InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Deep Wounds ❯ A New Beginning ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten: A New Beginning

 

“Are you all right kiddo?” InuYasha asked once they managed to get going on the highway. Kagome sat up and turned around to see the boy slowly beginning to sink down in exhaustion.

 

“Uh huh.” Shippo replied wearily with a little nod of his head before he buried his face against the seat. Kagome sighed lightly before looking over at the driver. InuYasha glanced over at her and gave a feeble smile, then turned his attention back to the road ahead. Kagome sighed and looked down at Shippo, who had just fallen asleep again.

 

Without a word, she carefully climbed into the back and rummaged through the mass of boxes until she found her bag, which she pulled up close to her. She unzipped the main compartment and shuffled things around until she was able to get her blanket out. She zipped it up and gently rearranged the sleeping child so that he was wrapped snuggly in the blanket.

 

After that she made her way back up to the front and scooted over towards InuYasha again. He took his hand of the clutch and took hers with it, entwining his fingers with hers. She set her head on his shoulder once again and watched numbly as headlights streaked passed and the lights from small buildings along the road blinded her momentarily. She shut her eyes briefly, but was soon asleep. However, she wasn't out for long.

 

“Kagome.” called InuYasha's voice softly, waking her. Her eyes opened slowly and she could feel the car beginning to slow down as he stopped in at an abandoned rest stop, carefully making sure to avoid the video cameras positioned around the area. She lifted her head looked at the clock, noticing that she'd only been asleep for about twenty minutes.

 

“What is it?” she asked, concerned that there might be something wrong.

 

“Nothing, we just need to stop for a minute so I can look at a map and a travel book to find out where to go next. Also, I want to find the closest gas station, I'm so tired I can barely read the road signs.” he told her as he parallel parked between a couple of tall shrubs at the edge of the parking lot. It was a shadowed spot and wasn't even visible until he'd gotten quite close.

 

From there he got out and extended a hand to her as she slid across the seat to join him. He lifted the seat with ease as he'd done before and grabbed out a flashlight at the far end, which he had to smack against his hand a few times before it turned on. He handed the light to Kagome to hold while he searched through his pile of stuff. He found what he needed a few moments later and closed the seat back up. He set everything down on the seat next to him before taking the light back from her.

 

“Wait here.” he told her as he went around to the back of the vehicle and got a hoodies out of one of the boxes, finally turning off the flashlight and putting it in one his pajama pockets. He slipped it on and tied his hair back before pulling the hood up around his face and walking over to one of the vending machines. While he was there, Kagome looked over what he had gotten out. There was one large travel book that listed the best things for different states across the country, a neatly folded map of some state, and a box similar to the one that the car key had been hidden in-only this one was bigger.

 

“Back.” InuYasha said as he pushed the things aside and slid into the seat. He reached into the hoodies pocket and pulled out a couple of bottles of coca-cola, before handing one to her. “Here.”

 

“Thank you.” she said quietly, watching him as he opened his bottle and took a large gulp before replacing the cap and setting it in the cup holder. “Where are we going to go?”

 

He paused a moment and smiled sweetly at her. “I'm not sure yet, but that's what all the stuff on the seat is for.”

 

“Oh.” she mouthed silently as he began to spread the map out. She silently observed him, opening her own bottle of pop and taking a refreshing drink. InuYasha had now pulled out the flashlight and, keeping the light down, scanned the map, alternating between it and the travel book. She took another sip of pop, but the caffeine did nothing to keep her awake. So, she closed the bottle tight and set it down next to his, leaning her head against the door and closing her eyes briefly. However, she was quite tired from the earlier predicament, and couldn't keep them open any longer.

 

---10:46 AM---

 

Kagome rolled over in her sleep and fell over with a thump, which woke her abruptly. InuYasha snickered lightly at her and she gave him a gentle punch in the arm. She could also hear the sounds of a small child trying to suppress his giggles. She stretched out and looked around, seeing that they were still driving, but were on a city street instead of the highway.

 

“Morning sunshine.” InuYasha said with a yawn as he slowed and pulled into the parking lot of a McDonalds. He pulled the car into an empty space in the small lot and shut of the engine before leaning over and hugging her lightly.

 

“Where are we?” she asked, stretching out and looking around. She had been asleep for quite a while, and assumed they must have gotten pretty far if InuYasha had been driving the entire night. She looked over at him. His lack of sleep was clearly showing in the early morning light.

 

His eyes were drooping and she could see the faint darkened circles below them. He yawned almost constantly and slumped over the wheel, his head sinking then rising again when he caught himself dozing off. She smiled at how cute it was, but felt bad that he hadn't gotten any sleep that night. She returned his hug and watched as he too stretched out wide.

 

“Michigan, I think.” he replied, looking around as if something outside would tell him if he was correct or not. “I stopped paying attention the road signs four hours ago.”

 

“Ah, I see.” she said in response. “Then we are pretty far from home.”

 

“Yep.” he said wearily.

 

“Good.” she said, smiling. She realized now that she was far away from her wretched step-mother and annoying half-brother. She'd never have to go back there and put up with them again. She was with someone who actually cared, and that made her world seem so hopeful.

 

“Well, lets get something to eat and get out of our pajamas.” he said, opening the car door and hopping out. Kagome followed in suit, helping Shippo out through the front first. It was a nippy morning and she could faintly see her breath in the air. InuYasha shut his door and went around back, pulling out clothes for himself and Shippo, and then pulling her bag up so it was reachable.

 

She found herself some clothes and they all tromped across the parking lot and into the comfort of the heated building. Kagome found a table and InuYasha went up and got them breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy, just a few Egg McMuffins, hash browns, and orange juice in soda cups, but it was enough to remind her how hungry she was. They ate quietly, getting a few awkward stares from the other restaurant patrons, but otherwise sat in a secluded booth in the back of the building near the bathrooms.

 

When they had finished, Kagome took the trash and threw it away. Then, all three made their way into the bathrooms to change before they had to be on their way again. She washed up as best she could, then put on a simple pair of black wide-legged jeans, a long-sleeved black top with a pink fairy on it, and a large plain black hoodies to wear over it. When she was done dressing, she went over to the mirror and realized why they had been such a sight. Her hair was a frizzy mess. So, she pulled it out of the ponytail she'd kept it in the night before and ran her fingers through her long raven locks to smooth it out before she tied it back up.

 

“So, where to now?” she asked InuYasha as she approached the table where he and Shippo were sitting and waiting for her.

 

“Not sure.” he replied. “This place seems nice enough to me. There might be an apartment or house for rent around here somewhere. I've got enough cash for a first and last months rent of a decent place.”

 

“Well, then we're set for now.” she said with a grin.

 

“Come on. Let's get going.” InuYasha said dimly as he stood up and made his way towards the door. Once again they got into the station wagon and drove off down the road.

 

---Several Hours Later---

 

The group had spent the better part of the day driving up and down the streets and checking the prices for local apartments and rental homes. A lot were overpriced or to unfit for living. They found only one good place.

 

It was a small one story house with two bedrooms, a small bathroom, a basement and a room made in the attic. The house already had some basic furniture that had been left behind by previous renters. It was a nice place and was cozy. However, the monthly payments were more than InuYasha could manage to make working on his own and he still needed to go to school.

 

It was decided upon that Kagome would have to find herself a job as well if they were going to stay. So they called up the owner, an elderly woman, from a payphone and she gladly accepted them as renters. They all met at the house, and while she was a little surprised by how young they were, had them sign the contract. So now they had a home and could relax for a little while until they had to stress on the other large tasks at hand.