InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Friend In Need ❯ A friend In Need: Aftermath ( Epilogue )

A/N:

I truly had no intention of writing this second part to the `A Friend In Need' story, it just kind of wrote itself. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading.

**A Friend In Need: Aftermath**

Fear is not an easy slave to master. More often than not, fear takes mastery of us, digging its sharpened claws in deep and cutting us to the bone. She knew this better than anyone. In the time of her life when fear had become a constant companion, an almost bedfellow, the need to protect her sister had overridden the fear, pushed it back. She had been able to bottle the fear away, to ignore it while doing her best to keep the knowledge of anything dark or dangerous far away from the tiny child who still believed in fairytales and pots of gold at the end of rainbows. She had thought, mistakenly and quite foolishly, that she had mastered her fear.

Looking out the living room window of the Higurashi home, her coffee brown eyes scanning the shrine grounds, she had to admit if only to herself, that she was enslaved by the very thing she thought she had mastered. Now that she was safe, now that there was no longer any danger, no shadows to spring to life and attack her, it was her fear that haunted her. The very same fear that she had bottled up day after day over the years had somehow broken free of its confines and now refused to be ignored, taking its vengeance upon her every night.

She left the house only when absolutely necessary, afraid of running into him. Three days after she and her sister had been moved into the Higurashi home, Kagome and her boyfriend had disappeared down an ancient well - a phenomenon that still baffled her. Two days after that, Ayumi had left her sister in Souta's care as she and Mrs. Higurashi had gone to purchase groceries. As she had been helping the woman load the bags into the trunk of her car, her father had confronted them, tried to harm Mrs. Higurashi and Ayumi had done what she always did - she stepped in the way of his fist, knowing that she wasn't strong enough to fight him, but refusing to allow him to harm anyone else.

Her hand rose slowly, the move unconscious and she winced when her fingertips brushed against her bruised cheek. He had hit her so hard that she had very nearly blacked out, as it was Mrs. Higurashi had rushed Ayumi to the emergency room and filed an official child abuse complaint against her father while the doctor tended to Ayumi. The man had been gentle, probing her wound and telling her that he needed to take an X-ray of her face. Her cheekbone had been cracked, nearly broken through and while the doctor had assured her the bone would heal on its own, he had also informed her that it would take anywhere from four to six weeks for the bruising and pain to go away.

`What happened to your face oneesan?' her sister's voice whispered through her mind. Mumbling out that she had fallen, Ayumi had hastily moved past the diminutive girl to carry the bags of groceries into the kitchen. She had nearly cried too, when she heard Arisu say to Mrs. Higurashi that `oneesan falls a lot'. Shaking her head and turning away from the window when she heard Souta call her for dinner, Ayumi closed her eyes and choked back the emotional pain that always seemed to be just below the surface. Eating was still a bit painful, but not nearly as difficult as it had been that first few days. Her only consolation was that Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't returned yet, how would she explain the new injury to the hanyou who had promised her that she was safe now? How could she possibly tell him that it was her fault she'd been hit?

Sitting down at the table and nodding gratefully as a bowl of rice was set in front of her, she couldn't hide the quick wince, the twinge of nausea that seemed to twist her stomach every time she looked at food. She wasn't sick by any means, but somehow the constant fear she felt made it almost impossible for her to eat much. She only hoped that tonight she would sleep through till the morning. She was so very tired and morning seemed impossibly far away.

:::::

She was scared, terrified even. Her heart was pounding, her breath was stunted and short, her lungs were on fire with the effort it took just to draw a single breath. Her ribs and hip on her right side hurt from the kicks he had dealt her only moments before and she had to bite her lip hard, hard enough that she drew blood, just to keep from crying out in pain as she folded herself down behind a table in the hallway in an effort to hide. The sound of footsteps pounding, racing down the hallway toward her, made her choke on air she couldn't successfully breathe. Her lips trembled, hands shaking as she spun around and reached for the banister…

Ayumi cried out, shooting up in bed, her eyes impossibly wide and face pale. Her breath caught on a sob, and she covered her face with her hands and sobbed. The bed dipped beside her and she felt the warm soft arms of Mrs. Higurashi embrace her. The soft scent of flowers and baking spices filled her nose, making the girl cry harder, clutching the woman embracing her. Mrs. Higurashi stroked Ayumi's hair, letting her actions soothe the distraught teen as she remained silent.

Mrs. Higurashi pressed her lips into a thin white line as she fought back her own tears. Kagome and Inuyasha had left for the Feudal Era three days after Ayumi and her sister had moved into the Higurashi home. She had been touched and even awed by the gentle way in which Inuyasha had tended to Ayumi's wounds and had held her when she cried. It wasn't often that the hanyou allowed his softer side to show, but when he did it was beautiful. Feeling Ayumi grow heavy in her arms as she returned to sleep, Mrs. Higurashi gently laid the girl back on the pillows, anger furrowing her brows at the still dark bruise on the girl's face, and covered her with the blankets before leaving the room.

It had been two weeks. Two weeks of constant nightmares and almost ghost like silence from the teenager. It seemed that once Ayumi had a safe place to rest, a safe place for her sister, the girl's own fears had come to haunt her with a vengeance. How often had she caught Ayumi staring out the window or watching the shrine grounds carefully as though she were waiting for someone to appear and attack her? Maybe…Mrs. Higurashi closed her eyes and slumped against the wall in the kitchen as her chin trembled. Maybe Ayumi was waiting for someone - her father - to show up and attack. She didn't think that the foul man would dare come to the shrine, but she had to allow that there was always the chance that he might.

Raising a tired hand to her face, the woman covered her eyes, the pads of her thumb and middle finger squeezing her temples as the first few tears slipped from her eyes. Dropping her hand and looking to ceiling, Mrs. Higurashi blinked away her tears and took a few deep breaths, calming away her upset before she gave way to the heart wrenching sobs that were just beneath the surface. No matter how hard she had tried, Ayumi refused to talk about the abuse she had suffered. The only thing the battered girl would willingly say on the matter was that her father wasn't always like this. She insisted that he was a good man, but good men didn't beat their daughters, did they?

There was no telling how long the girl had suffered, how long she had been abused. Moving to the fridge, she reached for the cabinet above and retrieved a bottle of whiskey. Right now, she needed something stronger than water or tea. It had been two weeks - two weeks of nightmares, two weeks of holding Ayumi as she cried herself back to sleep at night, two weeks of soothing Arisu back to sleep after her sister's cries had woken her and doing her best to keep the tiny child from worrying. Pulling a small glass from the cupboard above the counter, Mrs. Higurashi carried the items to the table and sat down in the darkness of the kitchen.

`Kioshi and Aiko Higurashi, 1977' Her eyes watered, her hand covering her mouth as the first sobs broke free. She rarely ever drank; it had been Kioshi who had kept that cabinet stocked. She hadn't realized that the single bottle left untouched in the cabinet was the bottle from their wedding. Her elbows rested on the table, her face buried in her palms as she cried. She didn't hear the door open, or the softly uttered words between her daughter and Inuyasha. She didn't see the worried look from Kagome directed at her before nodding to Inuyasha and disappearing up the stairs.

The silent strength of the arm that wrapped around her shoulders startled Mrs. Higurashi and she sniffled back her tears before looking up. Inuyasha didn't look at her, keeping his eyes trained in front of him as he held her against his side. The billowing sleeve of his fire rat haori warmed her back and she leaned against him, her arm coming up around his back to return his embrace fiercely for a brief moment. Taking in a calming series of deep breaths, she leaned away, offering the hanyou the seat next to her.

“How bad is it?” Inuyasha asked finally, his golden eyes shining in the darkness, the light of the full moon creating a halo of silver around his ears and hair.

Moving the bottle away, unable to bring herself to open it, she closed her eyes and steadied herself before answering.

“Bad,” her voice was soft, pained as she looked up, meeting the hanyou's gaze. “She wakes from nightmares every night. She's constantly watching the shrine grounds, looking out the windows, shying away from the doors that lead outside. She puts on a brave face for Arisu, and I know that she wants to believe she's safe here, but…” her voice trailed off and she watched, nodding gratefully when Inuyasha poured a bit of the whiskey into the glass and handed the drink to her.

“She's waiting for him to jump out of the shadows,” Inuyasha stated watching Mrs. Higurashi sip the amber liquid. She nodded and he could see the sheen of tears brightening her eyes. “Has she left the shrine at all?”

“Only once,” she said, her voice trembling, a single tear escaping her eyes to traverse down her cheek before she wiped it away. “She doesn't like to take these, but she needs them,” the woman said, taking an orange prescription bottle from the pocket of her sleep pants and setting it on the table. “It's medicine to take away her pain,” she explained and told him of the incident with Ayumi's father outside of the grocery store.

“She stepped in front of you?” he asked quietly, uncertain whether to be angry or proud. Ayumi had been careless, but at the same time she had done so to protect Mrs. Higurashi.

She nodded silently. “Tomorrow, I'm supposed to take her back to the doctor so that new pictures can be taken of her face. They need to see how the bone is healing.”

He growled, the sound cutting off as soon as it started, when she shook her head and swallowed back the tears she was trying to hide. His eyes settled on the bottle of whiskey, his brows drawing together as he read the inscription. Kagome had told him that the day they had brought Ayumi and Arisu home was the last day of school for the summer. This time through the well it had been Inuyasha and not Kagome who had insisted on coming back, his concern for Ayumi making him restless. I knew I should've just killed the bastard, Inuyasha thought sourly.

“How's the pup?” he asked, his ears twitching as he listened to the sounds above them.

“Clueless. She doesn't know anything of her sister's abuse, but she also doesn't understand why she and Ayumi can't go back home. She misses her father and keeps asking Ayumi when they're going to go home.” Looking up at Inuyasha, she waited until his eyes met hers before speaking. “Arisu wakes up every time that Ayumi cries out from her nightmares. She doesn't understand why her sister's so afraid. The more Ayumi tries to be strong and happy for Arisu during the day, the more powerful her nightmares are when she sleeps.”

His eyes glanced at the ceiling above them, his ears catching the soft whimper that sounded from Ayumi. He tuned out every other sound as he focused his sharp ears on the girl sleeping above them. She whimpered once more and he heard the blankets shift, her voice muffling before silencing, his nose registering that her scent had lost the edge of fear. She was asleep once more and he sighed, blinking before turning his attention back on Mrs. Higurashi.

“I talked to the others about Ayumi,” he said, his brow furrowing, his voice holding a mix of anger and uncertainty. “Miroku said that she would need to talk about what happened. The monk insisted that if she didn't it would hurt her.”

“He's right,” Mrs. Higurashi said with a nod. “But she won't. I've tried to get Ayumi to talk about what happened and she won't. It's as though she's afraid to talk about it.”

His eyes snapped to the ceiling again and he rose from the chair. “I'll take care of the girl. Get some sleep,” he told her, turning to leave the kitchen.

“Inuyasha,” her voice stopped him and he looked back at Mrs. Higurashi from where he stood in the doorway of the kitchen. “Take these,” she said and tossed him the pill bottle. “She should take at least one of them if she's awake. I know she was in a great deal of pain earlier tonight after dinner, but she wouldn't take it.”

His eyes narrowed fiercely on the plastic bottle he held in his hand and he jerked his head once in a curt nod before disappearing up the stairs.

:::::

She could hear his footsteps coming down, he was moving slowly, taking his time. She was hiding behind the boxes in the spare room. She knew he was upset, she was suppose to have gotten the downstairs cleaned and organized that afternoon, but her finals had ran longer than she had expected them too. She had only gotten home a few minutes before she heard his car had pulled into the driveway.

He called her name, his voice calm and quiet, dangerous. The last time he'd used that tone she had ended up with a broken arm. Covering her mouth to keep from crying out, her eyes grew wide when she remembered that Arisu was napping in the next room. Biting her fist, she wondered if she could sneak past him, work quickly and get the downstairs cleaned. Maybe he wouldn't hurt her if she started cleaning.

She couldn't stop the cry of surprise and pain that sounded from her when his hand fisted in her hair and yanked her to her feet. Keeping quiet, praying her sister would stay asleep and not see what was happening, she choked back a sob when he dragged her into the hall. He growled low, his words angry and dark, commanding her to get downstairs and clean the living room seconds before he threw her toward the top landing of the staircase. There wasn't anytime to catch her balance before she went tumbling down the stairs.

Ayumi woke violently at the sensation of falling, her arms snapping to the sides before her eyes had fully opened, only to be stopped by a strong hold; the sound of a low soothing rumble telling her she was safe. Her eyes rose to meet Inuyasha's, widening and filling quickly with tears. She crumpled against his chest, letting him fold her in his arms and gripping the rough cloth of his haori in her hands as she cried. He rested his chin on her hair, holding her tightly, his golden eyes fierce and angry at the man who had hurt her and who still had the power to make her cry and cower in fear.

Gently leaning her back to sit against the headboard, he fumbled with the white cap and shook out one large white pill into his hand. Closing and tucking the bottle into the folds of his haori he handed her the half glass of water sitting on the nightstand as well as the pill, commanding her to take the medicine. She could see the equal amounts of anger and regret that burned brightly in his golden eyes, the growl that sounded from him reminding her of the one he had issued a little over two weeks ago when he had confronted her on the shrine grounds. Once he was satisfied that she had taken the medicine, he gathered her back into his arms, holding her against his chest as he growled low the sound soothing her back to sleep once more.

Moving the girl to sit in his lap before cradling her against his chest and standing, he carried her down the hall, tapping the door of Kagome's room with his foot. He waited for her to open the door, carrying Ayumi to Kagome's bed and laying her down. Sighing when tears filled Kagome's eyes at the sight of her friend's bruised face; he wrapped Kagome in his arms and nuzzled his chin against her hair, releasing a low rumble to comfort her. Telling her to get into bed, he waited silently for Kagome to lie down next to Ayumi; and pulled the blankets up to cover them both. Shaking his head at Kagome's questioning stare, he sat down on the floor beside the bed, holding Tetsusiaga against his chest, his arms folded inside the sleeves of his robe.

“Go to sleep, wench,” he said, his voice low. “That girl needs to not be alone.”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered his name, her fingers scratching lightly at the base of one ear. “It's moments like these that make me know, without any doubt, that you'll make a wonderful father some day.”

“Feh.” His cheeks pinked, his ears twitching at her words though he didn't turn to look at her. “Who'd willing take a hanyou as a mate?”

“I would,” the miko whispered, thinking her voice was too low for him to hear. “Goodnight, Inuyasha.”

“Go to sleep,” he grumbled, glad that his face was turned away from her lest she see the crimson blush staining his cheeks. He'd always thought that Kagome was too far out of his reach, that someone as pure as her would never want to be with a worthless hanyou like him, maybe that wasn't so true.

:::::

Kagome stood at her bedroom window looking out into the shrine grounds below and smiled. She had woken up early to find that her fingers were still touching his ears, the low rumble of absolute pleasure sounding from the sleeping hanyou. It was sheer curiosity that had compelled her to lean forward out of the bed and rub her cheek against the feather soft fur of his ears, the white triangles twitching against her face. He had woken up to the feel of her breath ruffling his hair, her warmth against the backs of his ears. A blush dusted her cheeks when she remembered how he had turned his face up to hers and kissed her cheek.

Turning to the side and watching with worried eyes as her friend sat on her bed, her face hidden behind the heavy book she was reading, Kagome's eyes darkened sadly at the sight of the bruise on the girl's face. Ayumi had barely eaten anything at breakfast, wincing a few times while chewing slowly. Inuyasha's eyes had snapped to the girl just after her second wince and Kagome remembered the gruffness of the command he had issued to Ayumi as he handed her a white pill. The way he protected her, Sango and even Miroku and Shippou had always made her smile, even though there were times that she wanted to scream at him for being too protective. Ayumi was just barely beginning to understand what it meant to be protected, wasn't she? Kagome shook her head, her eyes once more focusing on her silent friend and wondering once more why Ayumi had to suffer so much.

Turning back to the window, Kagome looked out over the shrine grounds, her eyes cast toward the well house as she waited anxiously for Inuyasha to return. He had made it absolutely clear that he would be going with Ayumi to her doctor's appointment today and while Kagome had half expected her friend to be embarrassed or maybe even angry at the proclamation, she had to admit her surprise when tears had filled Ayumi's eyes and she had whispered a soft and choked `thank you' to him instead. When her mother had informed him that they had a few hours until they had to leave, he had taken Kagome aside and informed her that he was going to go through the well and let the others know that they would be staying a few days on her side of the well. Moving to sit next to Ayumi, Kagome didn't see the flash of red that moved from the well house and into the boughs of the Goshinkobu.

“Ayumi,” Kagome waited until her friend turned her attention away from the book in her hands and looked at her. “Ayumi how often did he hurt you?” she asked keeping her voice soft in fear that the girl may run from the room.

Ayumi looked down at her lap and shook her head. She hated these questions. Why did Kagome and her mother seem so determined to know what had happened? Why did it matter? She didn't want to answer the question - any of the questions - regarding the abuse she had suffered. Her father wasn't a villain, but no one seemed to understand that. He had always been gentle with her and even more so with her sister, but one day…one day he just changed. He had changed before the car accident that had claimed her mother's life, but what difference did that make?

“Can we…c-c-can we not talk about this?” Ayumi asked looking down at her hands folded in her lap, wishing once more that none of the abuse had ever happened and praying for the ability to understand why it had.

“Sweetie, you need to talk about it,” Kagome insisted quietly, touching Ayumi's arm gently. “The nightmares will only get worse if you don't.”

Ayumi's head snapped to the side, her eyes flaring wide as she looked at Kagome in a mix of fear and shock. Shaking her head as she stood from the bed, the girl backed away toward the bedroom door, intending to leave the room only to gasp when her back hit the door, closing it with an almost bang. Turning abruptly and clawing at the doorknob, her hands shaking too badly to get a firm grip on the metal ball, she felt tears burn like acid behind her eyes.

“I-I I'm fine,” she choked out, finally turning the knob and pulling the door open. “I'm fine,” she said again as she fled the room and disappeared down the hall.

Kagome covered her eyes with her hand, holding back from running after her friend as she wanted to, knowing that following her would only do more harm then good. The familiar thump of Inuyasha landing inside her bedroom window comforted her and she turned her eyes to meet his. He was upset too, she could tell by the set of his jaw and the twitch of his ears and she knew then that he had heard the short conversation that had taken place moments before. Standing and tucking the large book back onto the bookshelf; she turned sad eyes on Inuyasha and shook her head.

“How do we help her, Inuyasha? What do we do?” She asked sadly, tears filling her eyes though she refused to let them fall.

Stepping forward and releasing a slow deep breath, he enfolded the miko into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest, her head tucked beneath his chin.

“I don't know. I asked that damned monk what to do…told him about her night terrors…” leaning down to nuzzle his cheek against hers, breathing in deeply of her familiar scent, he closed his eyes for a long moment before looking at the bedroom door that stood open. “Miroku said that it might be easier to get her to talk after a nightmare. He said that we have to get her to talk; we can't let her hide.”

“Kagome, Inuyasha,” Mrs. Higurashi appeared in the doorway. “It's time to leave.” She watched the embracing couple break apart with matching blushes and smiled at them. “Ayumi looked a little shaken up,” she said a worried frown erasing her smile. “She keeps reaching for and backing away from the door. I don't know if she'll be able to step outside on her own.”

Inuyasha snorted and moved past Kagome and her mother, walking down the stairs with his arms folded inside the sleeves of the fire rat clothing he wore. Halfway down he his ears twitched as he caught the soft curses that Ayumi directed at herself, a low angry growl sounding from him when he heard the girl call herself pathetic and worthless. She wasn't either one at all and is his opinion she had every reason to be afraid. Ears flattening, he had to bite back a snarl at the startled cry that sounded from her when he called her name, the girl spinning around, her back slamming against the front door, and her eyes wide with fear.

He could hear her heart pounding furiously, the scent of fear still tainting her and he hated it. Stepping forward, keeping his movements slow, he reached out for her not surprised in the least when she shot forward and sought the refuge of his arms. He really wasn't very good at offering comfort, and he knew that he wasn't good at all with words, but he could offer her safety. Seeing Kagome stop beside him, he listened as she offered the words of comfort that he could not and took pride in the knowledge that she chose to be with him. Patting Ayumi's back as he released his hold and stood back from the girl, Inuyasha walked with the three women out to the waiting car.

:::::

The closer they got to the hospital, the more nervous Ayumi became. By the time, Mrs. Higurashi parked the car, the girl was fairly shaking. Keeping her between himself and Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi leading the way, they walked into the building. Inuyasha grimaced at the too strong scents of cleaners, illness and blood that permeated the air. Covering his face with the sleeve of his kimono as he adjusted to the disdainful smells, his brows furrowed in irritation at the feel of the baseball cap that hid his ears. Dropping his arm and scowling at the nurse that ushered Ayumi down the hallway, he left Kagome and her mother in the waiting area as he followed Ayumi, ignoring the protests of the medial staff.

“She asked me to be here, so I'm here, deal with it,” he growled angrily.

He couldn't stop the low growl that sounded from him when the doctor pressed his fingers against Ayumi's bruised cheek drawing a pained whimper from the girl.

“Does it still hurt to eat?” the doctor asked as he jotted down notes on the chart.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly.

“Have you been taking the pain medicine I prescribed for you?” he asked regarding her with a neutral expression.

“You mean these?” Inuyasha asked taking the nearly full bottle from inside the folds of his clothing. “She won't take them unless we make her.”

The doctor took the bottle and opened it, frowning as he replaced the cap and handed it back to Inuyasha. Training his eyes on the girl, he shook his head.

“Ayumi, I prescribed you that medicine with the intent for you to take it. It will help with the pain and allow you to eat and sleep somewhat normally. The instructions are clear: take one every four hours for pain or as needed. The pain of a broken bone, especially one in your face, is not something to be ignored.” Moving to the small dorm room fridge in the corner of the room, he retrieved a small can of orange juice and nodded to Inuyasha. “Here,” he said handing the can to the girl as Inuyasha handed her a pill, “take that.”

“I don't want to become dependant on these,” she said after swallowing the pill.

“That won't happen. Now, I had a few questions regarding your X-rays, before we take the other ones today. I wanted to know how long ago it was that you broke your jaw.”

Her eyes snapped up, the sudden spike of fear in her scent causing Inuyasha to react with an instinctive warning growl. The growl cut off a short moment later when the doctor's question registered in the hanyou's mind and his attention turned to Ayumi.

“That bastard broke your jaw?” he all but snarled.

“I didn't know it was broken,” she said, her hands gripping the sides of the exam bed tightly. “It just hurt really bad for a long time.”

The doctor nodded, doing his best to ignore the animalistic sounds coming from the white haired boy sitting behind him.

“The x-ray showed a hairline fracture, so although your jaw was broken, it wouldn't have required setting of the bone.” Frowning curiously, he turned to Inuyasha. “I take it you know who did this.”

“I-it was my…my…”

“Her father beat her,” Inuyasha growled, saying the words that Ayumi didn't seem able to.

:::::

Inuyasha looked down at the girl sleeping against his arm as he kept up the low soothing growl that had eased her into the light slumber. Being careful not to wake her, he moved slowly, carefully as he got out of the car and carried Ayumi up to the house. The doctor had said that her cheekbone wasn't healing as fast as he would like to see, but that it was healing. Laying her down in her borrowed bed, he removed her shoes and socks before tucking the blankets around her and leaving the room. The doctor had insisted on doing a `full skeletal x-ray' stating that it had been ordered by the authorities. The man had been surprised when Inuyasha had sent Ayumi out to sit with Kagome and her mother but had refused to leave the doctor until he had gotten answers on what the odd pictures showed.

The doctor had stood with him inside a room that was surrounded by strange lighted banners hung on the walls and had put up x-ray after x-ray along one of the lighted rows. It was a strange thing to see someone's bones and Inuyasha had stayed silent as the healer had pointed to picture after picture and listed off what he could see. At some point, Ayumi's left arm had been broken; the doctor had told him that from the white lines - the healed fractures - that her arm had been twisted behind her back until the bone had snapped. He had also shown Inuyasha the hairline fractures, breaks he said that didn't need setting, that were scattered across her ribs, her right shoulder, hips and legs.

The man had asked Inuyasha if he had been the one assigned to her case. Not knowing how to answer that particular question, he had simply nodded and left, feeling the need to break something, preferably the girl's father. Kagome's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked at the girl who had become a necessary part of his life. The need to hold her, to reassure himself that Kagome was alright and unharmed was stronger than he was able to control. Following her into her room, he shut the door and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and burying his face into the curve of her neck.

Kagome didn't say anything, knowing that words had no place in that moment as she stroked his hair and rubbed his back. He leaned back from her and she looked up, he looked so uncertain as he stared at her that it broke her heart. Rising up on her toes, she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. Turning his head, Inuyasha captured her lips instead, groaning as a slow burn heated his chest and settled low in his stomach. Kagome whimpered, her hands tightening around fistfuls of his hair and clothing as she kissed him back, the feel of him nibbling her bottom lip making her lightheaded.

Breaking the passionate kiss and tucking Kagome against his chest, resting his chin on her hair, he held her. He knew that it wasn't the time or place for anything more than just a kiss, but the promise of more comforted him.

“Are you hungry?” Kagome asked him, content to let him hold her as long he wanted.

“Feh. Ramen?” he requested and Kagome giggled.

:::::

“Inuyasha,” Kagome mused as she slowly pulled her brush through her hair, “I was thinking…”

“That can be dangerous,” he snorted and watched as she shook her brush at him, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“Do you remember when I had that nightmare, the one about Naraku?” she asked, her voice somber.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed as he stepped away from the window he'd been leaning against and settled behind her on the bed. Taking the brush from her hand, he methodically pulled it through her thick locks and wondered why it was that the simple task comforted him so. He remembered the nightmare she was talking about alright. He could still smell the overwhelming scent of her fear and tears from that night, could still hear her pained whimpers.

“When I woke up, I was so scared, but you were right there. You took me up into the tree, remember?” Turning just enough to look into his eyes, she let him pull her back against his chest, his arms encircling her waist. “I felt so safe with you holding me like that. You were so gentle with me, so patient…I was thinking, maybe if you did that for Ayumi, talked to her in the tree…maybe that might help her. Maybe she'd feel safer to talk about the abuse.”

His breath ruffled her bangs; the feel of his heartbeat against her back soothed her. Staying silent as he watched her twine her fingers with his, Inuyasha considered what she'd said. He doubted that it would be as simple as all that. Something about the way the girl shied away from talking about it bothered him, he just couldn't quite figure out why. Leaning her up to sit away from him, Inuyasha worked the ties of his haori, removing the fire rat robe and holding it out for Kagome, the girl smiling softly before taking it and going to change. When had she grown so used to wearing his fire rat robe as sleeping clothes, and when had he started freely offering it to be used as such? He couldn't remember exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way the act, the exchange of clothing, had become second nature.

He couldn't hide the turn of his lips, the soft smile when she came back in wearing nothing but his robe. Watching her drop the clothes she'd been wearing into the hamper he saw her bra was one of the garments she'd taken off and nearly groaned aloud. Her breasts were bare against his clothing? No wonder her scent was always so strong on it in the mornings when she handed him back the article of clothing. Closing his eyes as she walked toward him, he wondered what it would be like to taste those delicate mounds of flesh, to touch them. Her hand in the center of his chest pushed him back to lie against her pillows as she crawled up the bed and settled against his side. Wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her closer as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder, Inuyasha dragged the blankets up over their bodies and kissed her hair.

“Goodnight, Inuyasha.”

“Feh. Go to sleep, wench.”

:::::

“Ayumi, you can't! It's not safe!”

Inuyasha was woken by the sound of Mrs. Higurashi's voice calling frantically to the girl outside. Blinking against the bright morning light, he eased himself away from Kagome and stepped to the open window. The scene in the grounds below drew an angry growl from the hanyou and he leapt out the window. Alighting in the tree before jumping overhead of the females and landing behind Ayumi near the top of the stone staircase, he stood with his feet spread shoulder width apart, his arms crossed inside the sleeves of his haori.

“Mind tellin' me what the fuck's going on?” he growled, one eyebrow cocked and the expression on his face fierce, making it clear that he was not to be messed with.

Ayumi looked between Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi feeling the world closing in around her, the already overwhelming sense of hopelessness growing stronger every moment. Putting a hand to her forehead and whimpering as she struggled to find some kind of footing in the madness that the morning had become.

“Oi!” Inuyasha snapped when neither one seemed willing to speak. “Someone tell me what the hell's going on!”

“Arisu…” Ayumi panted as she fought against the rising tide of emotions too confusing for her to make sense of. “Arisu was up before me this morning, she answered the phone.”

Shaking his head when nothing more came from the girl, he growled in frustration. “And?”

Mrs. Higurashi looked at Ayumi, her expression stating that she didn't know anything more than Inuyasha did. The girl shook her head in abject frustration, wanting so badly to explain to them why she had to leave but unable to find the words to do so.

“I have to go!” she exclaimed, turning toward the stairs only to be stopped by Inuyasha blocking her path.

“Not until you tell me what's going on.” His golden eyes dared her to defy him.

Why couldn't they just let her go? Face contorting in misery, Ayumi looked up at the sky and blinked back tears before looking at Inuyasha.

“When I went into the kitchen, Arisu was on the phone. She didn't…she wouldn't tell me who was on the phone. She was so excited, so happy and then…she dropped the phone on the counter and ran outside, but the other person…” Why did she feel like time was running out? “I picked up the phone…He was on the other end. He was telling Arisu that he couldn't wait to see her. When I came outside she was gone! I ran back in to get dressed and now…”

Mrs. Higurashi watched as Inuyasha made was finally able to make sense of Ayumi's frantic words, the change in his demeanor was somehow slow and immediate at the same time. His white ears folded back almost flat against his head, his lips curling up in a snarl as his fangs glinted dangerously in the early morning light. His golden eyes, eyes that she knew, eyes that protected her daughter and cared for her family bled crimson, his pupils turning teal as twin jagged streaks of purple appeared on his cheeks. His claws lengthened and the low almost quiet snarling escalated into a dangerous thunderous growl full of rage.

He was gone in the blink of an eye, neither woman seeing where he went. Inuyasha could feel his blood thrumming madly through his veins, he could hear the growling that refused to be quieted, his youkai blood taking over as it shouted at him, screamed at him to protect the pup. `Mate. Need mate' his youkai spoke brokenly, the words and thoughts barely more than instinct and emotion. Kagome was still asleep when he entered her bedroom and snatched her up in his arms, her confused and sleep heavy eyes blinking wide when she saw that he had transformed. Something about him was different this time though. He was enraged, but he was also controlled.

His youkai's free, but he's in control, she thought, catching hold of his shoulders and squeezing her legs around his hips when he bounded through the house and grabbed up Arisu's sleeping gown.

Inuyasha breathed deeply of the child's scent, tucking the garment into his white under kimono as he sped out of the house and down to the streets below the shrine faster than her mind could comprehend. She could feel the trembling muscles, the enraged energy that pushed him to go faster. He didn't tell her what had happened, didn't seem able to form words, but she never needed his words did she? Over time she had come to understand his language, the language of the inu. She knew that the way he was growling, the timbre of it, meant danger. Someone he protected, someone he considered his was in danger.

Myouga's voice sounded in her mind, a memory of something that he had told her almost a year ago when Inuyasha had transformed when trying to rescue her. “An inuyoukai is the fiercest and most loyal of all the youkai. There are two things, Lady Kagome that can send an inu into immediate and terrifying rage: harm brought to their mate or harm brought to their pup - be the child blood or adopted.” Kagome's eyes flared wide and she cast her aura out searching for the danger that had set him off. She understood now, Arisu was in danger.

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Arisu clapped her hands, bouncing in the front passenger seat of the sedan as her father drove down the street. She was so excited! It had been so long since she had seen her father and Ayumi still wouldn't tell her why they were separated from him. Kicking her short legs as she watched the city pass them by, the buildings and houses giving way to forests and trees, Arisu looked up at her father. He always talked in the car, why wasn't he talking now?

“Papa?” the child frowned when he didn't reply to her. “Papa where are we going?”

Her father looked down at her, meeting her eyes without turning his head. He looked so strange. Why did he look angry? Her Papa never got angry. Why wouldn't he talk to her? She didn't understand what was going on and the longer they drove the worse the bad feeling got. Her chin trembled, her bottom lip quivering as tears came to her eyes.

“I want to go home, Papa. Please, let's go home.”

He didn't blink, didn't look away from the road in front of him, didn't speak a single word as his arm shot out. Arisu felt the sudden sting in her cheek, the instant pain and fear that came with it, but she didn't understand. She hadn't seen him move. Did he hit her? Did he mean to hit her? Maybe it was just a bug, the child's mind fought to understand what had happened. Was he trying to protect her from a bug? That had to be it; her Papa wouldn't hit her for no reason. He wouldn't be mean to her.

Her tiny hand cupped her red cheek, her fingers fluttering against the abused flesh a confused frown marring her brow. Remaining silent as she stared out the window, Arisu watched as everything slipped away and nothing familiar was left. She wanted her oneesan, her big sister. She didn't want to be here anymore. Her Papa was scaring her. Why was he acting this way? What was wrong with him? Silent tears coursed down her cheeks as she curled as close against the car door as she could.

Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing when she saw a flash of white and red in the mirror outside her door. Shaking her head and closing her eyes, she swore that she could feel something reach out to her, invisible arms wrapping around her a bodiless voice speaking in her mind telling her she was safe. Opening her eyes as the calm settled over her, she heard the furious snarl before she saw Inuyasha's face in the side mirror.

`Arisu, I don't know if this will work, if you can hear me, I need to think really hard, to try to respond to me. If you can hear me, talk to me.'

That was Kagome's voice in her head! How was Kagome talking to her in her mind?

`I don't really know how it works either, Sweetie. My friends Miroku and Kaede told me about it once, I don't understand it all myself. But I'm really glad it works.'

`I'm scared,' Arisu thought. `My face hurts.'

`Why does your face hurt?... Arisu? Arisu answer me.'

The child whimpered, cried out and looked down at her arm where her father's hand was squeezing her wrist in a punishing grip.

“Pay attention when I talk to you, girl!” her father snapped. “Stop whimpering, you're not a dog.”

“Please, Papa. It hurts, let me go. Let me go!”

`Arisu! Answer me!' Kagome's voice called to her again, demanding her attention.

`Papa's hurting me!'

:::::

“Inuyasha, hurry!” Kagome shouted from her place on his back, holding tightly to his shoulders as he moved faster than she could ever remember. “Arisu said she's hurt!”

His youkai pulsed stronger, the colors around him blending into varying shades of red. He could feel his muscles protesting the overexertion, his youkai fighting harder as he held tighter to the last vestiges of his control. He wouldn't become some mindless beat, he refused to frighten the pup or put her in any more danger than she already was. He pushed himself faster, one more leap…

A dull thud reverberated through the car from the roof, startling the man driving even as it was able to offer a strange sense of calm to the child cowering against the door. The car jerked to the side, swerved back and forth, the sound of claws ripping through metal grating on the ears of those inside. His youkai commanded him, drove him on as he held fast to the car while ripping and bending the metal beneath his hands. His fury gave him strength, the pulse of his youki swirled around Kagome's miko aura as his love lent him her strength and the combined energies seemed to slow time, making his movements more controlled, his balance unhindered as the man fought for control of the vehicle while trying to throw off the hanyou on the roof.

Reaching down inside the vehicle through the gaping hole he'd created in the roof, Inuyasha sliced Arisu's seatbelt with one swipe of his deadly claws and snatched her out of the seat. He was careful even as his movements were too fast for a human to comprehend. One moment Arisu was fastened in the front passenger seat, the next she was held in Inuyasha's arms as he sprang from the roof of the car and alighted in the thick boughs of a nearby tree.

He kept the child tucked against his chest, wrapped safely in his arms, Kagome sliding down his back to stand on the branch beneath them as he watched the car swerve, spin and finally roll through a metal barrier as it careened off the edge of the high pass leading through the wilderness. An unnerving, two toned squeaking drew his attention to a sign hanging by a single chain and his eyes fixed on the bold characters - the warning: `Dead Man's Bend. Blind Curve, steep cliff. Drive with caution.'

Closing his crimson eyes and breathing in deeply, the scents of Kagome and Arisu surrounded him, subdued his youkai blood and the jagged streaks disappeared from his face. His claws returned to their normal length, his fangs shortening and when he blinked, his eyes were once more a warm, glittering gold. The gentle tugging on his under kimono drew his attention and he looked down at the child held cradled in his arms. His brows drew together in regret, a sad whine pulling from deep within as he lifted her close and nuzzled her uninjured cheek.

“I'm sorry, pup,” he said to her, his voice choked with sadness and regret.

Her chin trembled, crystalline droplets falling upon her cheeks as she hugged him about his neck. “I just wanted to see my papa.” She sniffled and looked over his shoulder when she felt her hair tucked behind her ear. “That wasn't my Papa,” she told Kagome. “That was a monster. What happened to my Papa?”

“I don't know, Little One,” Kagome told the child, “I don't know why he was the way he was, or why he hurt you, but you're safe now.”

“Inuyasha saved me,” Arisu looked up into his golden eyes. “You saved Arisu.”

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Two days later, Inuyasha, Kagome, Ayumi and Arisu sat in a circle on the ground under the shade of the Goshinkobu, the light of the moon shining down through the canopy of leaves. They had been talking for hours, Ayumi promising Arisu that what their father had done, the injuries he had caused the child, were not her fault. At one point during the conversation, as Ayumi had talked through her own abuse in efforts only to assuage her younger sister of any misguided guilt for their father's abuse, Arisu had moved to sit in Inuyasha's lap.

The child was cintent simply to be held in his arms, taking comfort from his strength, his presence as she curled against his stomach, her cheek resting low against his chest. Kagome had held strong, the tears that had come into her eyes as Ayumi relived the stories of her abuse, her suffering at her father's hands, coursed silently down her cheeks. She cried for her friend, for what the teen had had to endure, for the innocence she had lost to the senseless violence of her father.

As the sky darkened, light blues giving way to soot black skies as the full moon climbed higher, Inuyasha stood with Arisu sleeping in the cradle of his arms. He led the girls back inside the house, surprised and grateful at the sight that greeted them as they passed through the living room. Mrs. Higurashi had pushed back the couch and spread three spare futon mattresses on the floor, blankets and pillows piled on top to make one large plush bed.

Waiting quietly as Kagome pulled back the top two blankets, Inuyasha settled down in the middle, laying back with Arisu curled on his chest. Holding the child in place with one arm, he handed Kagome Tetsusaiga with the other hand and followed her with his eyes as she leaned the ancient sword against the couch. Kagome and Ayumi disappeared upstairs to change and brush their teeth and he took the time to study the bruises on the tiny child's left arm. He knew they would fade and that the injury really wasn't as bad as it looked, but in seeing her injury he felt that he had failed her. She was a pup. A pup that he had taken into his pack and a female pup that he had sworn to protect. Her little voice called out to him, mumbled softly against his fire rate robe and his ears bent forward to catch her words.

“I wish you were my Papa,” Arisu whispered, her hand, buried inside the fire rate robe, clutching the cloth of his white under kimono. “Inuyasha…good Papa.”

“Only through the heart of a child.”

He looked up, startled at Kagome's softly spoken words. How had he missed her and Ayumi rejoining them? Kagome lifted the blankets and settled in beside Inuyasha, curling against his left side and pillowing her cheek on his shoulder. Golden eyes looked up at Ayumi, the girl kneeling next to the bedding and looking uncertain. Snorting at the thought of being used as one giant pillow, he found himself both oddly amused and humbled. Lifting an arm in invitation, he waited as Ayumi slowly settled in against his right side and pillowed her cheek on his shoulder.

“You're safe here, Ayumi. Both you and the pup, you're safe.” He promised her, his brow furrowing when she smelled the salt of her tears. “Why are you crying?” he asked, Kagome silent against his side as she let Inuyasha take care of her friend.

“Because,” she sniffled; “in almost eight years, you're the only one who's ever made me feel safe. I'd almost forgotten what that felt like… Thank you.”

He didn't have the words to answer her, instead tightening his arm around her in a pseudo hug and nuzzled his cheek against her hair. The feel of warm lips against his other cheek drew his attention to Kagome and he questioned her silently with his eyes.

“You are the strongest, kindest, most honorable person I have ever met. You make me proud to be with you.” Her words were whispered, too low for Ayumi to hear, but his sharp ears caught every word and his golden eyes widened as a light blush stole across his cheeks. “I love you.”

His heart constricted in his chest, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at Kagome. She'd freed him from Kikyou's arrow, and then she'd freed him again when she taught him what love truly was. She love him, him and he would do whatever it took every day to show her just how much he loved her. Pinned down by the three females as he was, he couldn't kiss Kagome as he wanted to, but he knew the moment she understood by the look in her eyes. It was strange how words had become almost unnecessary between them.

`Mate…Kagome, mate.' His youkai blood spoke to him, his ears twitching at the sound of the voice that only he could hear. `Pack female, pup. Protect pack.'

Inuyasha looked down at Ayumi and then at Arisu, both fast asleep tucked against him. Never in a million years would he have ever thought he'd find himself in a situation like this. How had this happened? How had he gained a family both in his own time and here in Kagome's? His golden eyes looked to Kagome, finding that she had fallen asleep as well and he rolled his eyes up slowly to stare at the ceiling.

“You will always be welcome wherever we are, Inuyasha. You are part of our family.” Mrs. Higurashi's words whispered through his mind as suspect moisture clouded his gaze. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat as tears stung his nose. Was this what it felt like to truly be accepted, to be loved? How was it that this feeling - this emotion that both shattered and healed him - made him feel stronger than any shard of the Shikon no Tama ever had? Blinking in the darkness, his eyes growing heavy as sleep closed in around him, he heard Kagome's gentle voice as she talked in her sleep.

“Someday, Inuyasha, you'll be a wonderful father.”

A small smile curved his lips and he hugged Kagome tight against his side. “Only with you, Kagome. I only want pups with you.”

Kagome's words from weeks past whispered through his mind and he tightened his arms around both the girls he held, a single tear slipping from the corner of his eye to dampen the hair at his temple.

`Inuyasha protects.'

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