a minute or two."

More like half an hour. It was best if he went out the room and left them to their own devices. Hopefully by the time he came back they'd be talking to one another. There wasn't much else to do in that room other than talk…

A long silence stretched out after Mr Higurashi had left. So long that Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore and stood up. "I don't have to bear this crap. I'm gone."

"Sit down!" Kagome snapped, not even batting an eyelid as he crashed to the ground, instead she just watched the lamp on the table before her that jumped slightly as the ground shuddered. "You are going to seat yourself back on this couch and you are not going to leave me alone. Not after all your griping on the way here!"

Inuyasha grunted as he pushed himself up and started to pace. His eyes soon fell on the pad left on Mr Higurashi's seat. "Heh… looks like he's already classed you as unstable." He picked up the pad and leafed through it. "Ooh… crazy stamped all over here in big red letters. Kagome is a carpet… yadda, yadda, yadda… Kagome needs to get out more… blah, blah - oh! Interesting - confused over sexuality… oh… that's me…"

"Jerk faced idiot." She grumbled, loud enough so she was sure he heard.

He dropped the pad with a slap on the table and turned to her angrily, obviously having enough of her barbs. "Well maybe I wouldn't be such a jerk if you took my advice and stayed away from Denji! You're just letting him walk all over you - you should let me kill him!"

"That's your solution to everything!" she shouted angrily. "Something's blocking the road - bring out Tessaiga! Some mosquitoes buzzing around your head - bring out Tessaiga! An enemy - no matter how weak or strong - better bring out Tessaiga! That tree's blocking our view of the sunset - bring out the big sword! The pillow isn't fluffy enough - bash it a few times with Tessaiga and see if that helps!"

"Are you mocking me?!"

"No! I'm insulting you!"

"Well I'd like to see you take on three thousand pounds of demon on a good day and win!" he stomped over to glare down at her.

"I have - and I've won!" she rose so he couldn't intimidate her. Pity he still towered over her. "I've taken on Naraku and done more damage than you ever could! I seem to remember that I was the one who blasted his whole body into oblivion! The most you ever did was lop off his hand - and even that did more harm than good!"

"Only because you were aiming for the head and missed completely!" he shouted back. "You're so lame at fighting that I'm the one who has to save you every time we run into trouble!"

"That's not true!" she huffed. "Sometimes it's Kouga who saves me!"

That recent, rather annoying feeling bubbled up. He decided it was unspeakable anger - not fear. No, never fear. He was not afraid that Kagome would abandon him for Kouga. "That wimpy wolf would probably drop you carelessly if he had his way!"

"He's never once dropped me - give him some credit - he is a full Youkai!"

"So he's stronger than me, is that it?!"

"Well if you didn't have your beloved Tessaiga then I'd like to see your chances in a fair fight with him!" Kagome yelled, aware that she could have just stepped over the line just then. The look on his face was enough to confirm it. He looked betrayed. She quickly tried to search for something to make up for what she'd said. "Um… I mean… that isn't-"

The door opened and Mr Higurashi came stalking back in with a bewildered expression. "I could hear you two shouting from all the way down the hall - what's the matter with you two?"

The two teenagers fell into a sheepish sort of silence at being scolded by the man. "Sorry," they both mumbled.

"I thought you two were friends?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Best friends." Kagome corrected, darting a glance up at Inuyasha who still seemed irritated.

"So kiss and make up already." He prompted and they both froze. "Well?"

"Kiss…?" Kagome echoed.

"Make up?!" Inuyasha snorted. "Not with that stuck up cow."

"That's my daughter you're calling a stuck up cow." Mr Higurashi gave him a faint glare that had him rethinking his use of words.

"It's ok Dad. Inuyasha's native tribe considers cows as holy creatures. Sticking up cows especially so." She shot Inuyasha a withering glare. "I've learned to regard them as compliments."

"Still. You had better make up within the next thirty seconds or I'm adding a bonus fee to both your parents. One, two, three-"

"Mom'll kill me - it's expensive enough as it is!" Kagome cried.

"Four, five, six, seven…" he continued counting with a mild shrug.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's forelock of hair and yanked him down to press a swift, formal kiss on his cheek. "I forgive you." She said primly and released him.

It took him a moment to get over his initial shock. "Forgive me?!" he snapped. "What the hell did I do wrong?!"

"You want me to make a list?!"

"FIFTEEEN," Her father broke in loudly. "Sixteen, seventeen."

"Alright, alright - I'm sorry I said those things!" she burst out. "I didn't mean them!"

"You don't mean that!" he accused. "You're just saying that because you're gonna get fined if you don't."

"No - I really do - I upset you…" she trailed off into a small voice. "And I'm sorry…"

He watched her intently for a moment for signs of deceit, but found none. He shrugged and looked away indifferently. "Whatever."

"And… thirty." Mr Higurashi finished counting and smiled. "Now sit down, both of you."

They complied and soon they were back in their normal therapy positions. "Right - today I think we should talk about dreams!"

^_^

"And then the blue bird came and landed on my knee and told me that the clouds had turned into sheep and that the beavers had saved their damn from the termites. So then I lay back on the grass and fell asleep - then I woke up in bed!"

"Very nice Kagome." Her father smiled and jotted something down. "Perfectly sane, just like I thought."

She stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha who just rolled his eyes.

"Now… Yoko…" Mr Higurashi turned to Inuyasha with a slightly daunted expression… obviously he was expecting the worse. "Tell me the last dream you recall."

Inuyasha didn't particularly want to share the last dream he remember… not in front of Kagome - and her father no less - so he picked one from further back that was less… offensive. "Well, there I was having a great day, a Kitsune had fallen into a ravine and was dead. The girl from the future had professed her…" he glanced sideways at Kagome and back-stepped. "Had professed her… homework was done. But then it all went wrong. This big monkey came up to us and stole the jewel we were guarding - and then a big fat smelly wolf came along and stole the future girl who had just claimed her lo- her homework was done. Then my brother came along, wearing a dress and he stole my sword. And then the monk with a hole in his hand decided it would be fun to feel me up-"

"Ok," Mr Higurashi interrupted quickly. "Regarding that very abstract dream… I think what you have is a fear of losing control…"

"Dad, you genius you." Kagome rolled her eyes. His observation was already pretty obvious.

Inuyasha looked offended anyway. "What a load of crock and bull-"

Once more Mr Higurashi found it necessary to interrupt. "Well, that's all we have time for today. We'll conclude next time shall we." He stood up and started ushering them towards the door. But when they got there he found them looking up at him expectantly. "What?"

"What happened to the amusing little anecdotes?" Kagome asked. "Don't you have a patient who thinks he's a singing mongoose or something?"

"I do have patient confidentiality you know." He told her flatly.

"Looks like you only just remembered it." She rolled her eyes with a smile and headed out the door after Inuyasha who was already half way down the hall. "See ya later Dad - oh sorry!" she quickly apologised to the boy she'd bumped into and moved around him to trot after Inuyasha waiting for her with a mild frown.

The boy she'd bumped into stopped outside Mr Higurashi's apartment. "You Mr Higurashi?"

"Yes, can I help you?" The older Higurashi swept his gaze discreetly over the boy. At least nineteen with bleach white hair and so many facial piercings that it was hard to see much of his skin.

"I'm Yoko. Sorry I haven't been turning up… I was kinda embarrassed." The young man shifted to show his nervously.

Mr Higurashi stared at him a moment before slowly looking down the corridor to where Kagome was walking away with the first Yoko. For a few moments he was completely stumped. Then it all slotted into place. The dog ears, the canine teeth, the claws that were slightly to scuffed and sharp to be manicured extensions. The eyes that were as sharp as a wolf's gaze…

"Inu… Inuyasha…"

^_^

Kagome waved her goodbyes to Inuyasha outside the well house after standing for another five minutes arguing and listing the reasons why she couldn't return to the feudal era just yet. She had work to do… she had to show her mother that Denji was a bastard…

The spared a momentary glance at the setting sun on the western horizon, mostly hidden by the lapse of trees. The sky around was set in a light pink, just as she entered to front door, meaning tomorrow was bound to be sunny and pleasant. She fleetingly wondered if it would be a pleasant day tomorrow in the feudal era. Maybe not… it seemed that corresponding days were always exactly the opposite. When it rained and was generally grey in the future, it was always sunny and warm in the past. And vice versa.

But no sooner had she stepped through the door than it hit her, literally. The blow smacked across the side of her face, catching her off guard and sending her staggering into the broken shoe rack beside her. For a moment she was too shocked and confused to register what had happened, until the pain stung her face and she looked up tentatively to see Denji setting down the tall standing lamp he'd slugged her with. His expression was neutral as he set it back in it's place and adjusted the shade so it was neat again, before looking down at her disparagingly. "All's fair in love and war. Now we've both been smacked around."

"You… h-hit me…" a timid hand raised to her cheek to find her usually flawless complexion was rising with the showings or a nasty bruise… shiny and smooth to the touch and more than just stinging now.

"Just a taste of what your Inu Hanyou did to me." He gestured to the plaster on his brow.

Kagome was still reeling from the shock that she barely emitted a squeak when he crouched down to drag her forward by the front of his blouse. "And if you dare tell anyone about this then next time I'll hit you so hard you're ancestors will be seeing stars. You won't know what hit you." He threatened, giving her a shake to draw a whimper from her. "Remember, I warned you. You will not tell anyone. Not your mother, not your brother and not your pet dog. Got that?"

He sounded so calm and casual it might have sounded as though he was asking her to do the kitchen chores. How did he do it…?

Kagome found her eyes faltered to his chest, unable to maintain the lock with that cool unfeeling gaze of his. She tried to be defiant, tried to show him she wasn't scared of him with fire burning in her eyes. But how could fire burn in her eyes when she really was scared of him. Terrified even. She didn't have a chance in hell…

"I'm glad we got that sorted." He released her and stood up. "Go to bed now. In the morning when your mother sees your face, tell her it was Inuyasha. Or at least tell her that you were with him in the Sengoku era fighting demons. You can see she won't believe otherwise."

Kagome stayed crumpled on the broken shoe rack mutely… she wanted to lift her chin and floor him with an amazingly witty or feisty reply. Tell him to go stick his head where the sun didn't shine and find another girl to try and intimidate and good luck to him. So many insults and justified speeches clawed at the tip of her tongue… or more like at the back of her throat. She wanted to unleash the full force of her latent powers on him, whatever they may be. Show him she would not be pushed around by a mere mortal man like him. Not when she contended with abominations such a Naraku…

She hated him from the pit of her heart and for the briefest of moments she wished Inuyasha would come storming through that door and shove Tessaiga through Denji's chest, just like they'd discussed he shouldn't. She didn't care. But that moment passed as she realised how helpless and alone she really was right then. Her mother wasn't home, the car was gone and Souta was still round at his friends house. For some reason her grandpa still hadn't turned up yet… She was alone here with Denji.

Then she found herself pathetically thankful that he wasn't trying anything more degrading than just hitting her.

She inched her gaze up to his face again and swallowed. I hate you, she mentally seethed and found the last few words her mouth was capable of sounding. "You won't get away with this…" but it was a quiet voice and sounded like the squeak of a frightened mouse who knew it's days were numbered with the cat… he'd get bored of playing with his food soon.

"Go to bed." He said again, in that neutral tone. "And think about your options. I'd be careful what you decide if I were you, Kagome-chan."

Her will was crumbling under his incredible presence… and she hated herself for it… hated herself more than she hated Denji. How could she be so weak?!

"Go. Don't make me tell you again." He said, with that hint of threatening as his gaze flicked towards the lamp.

Fumbling, Kagome got to her feet and all but ran up the stairs into her room. She shut the door, locked it and looked around her room as if searching for help. She knew he wouldn't bother her again. He was too controlled for that. But she still felt like she was teetering on the edge of a gorge, ready to slip over the edge at any moment.

God help her… what did she do?

She couldn't turn to her mother… that was out of the question. The stupid woman was blind. Kagome was slowly allowing that pang of sympathy towards her mother seep away… to be replaced by pity. Stupid woman…

Stupid Kagome. She corrected herself as she slid bonelessly onto the bed, feeling the tears sting her eyes, and her face contorted in pain as squeezing her eyes shut stretched her cheeks. She was a carpet… pure and simple. When she'd been younger, she'd thought that if she'd ever been caught in this situation then she'd be sure what she had to do. But now, being in this situation, she was lost.

Who could she go to? Who would believe her? Denji was the perfect gentlemen… the only person who believed her was Inuyasha - and so far, his efforts to 'help' her had led her to this. Her other friends believed her, and being more rational in mind than Inuyasha, perhaps they'd be able to help… but they couldn't do much on their side of the well.

"Weak, stupid bitch…" she mumbled into the bed spread. "Inuyasha was right… I can't look after myself… I'm so stupid… so, stupid… he's just one man…"

She really didn't know what to do. Tell the police…? The thought frightened her more than reassured her. But what was even more frightening was the simpering little twit she was turning into.

God, she hated herself so much right that moment…

^_^

The household was asleep. There was no one awake at this hour evidently. Inuyasha leapt silently up into the tree outside Kagome's window, and, respecting her privacy, decided to knock on the window before barging in like he usually did.

There was no answer. Perhaps he would have waited longer, been more patient, but there was no time to loose tonight. As silently as he could so he wouldn't wake any of the other residents, he hooked three claws under the lip of the window and drew it upwards to make enough room for him to slide inside. The room was dark, and he could clearly see Kagome's form tucked up quietly into bed. Well that was all well and good, but they had a mission to see to. Beauty sleep could wait.

"Kagome?" he stopped by the bed and shook her shoulder gently. To his surprise she didn't murmur in stirring sleep, or shuffle down reluctantly into her bed… instead she rather sharply shrugged him off, with the complete reaction and reflexes of someone who was fully alert and awake.

"Kagome, stop messing around we have a job to do." He shook her more forcefully until she slapped his hand away.

"Go away," she snapped half-heartedly, proving she was fully awake after all.

"No I won't." he snapped and grabbed her shoulder more forcefully to try and turn her over to face him. She valiantly struggled to keep her back to him until he was forced to kneel on the side of the bed, grab both shoulders in his hands and force her onto her back. She struggled and gave a protesting, angry sound, and continued to keep one side of her face away from his view.

"Look, I know how you like to sleep in a warm bed, but we have a serious problem. There's an oni that just attacked Kaede's village - it's gone now but we're sure that it had a Shikon shard - Kaede sensed one. It's dwelling somewhere in the Musashi domain, but we don't know where exactly. We need you to guide us to its home - and to point out the shard - this can't wait, it kidnapped three young women - Miroku and Sango want to save them."

He saw the look of warring indecision on the side of her face that he could see. Obviously she was torn between staying and saving the innocent girls. "Inuyasha."

He squeezed her shoulder to reinforce his side of the argument… she winced in pain. He hadn't squeezed that hard, had he? With a frown he tugged away the shoulder of her night shirt, disturbed at the way she didn't bother protesting, and further disturbed at the bruise that stretched along the smooth curved of her shoulder, in line with the side of her face she was hiding. At once his other hand caught her chin and jerked her head to the other side. His fingers tensed when she winced again and he saw the reason why.

It looked worse in the dark… just a black smudge that blossomed from her eye, down her cheek and trailed off at her jaw, only to resume on her shoulder. He stared for a moment, quelling the urge to grab her and forcefully demand an explanation. He'd only left her a few hours ago and this was how she looked now?

He could feel her form stiffen under his hands, she was waiting for his reaction, preparing for his outburst. It was hard, but he managed to control the murderous urges. "What… happened…?" he ground out slowly.

"I…" she swallowed nervously, blinking up at him. "I fell."

"Don't give me that shit!" he hissed, having to release her to bury his claws in the bedding so as not to hurt her. "You did not fall!"

"I fell into the shoe rack…" she said again. "After… after Denji hit me…"

"With what? A table?" he snarled, immediately pulling away to stomp towards her bedroom door. His intent was obvious and Kagome didn't hesitate to do the ethical thing.

"Stop - sit!"

The weight around his neck dragged him to the ground with one fell crash, winding him and leaving him straining against the spell. He wouldn't be stopped this time! Kagome wouldn't convince him that Denji's pathetic life was worth saving - he'd warned the bastard - now he intended to keep his word! He heard Kagome moving off the bed to run to him, but he was already on his feet and staggering towards the door again, his hand closing over the handle.

"Sit!" Kagome cried again. His hand slipped off the door knob and he slammed against the carpet once more, face down. Kagome crouched down beside him, her hands hovering over his back, unsure whether to press him down still or comfort him. "You can't kill Denji! It's murder!"

"Why are you defending him?!" Inuyasha managed to push his upper half off the floor through sheer determination and strength alone, despite the spell working at its full. "He hit you!"

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed, but she sounded more frightened than angry. "If Denji or Mom wake up I'm dead!"

He stopped straining his weight on his arms as the spell wore off… but he didn't move. He just stared at her in slow realisation. "You're scared…" it was unbelievable. Feisty little Kagome reduced to the timid mouse beside him.

"Yes!" she gasped. "And you would be two if a big man knocked you to the ground with a lamp! And if you were weak like me that is…"

"You're not weak - stop thinking like that!" he shifted to face her, his plan to kill Denji in his bed temporarily forgotten. "You're stronger than this!"

"Then why am I so scared?" she whispered and sat back on her heels, lowering her head to hide the tears in her eyes. "If I was strong and clever I wouldn't… wouldn't…"

She trailed off and Inuyasha continued to stare at her, for once, not completely flustered by her tears. "You were planning to let this slide, weren't you?" he stated quietly, the anger gone from his tone. "You were going to let him get away with this."

"No!" she snapped her head up to look at him. "I'd never let him get away with this! Never!"

"Then what were you planning to do?" he growled, tilting his head in question. "Sit here in the dark and wait for all the problems to go away? And I thought you were pathetic before."

"I don't know what to do… I just don't…" she slightly turned away from him. "It's like my brain won't work… or I'm paralysed… and you're right - I'm weak and pathetic. I disgust myself, you know. I hate this… I hate being so weak I can't do anything to help myself!"

"Don't hate yourself, that's even stupider."

"Stupider isn't a word." She corrected automatically.

"I don't really care, Kagome." He snapped. "How much do you want to bet that Denji is trying to make you doubt yourself, rather than scare you? Maybe he's doing both. But if you start blaming yourself you just play into his hands. And if you do that then I really will think you're stupid and your self-pity will be well deserved."

Kagome sniffed and glared at the ground as new tears began brimming.

"But that's not going to happen. Is it?" he said with a gentleness that belied his previous tone. He pushed her chin up with a finger, though she refused to meet his eyes. "You won't hate yourself… not for Denji. You'll be Kagome, care-free and happy… for me?"

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his steady gaze and saw his point at last. Self-pity wasn't going to get her anywhere. "I'll get him… soon… if not for me then for you as well." She agreed with a small smile.

"Good." He dropped her chin and sat back on his own heels. "Now then - I seem to remember coming here for a different reason other than knocking some sense into your tiny little brain and-"

He immediately cut short his speech as Kagome lurched forward to wrap her arms around his neck and hold onto him as if for dear life. He froze, at a loss of what to do, as she clung to him, taking shuddering breaths against his shoulder. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She mumbled against him drawing more sturdy support as she pressed closer to him.

For quite some time Inuyasha sat there with his hands hovering over her back. Way to put me on the spot, Kagome… he thought, flustered. He half didn't want to encourage this type of behaviour, but that didn't stop him noticing the damp patch forming on his haori from her tears. The reaction was belated, and more unconscious than anything else… his arms slipped around her slight form and held her closely, gently.

"No point crying." He cajoled her slightly, internally rolling his eyes at the sappiness of his own voice. He coughed and cleared his throat as he set her back more firmly. "Like I said, I came to bring you back home - we really need you this time. And don't give me crap about Denji killing you if you come with me. Because I won't let him hurt you again-"

"I love you so much!" she lurched into his arms again and held on tight. Only when she felt him stiffen did she realise what she'd just blurted. Her face heated up as her stomach clenched with cold fear. She forced herself on with the most natural sounding voice she could manage. "You're such a good friend."

She'd sounded so convincing, she'd almost fooled herself for a moment. She loved him… but as a friend, or so it seemed. She prayed to god that he would think that. She wasn't prepared to deal with the awkwardness of confessions right then. Not when Kikyo still lurked in the forests of the Sengoku Jidai with the chance of taking him away from her.

She felt him pat her shoulder tentatively. "Of course I am." He said, in a good impression of his usual arrogance… but he sounded strained. Kagome winced inwardly. What had she done…? What on earth was he thinking right then?

She pulled back with a smile, trying to act as normal as possible. "I'll come with you, it's only the right thing to do. Denji can't keep me from helping three innocent girls out."

"Damn right he can't." he stood and helped her to her feet. "You'll remember to be strong right?"

"I am strong." She said in a determined sort of way. It brought a slow smile to both their faces.

"Well then get dressed and let's get going, time waster." He slipped out the window to give her the privacy she needed. He waited at the foot of the tree, silently working out a plan in his head. He was interrupted before it was fully formed as Kagome tiptoed out of the front door, yellow bag on her back and viscous bruise on her face. He cursed under his breath at the sight. "Come on." He beckoned her to follow him to the well house and waited for her at the door to pass through before him.

He cast one backward glare at the house. Denji was lucky they had more pressing things on mind right then… but when this little distraction was over with - there was no getting out of punishment for hitting a young girl. He wouldn't get away with hitting Kagome like that.

That had been the last straw.

AN: Ok. that's all for now. I'll be back soon with chapter 12 (I had no idea the story would be this long).