InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Same Thing, Different Time ❯ Don't Cry Because of Me ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: Same as any of the other chapters. Don't own any part. Not looking to gain anything.

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Same Thing, Different Time

by: aishiteru_inu

Part 11: Don't Cry Because Of Me

From Previous Chapter:

"You're still bleeding." he said before she even got to the door.

"Yeah, well…" and what was she to say about that? "I'll live."

She didn't stop as he thought she might, and then vanished into the house without another word or glance.

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When Kagome shut the door and leaned her back against it, she felt ready to cry, her eyes burning from the salt of the tears that welled there in little pools. It wasn't just because she had been chased and attacked for the third time in about as many days, and it wasn't just because of a skinned knee, a bruised shoulder, and a scratched up posterior either. Maybe it had a little to do with the headache she was starting to get, or maybe it was because her brain got so rattled around in her head that she wasn't in her right mind anymore. She was positive that she must have gotten a concussion or two from recent events. One thing she knew for sure, it did have something to do with a white haired, golden eyed Inu Yasha.

Aahhh… she knew she wasn't in her right mind anymore because this was crazy. He was a youkai -- a real, flesh and blood one at that, and he was gruff and demanding, and impatient and… and… there was only one thing he was after; of that he made all too perfectly clear. And, on top of everything else, he could be so hateful…

So why did she feel like this? And why did it matter anyway?

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InuYasha wasn't in the best of moods either. His mind was also doing double takes of it's own. First of all, he knew that it didn't matter what happened to the stupid wench, yet there he was 'saving' her from those wolf curs. He knew why he had saved her from the one in the park days back: he had taken the necklace and that was something he couldn't let happen. Then there was the fact that she reminded him so much of… well, OK… HER… but that's were it ended! SHE was just a copy of the original, a copy of the real thing! She didn't have 'her' scent, she didn't have 'her' personality, and she certainly didn't have 'her' grace either! What she did have was that necklace, and that was the reason he was lurking around, helping her out. That was the only reason!

'So, why did you get so upset when those men were attacking her?' the little voice in his head spoke up.

'Perfectly good reason why,' he argued back. 'They were hurting someone less able of defending themselves, and there were three of them.'

'And you would know about that, huh?'

Clenching his teeth, he growled, 'Yes.'

'Don't see you running around rescuing anyone else in distress.'

'They don't have something that I want.' he reasoned with himself.

'What about her scent? It may be different, but you like it!'

'There's enough rotten smells to contend with without sticking my nose up at something that's nice for a change. So?'

Nothing else echoed back in his head. Ha! Just as he thought. He didn't care.

The argument in his head had accompanied him to at least the middle of the courtyard, when his nose caught a trace of something. He paused, sniffing the air, trying to make clear what it was and where it came from, then froze for a second at the startling realization. Giving his shoulders a twist, he glanced back to the house. He listened closely, ears perked up, but he didn't pick up anything that normally would be associated with that kind of smell.

She was crying. Silently. He could smell the salt of them as they ran down her cheeks, but there wasn't a hint of the usual noise that tended to followed along with them. His ears drooped slightly, and the urge to go back to her was strong. He didn't want her to cry. He wanted to remember the scent of her just as it was which still clung to his back.

Her wounds must be really hurting her, he tried to explain the reason for such, but something inside him knew that wasn't the truth. She hadn't cried at all over them before, so why would she start now? No; she was doing alright until he made those cutting remarks to her. She had been thanking him for 'saving her'… actually thanking him,… and she had smiled -- at him! Then, he saw how her eyes fell from his after he said those words. Eyes that had been so filled with…amazing wonder, and then he went and crushed it all for her.

InuYasha issued a low growl, ears lowering even further as his mood darkened more. He didn't like a woman to cry. He remembered his mom crying. A lot. Crying over him. She was… She had been everything to him when he was a young pup before… -- before she died. So kind and gentle. She never should have been made to cry like that. Not because of something like him; he wasn't worth the sadness and grief that he caused for her. And now, sensing Kagome's tears, he wanted to make them go away. But what could he do now for her?

'Nothing.' he told himself; he had already done all that he could to her.

Turning back around, he continued to walk away from there.

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She dropped her backpack beside the wall next to the door, and wiped her tears off with the sleeve of her shirt. She was going to have to face her mother and she didn't want to upset her more than she was already going to be. After all, InuYasha had came before anything more happened, and despite him claiming that it was only because of the necklace, he had seem genuinely concerned a little about her -- that was, that it lasted until just a few minutes ago.

Pushing herself away from the door, Kagome limped her way into the kitchen where she knew her mom would be preparing supper.

"Mom," she said to capture the attention of the woman that stood at the stove with her back presented.

She turned upon hearing her daughter's voice, and the shock at the sight of her launched her into verbal and physical motion.

"Kagome!" she rushed to her daughter with eyes wide and distress upon her face. "Oh, Kami, are you alright? What happened?!"

"I--I'm fine, Mom. Really…" she returned wanting to put her mother more at ease. "I'm just scrapped up a bit, that's all."

"What happened?" she demanded again, looking the appearance of her daughter's clothing, taking note to every detail that marred it and her child's skin.

"It--It was that gang… The one that move into the area not too long ago."

"What did they do?"

And about that time Sota, Kagome's little brother came rushing through the door, stopping short when he saw the state his sister was in.

"Kagome, you got blood on your skirt, and it's running down your leg. How'd you get hurt?"

"Blood?" Mrs. Higurashi murmured absently, and then it dawned on her. "Oh, Kami, they didn't…"

"No," she returned quickly and a bit louder than usual. "No, Mom, that didn't happen."

"Tell me what happened." She helped her daughter over to the table to sit down, but Kagome resisted putting herself in that position just yet.

"Umm, the back of my leg… it's scrapped up pretty good I think."

Putting her hands against the side of the table, she allowed her mom to lift the blood stained material up over her hip. She winced at the gasp that issued from her mother's lips.

"Kagome," the name of her daughter came out in nearly a whisper and it was a heart wrenching sound. "Tell me. Tell me exactly what happened as I clean this and then I think we should call the police."

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He could have sped out of there quickly, or he could have just bounded into the air, but he didn't. He didn't feel like doing anything else except just what he was doing --- walking. It gave him more time to mull things around in his head at the point of where it stemmed from. He wanted to get out of there, but he wasn't in that much of a hurry either. Eventually, he went down the last flight of stairs and through the open gate. He had just turned past the pillar and started walking down the sidewalk when a flash of lights came on.

"Stop right there."

InuYasha halted in his tracks with a deep breath of annoyance, not even bothering to turn to see who it was. He already knew.

"What is it now, you old crone?" he said with as much feeling as he felt.

"Loose your way?"

'As in reference to what?' he questioned silently, but said, "No."

"What are you doing around here then, InuYasha?"

"Not what you think." he answered grimly. "I brought the girl home."

There was a silent pause, and then the 'old crone' stepped around in front of him.

"Really?" her voice held a bit of doubt.

"Yes," he said more sourly, looking at her. "She was attacked by three bastards that belong to that Wolf gang. They reeked with the stench. I saved her and brought her home. Go up there and ask her if you want."

The woman was silent for a thoughtful moment. "Perhaps I will check her out."

He bet that it wouldn't be the only thing that she would check on. "The necklace is still safe and sound around her neck. Do you really think that I'd be walking out of there in this kind of mood if I'd gotten a hold of that damn thing?"

No, she didn't believe that he would. At any rate, she said, "Go wait in the car, InuYasha."

With a motion and a look of 'I don't want to do that - You can't make me', he said sourly, "You know that can't hold me."

He was right about that. A mere car or even jail cell could not contain the half-demon unless the seals were put in place.

"I know, InuYasha. Does that mean that I need to…"

He knew what she was going to say before she finished. And no, he didn't want the seals used; they hurt when he would get close enough to the barrier it erected and accidentally touched it. And if he gave his word about something, he would keep it.

"Feh! Fine!" And he stomp over to the vehicle and put himself in the back. God, how he hated this! When he became full demon, no one was going to cage or hold him back again. No one!

He leaned his back against the door, his head against the window. He crossed his arms in front of him and his legs and feet stretched out across the seat.

"Be here when I get back." he heard her say through the glass, but he didn't bother to look.

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There was the sound of knocking upon the door.

"Sota," Mrs. Higurashi spoke to the younger child. "Go answer the door and see who it is."

"Ok." And he scampered away to do as he was bid. After a few moments, he returned with the lady police officer in tow.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up from the task of cleaning Kagome's knee. She wasn't quite prepared to see the officer there so soon, but was relieved that she was.

"Officer Shi---" She started but was cut off.

"Kaede, please."

"We weren't expecting you here so soon. We just called the station just a few minutes ago."

"I was coming to see about Kagome, and I… was informed that there was an incident that happened today." Her one good eye shifted over to Kagome and her apparent disheveled state.

The sadness that was in the young girl's eyes lifted some what as she interacted with the familiar officer. She even tried to give her a smile, but it was weak.

"How are you doing, Office… er… Kaede?"

"The question should be, how are you doing?"

"A bit skinned; a few bumps and bruises."

"Would you like to tell me what happened?"

Kagome was quite a moment looking down at the floor. She had gone through this with her mother, and it wasn't that she didn't want to tell the woman, it was just that she didn't want her Mom having to hear it again. She was already half a wreck now as it was.

Kaede waited patiently for the young girl to answer her, allowing her to take her own time to say however much she wanted. She could tell that she was holding back from speaking, and she didn't believe that it was entirely for her own self. No, this girl was aware of those around her, conscious as to how her words would effect them.

Finally, Kagome started to speak. "I was coming home from school, and I… decided that I would take my normal route instead of the other way." She was sure that the woman understood her meaning of the 'other way' since that was where they had met in the first place. "There were four of them, but only three got out and started chasing me…" She winced a little at her confession, knowing the images that her mother was creating in her head; seeing her little girl running, afraid… "I think that they are part of that new gang that's around here now."

"What did they do?"

"Throw me to the ground once they caught up with me, and then I tumbled and hit into a dumpster that was there; that's were I smacked my forehead. Then one of them grabbed me by the leg and was pulling me…" Kagome became silent for a moment as she reflected back to that moment. "and that how I got the back of my leg skinned up."

"Did they do anything more to you?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "No."

Kagome paused for a moment to take a breath, collecting her thoughts as to what she would say. "They didn't get a chance to, because that's when that… guy,… umm… InuYasha, showed up. He… rescued me from them."

"InuYasha?" Kaede questioned, looking at the girl with a bit of astonishment, and the she nodded in response.

"And how did you get home?"

"He… umm… he brought me here, and then left. It's been a little while ago."

"I would like to meet this InuYasha," Mrs. Higurashi said, feeling grateful for the man that had aided her daughter from further harm. "Maybe we could have him over…"

"No!" Kagome's outburst startled her mother. "Really Mom, he's… not… all that nice." 'Not to mention he's a demon.'

"Kagome, this person took on three gang members to keep you from harm. He couldn't have even thought about himself to do so. That has to say a bit about his character. There should be some way to let him know that we're grateful…"

Kaede gave a low throaty chuckle, admitting herself. "InuYasha is pretty rough around the edges himself."

"Really, Mom, I doubt that he would even come," she blushed imagining him there in the first place and trying to figure out some excuse to get her mom off that track she was on. "Besides, I've only met him a couple of times, and I don't know anything," 'Liar' her head yelled. "much," she added to be a little bit less of one. "about him. I don't even know where he lives."

"I'd like to at least say thank you."

"Believe me, Mom, courteous things like that doesn't matter to him." 'And I ought to know that well enough by now.'

To move the subject away from the girl's predicament over InuYasha, Kaede interceded by asking, "Kagome-chan, you mentioned about scrapes. Would you mind if I took a look?"

Kagome showed the older police woman her knee first, and then turned to the side a raised her skirt a little to show her the back of her leg.

"I'll probably have a bruise on the back of my shoulder. I hit the ground pretty hard when I tumbled over." She also showed the woman her hands which showed scraped a few fingers. "And there's a couple of bumps on my head."

Kaede looked the girl over very carefully. She was shook up, but who wouldn't be, and her clothes and features all marked the signs of an attack -- a human attack, and nothing else.

"Was anything stolen?"

Kagome looked the officer in her one good eye. She knew exactly what she was asking. "No. It's safe." she answered quietly.

The lady nodded.

"Are you able to walk with me down to the car? There's someone I want you to identify."

"Yes, I could do that."

"Should I come…"

"No, no. Not necessary." Kaede denied. "All she has to do is look at him and tell me if it's anyone from the incident she recognizes. Picked him up not far from here."

Both Kagome and her mother was alarmed, with Kagome wondering if they had also found out where she lived. Not wanting to worry her mother further she decided to get that part quiet until she was alone outside with the officer.

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The two of them walked outside.

"Do you mind if I see the necklace, child?" Kaede questioned, and they paused at the top of the flight when Kagome stopped to pull out the very thing that was asked for from under her shirt. She displayed it for the Officer.

Kaede looked at the jewel studiously. The smooth round gem looked as normal as it ever did amidst it's bluish-pink gleam. Then she glanced up at the dark haired girl that reminded her so much of her sister a long time ago. She gave the girl a firm weary smile, patted her hand, and started to descend the flight of stairs that was before them. Kagome shoved the contrasting piece of jewelry of jagged and round smooth pieces back into shirt and then followed the older woman on the opposite side of the hand rail. She didn't think to ask if there was any reason to want to see it, she just assumed that it was to insure that the item was really safe and sound.

Again Kaede spoke up. "There's something else that you haven't told me yet, child."

Kagome was surprise that the woman picked up on that. "I didn't want to mention it in front of my mother, because I didn't want her to worry more. But one of those guys knew who I was because he called me by my name. I didn't recognize him at all, myself. I didn't recognize any of them. You don't think that they know where I live, do you?"

"That I don't know. I wish I could tell you that it wasn't so. You could come down to the station and look through some of the pictures if you want, but if it's this new gang, we haven't much on them at all yet. Is there anything else?"

"N-Not really."

"You are not hiding the fact that InuYasha did you any harm, are you?"

"What? No! He didn't hurt me at all! In fact, I was the one that…that -- kind of -- actually hurt him. I--I slapped him."

"Oh," That surprised the older woman. "What reason did you have to do tempt the hanyou's ire so?"

"The jerk pulled my skirt up." Once it was out of her mouth, she felt bad because even though it had been rather embarrassing, he really had not done it for any other reason except to see how bad she was hurt after seeing the blood on her hands. The dumbfounded look on his face afterward told her as much if not for him bellowing them at her.

"He saw blood on my hand when I dusted myself off." She gave an explanation as to why he had done it. "He… he said he was checking to see how bad I was hurt."

She was very amused now. "What did he do then? You don't look any more worse for wear from the ordeal."

"Oh, the usual -- he yelled; wanted to know why I done that, but that was pretty much it. Then offered to bring me home, and well, that's what he did."

"And that's everything?"

They had reached the top of the second set of stair which led to the gate opening. "Well… Kaede?" They paused again at the top of this second flight. "You didn't tell me that he could fly."

"Fly?"

She nodded.

Kaede laughed under her breath, shaking her head. "InuYasha cannot fly, child. He's a dog demon. He merely glides between bounds. He can go a bit of distance, of course, but he cannot actually fly. You saw him thus, did you?"

This time Kagome could not look at the woman, her cheeks burning red.

"Umm… well… he… he had me get on his back and that's how he brought me home."

"Oh, really?" The woman was quite amused, her mind visualizing the hanyou with the girl on his back jumping from place to place. "How did you fare?"

"It was really… awkward, and scary at first, but then… I don't know how to describe what it was like."

"Hummm." She murmured thoughtfully, wondering about this side of InuYasha that he'd not shown before as they continued down the steps.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong." They continued their walk until they came to the entrance of the shrine's property.

Kagome raised her eyes toward the vehicle she saw, to see if she could get a glimpse of them without having to get too close. She was half afraid to be face to face with one of her attackers again, their glaring eyes looking at her, but she bolstered up her courage to do just that. But then her sight fell upon the white hair that was pushed up against the side of the window as he leaned back against it; she could even see one of his ears. A slight gasp escaped her, and almost immediately his head turned. Golden eyes stared into her deep rich brown ones; then his brows narrowed even more than they were.

"InuYasha…" she murmured, surprised to see that it was him in the car.

"Are you sure he didn't do anything to hurt you?"

Kagome didn't say anything at first, she could only stare at the face that looked at her so angrily. She nodded her head, looking down away from his gaze and whispered, "Yes. I'm sure."

What?! She nodded her head! What was she nodding her head for? She was suppose to shake it and say no. No that he didn't do anything to her. But she wouldn't even look at him and she was saying yes. The bitch!

He threw himself against the back of the seat, crossing his arms in a huff. He could see where he would be going tonight! Damn! Damn! Damn! And to think that he had felt bad about her just a short bit ago! He didn't care if she cried a river of tears next time, he wouldn't feel anything! What next time? No, he'd leave her to her own from now on! The hell with her! All he wanted was that thing around her neck!

InuYasha thought of ripping himself right out of there and there wasn't anything that could be done to stop him. Then he'd be free. But the only thing of it was, Kaede knew that he'd be back to watch the girl, waiting for a chance to present itself, and they would make it that much harder to be around. They wouldn't give up, wouldn't stop hassling him until they pulled him in. It wasn't worth the risk. He'd just go along with it. Spend the night in a holding cell, -- he growled a deep throaty sound -- and then they'd let him out and he could range free again until the next crises raised up.

The door clicked and opened, and InuYasha sat there with a confounded look on his face.

"Come on. Out." Kaede ordered motioning for him to vacate the vehicle.

"What the hell?" he grumbled getting out of the back. "Get in, get out. Make up your mind, will you?" He stood on the sidewalk, giving the dark haired girl just a glancing look, before he turned his attention back to the heavy set woman who was getting into the front of the vehicle.

"What was all this about, Kaede?"

"Just checking things out."

"Well, next time just leave me the hell alone!"

Kaede ignored his outburst. "Take care InuYasha." That was all she said as she shut the door and drove off.

"As if you care," he murmured at the back of the retreating car, careful as he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

Something from the corner of his eye caught his attention and when he turned to see what it was, he saw the departing figure of the raven hair girl. She hadn't said anything; only turned and headed back to the house.

"Oh, man," he clenched his teeth together. He swore he didn't want anything more to do with her. Nothing at all except the jewel piece that she kept around that her neck. So why was he filling so guilty about the thoughts that he had about her just a while ago?

She was almost at the top of the stairs when he moved quickly over to the gate.

"How's your leg?" He asked, watching as she stopped at the sound of his voice. For some reason he found that he was holding his breath, waiting to see what she would do. She didn't turn, like he half expected she would, and she didn't exactly look at him from over her shoulder either. Instead she had just turned her head off to the side so that her voice would carry down to him more clearly.

"It's fine."

Simple question. Simple answer.

InuYasha was jolted by shock when she just resumed her walk away from him.

"Did you cleanse it already?" He queried trying to get her to stop. "You could get an infection from around that dumpster."

"Yes, I know." she answered, not stopping. "and yes I did."

No more than a second did it take him to get to the top of the stairs, but that's all further he went as all he could do was watch her retreating back.

"So what did Kaede have to say to you?"

Again there was a pause in her step, yet she didn't bother to turn toward his direction in any way.

"Nothing," she answered and continued walking again.

This was not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

"Hey! Wait," He called out, not knowing anything else to say that would make her stop, and by the persistence of her steps, it made him doubtful that that would work either. But then he caught the faint scuffle the bottom of her feet made across the cement ground until they finally came to a halt.

"What is it InuYasha?" She said half heartedly, trying to focus on a spot somewhere in the distance. When he was quiet, she dared a glance over her shoulder toward him to find that he was just standing there, looking at her. There was something about him that made her breath catch in her throat. Maybe it was the way he was just standing there with his arms daggling at his sides, or maybe it was the unfamiliar expression on his face which softened his features from the usual scowl he had. Whatever it was, it caused her to fully turn around to face him.

"InuYasha?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then he made as if he were about to say something, then held it back and turned his face away from her.

"Don't cry because of me."

Kagome was taken aback. How could he possibly know that she had even cried at all? She was sure that she had not shed a tear before she got inside the house, and she was positive that she hadn't made a sound just because of the fact she didn't want her mother hearing her. But InuYasha had and he knew.

"I know it wasn't because of your injuries, so don't cry because of me." The next moment, the gruff scowl and angry brows came over his features once again, and he turned in a temper and almost stomped down the stairs, while Kagome could only watch.

She stood there staring at the empty space where he had been, and murmured softly, even though he wasn't there, "Why shouldn't I cry because of you?"

She waited as if she would hear an answer, yet knowing she wouldn't. Finally, as if she had to pull herself away, Kagome headed back up to the house.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

InuYasha stood with his back against one of the pillars of the main gate, one foot was propped up against it also, and his arms were crossed over his chest. His head was bent forward and his eyes were closed, yet because of the hair of his bangs no one would have noticed, and if they had they would have thought him asleep.

"Why shouldn't I cry because of you?" The gentle tone of her voice still filtered into his ears.

His eyes opened half way, and he stared dully at the ground. It was a question of wonder rather than one she expected an answer to, even though she was still standing there. He raised his head until the back of it also touched the coolness of the pillar, turning his face to the side in the direction he had just come.

"Because I'm not worth your tears." he whisper back giving her an answer that he knew she wouldn't hear. Then he could hear her faint footsteps as she moved into the distance to return home.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* END Of Part 11 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

NOTE: To Anyone That Makes A Review on this story, I would appreciate it if you would send the comments to the Email Author line on the chapter site. MediaMiner does not allow me to be able to view any message from my reviews, and I would like to know what people are saying about my story. Just write whatever you would in your review. Thanks.