InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Scars That Won't Fade ❯ Forgive Me ( Chapter 7 )

Yay! Another chapter! ^^

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Now, the next chappie! =D

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Scars That Won't Fade

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Chapter 7: Forgive Me

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A few months had passed, and Kagome's leg had slowly made it's way down the path of recovery. About two weeks ago, she had been able to apply some pressure on it, and now she was walking, limping slightly, but walking all the same. All that remained of the memory, was a small oval shaped scar on her right calf.

She sat on the same rock she had with InuYasha weeks ago, her legs dangling aimlessly into the cool waters below. Mid summer was approaching, and the temperature had begun to rise dramatically. She had been forced to borrow some clothes from Kaede and the village women, since she hadn't been back to get fresh ones. She missed her home, true enough, but she didn't miss the sense of insecurity and vulnerability that now smothered it like a dark veil.

She heard footsteps behind her, and turned to see InuYasha standing amidst the trees, smiling slightly. She beamed, as she turned and jogged lightly to him, before walking with him side by side to the village, as beams of summer light shone through the foliage around them in heavenly rays.

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Stepping over a log, Kagome found herself deep in thought. She needed to go back soon, whether she liked it or not. But it had to be done. She needed to let her mother that she would be staying here until her father left, or at least she could steadily avoid him. InuYasha had already assured her numerous times that her staying here from large amounts of time would be no problem. Since they had taken the past month and a bit off due to her injury, their relationship had blossomed. Walking through the forest, playing, talking. She felt that she was closer to him now than ever, every time she was with him her heart pounded, yet she didn't find it awkward. She loved every moment she spent with him.

Returning to the problem at hand, she decided she better bring up the subject now while they still had some privacy away from the rest of the group.

"I think I should return to my time quickly. It's been awhile, and I'm sure that my mother is worrying...I won't stay long, believe me, I'll come back quickly. If...that's alright with you guys I mean, I feel such a nuinsance." She smiled lightly and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"I already told you, you're welcome here for as long as you want. And it's kind of...nice...to have you around."

She blinked and turned her head to view him. His face was slightly pink, and she smiled. Looping her arm around his, she rested her head on his shoulder, as he drifted closer to her. She didn't speak, neither did he, both afraid words would ruin the serene peace of the moment, as they continued towards the village.

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Throwing numerous things that were still valuable and still functioned into her torn up bag, she glanced around the small room they had built onto Kaede's hut. Since she had planned on staying longer, the guys and occasionally Sango, had torn down a space in one of Kaede's walls, and added on another room for her to call her own. They had also, with Kaede's permission, added another room opposite hers for Miroku and Sango, as well as Kilala. Shippo slept with her in her room, as did InuYasha occasionally, more often than not, for which she was grateful for. When he was with her, she felt safe, as she had realized a while ago.

Deciding that she had packed everything she needed, she slung the now lighter bag over her shoulder and walked through her door to the main room. Waving and smiling to each of them, bidding her goodbyes promising to return soon, she exited and found InuYasha leaning against the side of the hut. His ears swiveled at the sound of her prescence, and he pushed off using his body, his arms remaining crossed, as she smiled. They set off towards the well, as Kagome found an increasing amount of nervousness settle in her stomach.

As the old well came into view in the small clearing, she turned and stood infront of InuYasha. Smiling her thanks, she turned to walk to the well, when she heard him follow. Stopping, she turned around and sighed, knowing that this would have to happen.

"I think I need to go alone this time," she said, as she saw his mouth drop in disbelief.

"No way! You're not going alone, we already had this conversation! I'm never leaving your side again!" He blushed slightly, as the last words escaped his mouth. She smiled beautifully, as he fumbled for words. She raised a hand for silence, and he gave up.

"I remember his schedule, and if I remember correctly..." she trailed off, checking her watch for the date and time, "today is Thursday. Which means that he won't be home from work until around five, and seeing as it is only noon now, there shouldn't be much of a problem. And besides, mom is home alone on Fridays, Sota's at school, and jii-chan goes to a community centre to socialize."

He opened his mouth to protest, but shut it, his ears drooping slightly. She beamed at him, as he reluctantly agreed. She clasped her hands behind her back as she continued.

"And don't come back for me either, if I'm late. For all I know, he could be gone by now. I mean, it has been over a month. I promise, that if anything goes wrong, I'll return, ok?"

He nodded, and she smiled once more.

"Oh, and InuYasha?" he turned his head to face her, as she smiled at him.

"Thank you for everything." Leaning up to his height on her toes, she gently kissed his cheek. She pulled away, as he blushed, her as well, but only slightly. Turning, she waved goodbye, as she crossed the distance between her and the well, jumping in into the future.

InuYasha stood in the clearing as his heart raced. His hand slowly went up to his cheek as he touched it softly, a small smile lighting up his face.

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Kagome pulled herself out of the well. Carefully checking her surroundings, she once more crossed the path between the wellhouse and the main house. Opening the door, she check for any signs of his prescence, shoes, coats, etc. Seeing none, she breathed out silently, as she entered the kitchen where her mother sat. Her head was lowered, as a cup of apparantly cold coffee was cradled in her shaking hands.

Dropping her bag with a muffled landing, she walked over to her and gently placed her hand on her arm. Her mother's head shot up, as her eyes opened wide. Jumping out of her chair, she grabbed her daughter in a fierce embrace. Kagome felt tears come to her eyes, as she lowered her head onto her mother's shoulder. Her mother weapt into her shirt, as she held her close. She had truly missed this place, her home. And although she couldn't deny it was good to be back, she knew, and felt, that she had to be elsewhere.

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Standing at the counter, Ms. Higurashi put the coffee maker on. She sighed and placed her hands on the counter, leaning all her weight onto them, making her shoulder blades roll forward.

"Why were you gone for so long, Kagome? Why did you leave?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, but Kagome heard her loud and clear. Swallowing, she let out a breath before responding.

"I needed to get out. You and I both know what will happen if he continues to stay here. He's a danger to us all, and as long as he stays, I won't."

Her mother slumped forward, before turning and fixing her with a cold glare.

"He loves us all, and that's all he can do. It's not his fault that he can't control his temper, he tries his best!"

"That's a lie and you know it! He's abusive, he's dangerous, and he sure as hell doesn't care for us as much as he's convinced you he does!"

Her mother blanched, as her head lowered slightly.

"What do you expect me to do? I don't have the power to kick him out, he's your father. He owns this house as much as I do, and he's still related to you."

"To my great dismay," she snapped, as her mother closed her eyes and sighed. The coffee pot beeped, signalling it had steeped long enough. She turned and began fixing the mugs, pulling down jars of sugar and cream. She poured the hot liquid into two cups, as she began to stir it slightly, picking up the cream.

Kagome sighed. "Look, we both know that he needs to leave. If he doesn't, who knows what kind of hell he'll put us through. It may be late for me," she said icily, to which her mother froze momentarily, before resuming stirring the cream into the tea, "but do you really want to sit by and watch it happen to Sota? Is that really what you want?!"

Her mother slammed her hands down on the counter, turning to face her. "No, that's not what I want! I don't want any of this! There are times when I wish I had never met your father, and that he had just died or gone off some where with yet another woman! I despise him, yes, but I also love him Kagome! The one who's deep inside, past the cold and cruel barriers! As soon as you see the true him, you'll understand as well."

"I'm not going to stay long enough to see the true him! I'm not sure if you understand, mother, but keeping me here by force is condemning me to my own death. I'm going to stay in the past for as long as it takes. There are people there who care for me! And I'm not going to give that up because you believe that after ten years, that man I regrettedly know as my father will change."

Her mother stood at the counter, as she seemingly calmly added spoonfuls of sugar. Her front hidden to her daughter, she slipped a small vial from her sleeve, as she unscrewed it and added a clear powder to her daughter's tea. Stirring it, she brought both cups to the table, offering the drugged one to Kagome, as she sat in the seat at the front of the table, Kagome on her left. She hunched over wearily as she sighed.

"I can not change your decision, Kagome. You have always done what you wanted, and for as long as I have been your mother, I know that has been a true gift at times, but yet a curse." Kagome took a sip of her tea, as her mother averted her eyes in shame. "I'm trying to help you, Kagome, to help you create a relationship with your father. Whether you believe it or not, no matter what he does he truly does love you and Sota. Please try to understand. He doesn't mean you any physical harm!"

Kagome stood abruptly, as anger raged inside her. Her chair flew backwards, tipping over and landing on the floor with a crash. Her hands slammed down on the table wildly, as both cups spilled.

"Meant no physical harm?! Like hell! You've seen what he's done to me. When I was young, alone and scared, you didn't do anything because you were too scared to dare challenge him. You were scared. I was the one who suffered! I suffered not only by his hand, but by your lack of dignity and love! Were you there when he insulted me? Were you there when he hit me without a second thought or care? Were you there when he shot me?!"

Pulling the chair onto its legs abruptly, she stomped her leg ontop and lifted her pant leg, revealing the oval scar. Her mother visibly paled.

Bringing her foot back down the ground with a stomp, she kicked the chair as it skidded across the floor, crashing with the cupboards. She turned to her mother, as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

"There are people I've found that love me. They care for me, mama. Staying here kills me inside, and I pray to God every day that someday we will be able to live in peace and without fear, that my brother won't have to go through what I experienced for so long."

The tears began to build, clouding her vision slightly, as she became hysterical.

"In that time, we sacrifice everything for eachother! We risk our lives for eachother! We would die for eachother! And that is more than I can say for here. InuYasha has sworn to always protect me, and just recently he showed me how dead serious he was. I truly thank the Gods for every day I spend with him, and the day he came into my life. Whenever I'm with him I'm safe. So many times he has risked his life for me, that I feel that I'm forever in his debt. But every day that I'm with him, he tells me how much he appreciates that I'm there by his side. And just knowing that my being alive has changed one person's life, is worth more than anything you'll ever know. There is where I belong, by his side, and there is where I'll stay."

Her mother said nothing, only kept her eyes down. When she spoke, her voice was shaky. "I can never hold you back from what you want to do Kagome," she said, as Kagome found it suddenly hard to hear, her vision blurring more every moment. "But I pray that you can forgive me this time for being foolish. For thinking that I could help you so badly, that I was willing to ignore the fact that you were hut. Forgive me."

Kagome's eyes closed, as everything around her faded into black. She fell to the floor, as her head connected with the solid tile beneath.

Her mother sat at the table, as she dropped her head onto the table, her forehead connecting with a small thud. Her shoulders shook, as she whispered to her daughter, knowing now that nothing would be the same.

"Forgive me..."

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Kagome awoke several hours later, judging by the streams of moonlight shining through her window. She groaned, as the back of her head began to scream in agony. She rubbed it lightly, the action not helping to subside the plain at all, but at least she had something to do.

Slowly rising from her bed, she took in her surroundings. Sure, it was nothing new about it, but her room now fell host to a certain...emptiness...

Getting up slowly, she walked to her door and placed her hand on the knob. Turning it slowly to the right, she was shocked to find that it froze in spot. She turned it again, but again it refused to move. She shook it lightly, and came to the unfortunate conclusion that it was locked. They had replaced her handle with one they could lock from the outside. Anger built up inside her.

Huffing, she walked across the floor to her window, and tried to open it, but found that it too was locked. Inspecting the joints, she found one had a keyhole. She shook the window with frustration, the pane rattling but refusing the break. She slammed her hands against it, as the glass shook once more. She slid down to the ground beneath it, her hands trailing from angry fists, opening so bare palms slid down the cool night's glass.

Burying her hands in her face she sat in cold silence, as she curled her feet up underneath her. She was trapped, like a rat in a cage, nothing she could do. She was forced to sit here and await for whatever he planned to do to her happen. She was helpless, unable to control her own fate and life, as she sat in the darkness.

Her head rolled to one side, resting on her knees, as she brought them up to her chest. Her eyes remained open, yet unseeing as she prayed. She prayed for strength, for hope and for a way out of this confinement. She also prayed that someone would come and save her from this nightmare she called life.

Her eyes welled up with tears, as she swallowed. Closing her eyes, a small tear ran down the side of her face, its crystal light shining in the moon's beams.

`Please, InuYasha, come for me soon...'

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Yay! Another chapter done! ^^

Another to come soon, as soon as I update on other stories..possibly sooner, seeing as I have no sense of deadlines, order of importance and such. ^^;;;;;

Anywho, please R&R, and let me know what you think! Thanks again to all!

Luv yaz!

Moshi**