InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Simply Irresistible ❯ Nightmares ( Chapter 5 )

"---"   = talking

 '---'    =  thinking

-italics-  =  song lyrics

/---/  = inner voice

----- = letter / note

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Disclaimer ~ I've sed it b4 so I don't need 2 say it again. U can't make me! #grumbles# fine I DON'T own Inuyasha and I never will... #starts to cry#

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Chapter Four

Nightmares

"Kagome's been gone a while," Sango said, looking around the crowded cafeteria. Her friend had gone to find Inuyasha, who hadn't turned up for lunch, half an hour ago.

"I'm sure she's fine," Miroku edged closer to her, "I mean what could possibly happen? She gonna get attacked by a textbook?" Miroku chuckled and Sango hit him in the arm.

"I'm serious!" she said, "What if she got cornered but Kouga? You know how pushy he can be." Kagome had had enough of Kouga and his enlarged ego to last several life times.

"Kagome can handle herself," Miroku replied, "Why do you think Inuyasha spent so many hours training with her?" Sango knew how impatient Inuyasha was, but he never gave up on anything; especially if it involved Kagome. The reason he trained her was so that she could protect herself when he wasn't around.

Inuyasha had been that way ever since he found out that Kagome had been getting beat up by her boyfriend, Hojou Okonosata, in high school. She had started dating Hojou in grade nine because he wouldn't leave her alone. He was always bringing Kagome gifts for no reason, so she went out with him in order to pay him back.

It wasn't until about three months into their pity relationship, as Sango had called it, that Hojou became possessive. He always wanted to know where Kagome was when she wasn't with him; and he would accuse her of cheating on him whenever she talked to another male.

She shivered at the memory that had got her wondering about Kagome's relationship. Kagome, Miroku and Sango had been discussing a science project in the library when Hojou had come out of no where and starting screaming at Kagome. He had said that he had seen her with Inuyasha walking home the day before and was furious about it. She tried to explain that they always walked home together after school but he just would not listen.

Hojou finally grabbed Kagome by the hair and told her that she wasn't allowed to talk to Inuyasha anymore. Then he stormed out of the library, leaving both Sango and Miroku speechless. Kagome didn't say anything for about a minute; then she suddenly stood up and mumbled something about having to go home and look after Souta. She gathered her books and rushed out of the library.

At first Hojou had only yelled at her, but eventually the yelling and screaming changed to kicking and punching. Kagome had pretended that she was just clumsy to hide the bruises because her mother was so hung up on Hojou. But after the scene in the library, Miroku and Sango knew better. They didn't tell Inuyasha though because they knew that Kagome did not want him involved. Plus she didn't want to be responsible of Inuyasha's death, which Hojou had warned Kagome about more than once.

When the bruises and cuts started to get worse, Kagome's friendship with Inuyasha was far from being just threatened. She didn't want him to get hurt by Hojou, so she had tried to distance herself from him. But Inuyasha was not ever one to take no for an answer.

FLASHBACK

"Ring! Ring!"

The phone in Kagome's room rang as she was recovering from her last encounter with Hojou. He had seen her talking with Miroku earlier today, but he wouldn't believe her when she said it was about homework.

'I'm not surprised, though,' Kagome said to herself, 'He never believes me about anything anymore.' She got up slowly because her ribs hurt from all of the punches he landed. Kagome was actually a good fighter, she just didn't have the heart to stand up to him anymore because it made him hit harder.

"Ring! Ring!"

"Hai, hai, I'm coming!" she grumbled. Kagome didn't really want to talk to anybody right now. She was afraid that if she did, she would break down and reveal everything.

"Ring! Rin-"

"Moshi moshi?" she said, trying to sound casual.

"Kagome, is that you?" a masculine voice said at the other end of the line.

'Oh no! It's Inuyasha!' Kagome started to panic, 'Hojou said that if he ever found out I had talked to Inuyasha again, he'd kill him!'

"Kagome?"

"Uh, hai I'm here," she answered nervously, "What's up?"

"I just thought I'd call to see how you're doing. You've seemed kinda down lately; and we haven't really talked much," Inuyasha said.

"Nani? Iie, daijobou Inuyasha. Everything's fine." Kagome had started pacing around her room, much to her ribs discomfort. She tried to keep her voice level.

"Don't lie to me Kagome." He said sternly, "I've been your best friend since before grade school. I can tell when you're lying." Kagome swallowed hard and sat back down on her bed. This was defiantly not going the way she wanted it to. Kagome was about to deny everything that had just happened but he wasn't finished.

"Please tell me what's bothering you, Kag." His voice softened and her heart wrenched. Kagome longed to tell him everything but she didn't want him to get hurt. She cared about him too much.

"I can't." She whispered into the phone. Kagome wasn't sure if she was talking to him or herself, but he heard anyway.

"What do you mean you can't?" Inuyasha demanded, "You can't or you won't?" Tears were threatening to pour out of Kagome azure eyes.

"Both...neither...onegai Inuyasha, I have to go. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Iie Kagome!" His voice rose a little, "I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's making you so upset!"

"Gomen Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly and hung up the phone. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Kagome just sat on the edge of her bed and let them flow freely down her face.

'Maybe I should just let Hojou kill me.' She thought grimly, 'It would be much easier than lying to my friends and living through this pain day after day.' A clap of thunder shocked her out of her thoughts of despair and Kagome suddenly realised that it was raining.

"At least I'm not the only one feeling this way," Kagome said, almost smiling, "Even the weather seems to agree with my mood." She went over to the window and watched the rain fall, steadily along the ground. The rain could be so relaxing; it didn't dry her tears but it was nice to watch. It hit against Kagome's bedroom window and she reached to open it so she could see better, but then realised that all her things would get wet if she did. Kagome turned around and went to the bathroom because she did not want her mother to come home and see that she had been crying. She reached the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red and swollen and she sighed.

"I hope that Okaa-san has some cucumber in the fridge or I might have to hide in my room for the rest of the day." Kagome said to her reflection. As she turned away from the mirror, she noticed a purple mark on the left side of her jaw. She cringed and lifted her shirt to look at her ribs. They were also covered in blue and purple bruises.

'Guess I won't be swimming any time soon,' Kagome thought, as she walked towards the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and looked around for some cucumber. She found it in the bottom drawer and closed the door. Kagome was getting a cutting board out of the cupboard when she heard a knock at the door. The raven-haired teen just there with the cucumber in her hand and stared at the door. Hojou couldn't know about Inuyasha's phone call could he?

Kagome started to tremble as she inched towards the door. The rain had gotten harder and she jumped as another clap of thunder rippled across the sky. Tears reappeared in fear that she was going have to go through another one of Hojou's jealous beatings. And considering that it was Inuyasha she had talked too, Kagome knew it would be a lot worse than one of his normal beatings; if one could call them that.

The person knocked again and Kagome tried to stop shaking as she reached for the door handle. She turned the knob and braced herself for the worst pounding in her life. When nothing happened, she looked out into the pouring rain and got the shock of a life time. It wasn't Hojou, jealous with rage, who stood on the doorstep. It was Inuyasha. He was standing there in front of her with a concerned look on his face.

"Inu...yasha?" Kagome was in complete disbelief. He was the last person she expected to see on her doorstep, getting wetter by the second. She just kind of stood there with her mouth open, staring at him.

"I told you that I wasn't going to leave you alone and I meant it Kagome," he said, stepping into the house. His eyes were so full of emotion that Kagome started crying all over again. She turned around so he wouldn't see her tears but Inuyasha caught her shoulder and made her face him.

"Stop trying to hide from me Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice hardened, "I know there's something wrong and I want to know why you won't tell me. Don't you trust me?" A sob escaped Kagome's lips and she struggled to get away from him but he was too strong for her.  Kagome felt his hand under her chin and he tilted her head up to meet his gaze. Tears were streaming down her face and she wanted to look away but his hand kept her head in place. It was only then that Kagome realised that Inuyasha's amber orbs had become misty. Her eyes widened.

"Onegai, Kagome," he pleaded, "I worry about you too much to leave something that's bothering you this much alone." Her eyes glazed over again and her legs gave out under me. Kagome collapsed into his chest and sobbed into his shirt. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. She held onto his shirt with both hands and continued to cry. Even though he was wet from being outside, she could feel the warmth from his body through his shirt.

'He's so warm,' Kagome thought, blushing slightly, 'And he smells nice...' She just wanted to stay in his arms because he made her feel safe. Her mind drifted. Kagome tried to think of the last time she had been this close to a boy, but the memory escaped her, and somehow she didn't think she had ever been so close. Hojou had held her, in the beginning at least, but not like this. Kagome had never accepted comfort from a male; never let any of her male friends see her cry. She had never let herself need them, but somehow, in this moment, she needed Inuyasha.

Kagome just wanted to feel his arms around her, just for now. She needed the physical strength so obvious in his tall, muscular body; a strength that effortlessly supported her weight, and she needed to be held as tight as he was holding her. She needed to hear his dark-honey voice murmuring to her, needed the reassurance that right now, just for a few moments, she wasn't alone.

'Why didn't Hojou's hugs ever feel like this?' Kagome wondered, 'I feel completely different when I'm with Inuyasha.' She was very confused now, but pushed it to the back of her mind. The emotional storm had left her drained, exhausted, oddly detached.

"Gomen," she said in a damp voice, muffled against his chest.

"S'alright." He shifted a bit and moved his arms down a little. Kagome flinched; he had touched the most sensitive part of her ribs.

"Are you hurt?" Inuyasha asked as he brought her away from his chest. When she didn't say anything, he took matters into his own hands. He lifted up the bottom of her shirt, not so much that he could see her bra, but enough that the bruises on her stomach and sides were perfectly visible. Inuyasha trailed his finger along Kagome's stomach and she flinched again. He then let go of her shirt and took her by the hand as he lead her into the living room. They sat down on the couch and he looked straight into her eyes.

"What's going on Kagome? You've got bruises all over your stomach and sides, plus one on your jaw," he said, "I know you aren't as clumsy as you have claimed to be. Where are you getting all these bruises from?" Kagome took a deep breath and sighed; nothing could get passed Inuyasha.

"Kagome," he prompted. The raven-haired girl looked away and muttered something incoherent.

"Nani?" Inuyasha leaned in closer to her and she repeated herself, only a little louder.

"Hojou," she said knowing that Inuyasha was going to tear a strip off her because she had kept it a secret for so long.

"Hojou?! Your superficial, stuck-up, pretty-boy, I-think-I'm-all-that boyfriend?!" Kagome nodded. Old tears were being replaced by new ones even though she was trying really hard to stop them from forming. Inuyasha still had a hold of her hand so she wasn't able to run away.

"How long has this been going on Kagome?"

"About two months." She replied, still not looking at him.

"Two months? Fucking hell Kagome! Why didn't you tell me?!" Inuyasha growled and Kagome jumped to her feet.

"Because he threatened to kill you if I so much as spoke to you!" she yelled. She was in tears again and her voice lowered, "He threatened to kill you and I wouldn't have been able to bare it if I had been responsible for your pain." Kagome clenched her fists and tried to keep herself from shaking. Her nails dug into her palms as tears once again streamed down her face. Her back was to him, so she didn't hear him get up from the couch.

"You didn't have to face him along, you know." Inuyasha said, putting his arms around her shoulders, "I'll always be here, whether you like it or not." Kagome slowly turn around to face him. He was smiling slightly and she leaned forward to put her head on his chest. Her arms lay limply at her sides and she cried into his shirt again. She just couldn't seem to stop crying and she cursed herself for appearing so weak. Inuyasha didn't seem to mind though; he was slowly drawing circles on her back to calm her down.

"You're my best friend, Inuyasha," Kagome's words were muffled, but she knew he heard her because his grip tightened, "So I refused to let anything happen to you." She inhaled his sent and blushed. Here she was, in the arms of the very person she had sworn she would never go near again in order to protect him. But Kagome didn't care; Inuyasha's arms were the only place that she felt safe at the moment and she wanted to stay there for as long as possible. It also didn't hurt that he smelled so good.

He smelled very masculine and it was intoxicating. His scent reminded her of a lush forest and it assaulted her senses. Kagome found herself surrounded by his inviting warmth and she never wanted to move. He was still circling her back with his fingers and it was sending shivers down Kagome's spine. Her head reeled with all the different emotions that were spinning through her head. They were strange, new emotions that she had never felt before and it almost scared her.

"Kagome, I'd rather get beaten to a pulp by Hojou then never talk to you again." He lowered his arms to her waist, but was careful not to squeeze too hard, "You mean a lot to me too and I'm not gonna stand on the sidelines while you waste away." This time it was Kagome who hugged him harder.

"Arigatou, Inuyasha," she said looking up at him. He brushed her remaining tears away with his thumb and smirked.

"Feh. All I did was let you use my shirt as a towel for your face." Kagome blushed and smiled a little.

"You have to be careful of Hojou though, Inuyasha," she warned, "He's a good fighter."

"Feh, I could beat that little prick into the ground any day." Inuyasha replied with a smirk.

"Care to put a wager on that?" A voice said from the door way. Kagome froze in fear and slowly turned around. She saw a boy with sandy hair standing just inside the living room.

"Hojou..." the raven-haired girl trailed off. He looked livid and it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. Kagome stiffened and jumped out of Inuyasha grasp but he caught her hand and moved in front of her.

"You fucking whore!" Hojou yelled, "I knew you were cheating on me! I should have killed you this morning when I had the chance."

"This morning...?" Inuyasha didn't take his eyes off Hojou, but his question was directed at the girl behind him.

"He left an hour before you called." Kagome whispered, shaking uncontrollably. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later. She just hoped the right man won; because if he didn't, they were both going to die.

"What are you doing here Hojou?" She asked, trying to be strong.

"I came to take you out to the movies, bitch," he spat, "But I can see that you'd rather have a black eye instead." He moved towards her but Inuyasha blocked his path.

"Touch her and die, you piece of shit." Inuyasha snarled, "You'd be the one with the black eye if I had known about this earlier." Hojou just snorted.

"Get serious! You talk big, dog breath, but I've never lost a fight against anyone and I don't intend to start now." He got into a fighting stance and put up his fists.

"Feh, you don't scare me Hobo." Inuyasha shot back. Kagome's eyes were going back in forth from Inuyasha and Hojou with worry. She had seen Hojou fight before and he was really talented. Kagome didn't want Inuyasha to get hurt so she stepped out in front of him. Hojou's eyes widened a bit, and she turned to face Inuyasha.

"Onegai Inuyasha, I don't want you to get hurt. Just leave and let me take care of this, I don't care what happens to me as long as you are safe," she pleaded with him. Kagome knew that she probably wouldn't survive Hojou's next beating but she didn't care as long as she could get Inuyasha out of harms way.

"Kagome-" was as far as he got because Hojou grabbed her from behind and threw her onto the couch. He slapped her across the face and towered over her.

"Bitch!" He yelled. Kagome waited for Hojou to hit her again but instead all she saw was him getting thrown against the wall with remarkable force. She stared wide-eyed at Inuyasha as he helped her up from the couch.

"I told you I could beat him into the ground," he said. Kagome's eyes sparkled with wonder. Maybe this fight wouldn't end up the way she had initially thought it would. They both turned at the sound of a cough and saw Hojou getting up from his pot on the floor. He glared at Inuyasha and charged towards him. Inuyasha merely moved out of the way and put out his foot, tripping Hojou. Hojou didn't quite make it to the floor; he spun around and punched Inuyasha in the face.

Inuyasha staggered back a bit before he kicked Hojou out of the living room. He landed with a crash in the kitchen, breaking one of the wooden chairs that were positioned around the table. Inuyasha ran up to Hojou thinking he could land a few punches before Hojou got up but Hojou shot out his leg and spun around, causing Inuyasha to fall to the floor. Hojou jumped up only to have Inuyasha kick him in the face.

Hojou reeled back as Inuyasha got to his feet. He grabbed Hojou's stomach and literally threw him outside. Inuyasha charged out after him into the pouring rain. When Kagome got to the doorway, they were both rolling around on the ground trying to get the upper hand of the fight.

She gasped as Hojou kneed Inuyasha in the stomach. Inuyasha groaned and Hojou was finally able to pin Inuyasha down. The sandy-haired teen sat on top of Inuyasha as he started to punch him, but Inuyasha was able to block the hits. Then he brought his leg up and kicked Hojou off of him. Hojou flew a few feet away from Inuyasha and landed in a puddle. Inuyasha just smirked and got into a fighting stance.

"Had enough yet, Hobo?" Inuyasha taunted. Hojou got up and glared at him. They were both covered in mud and soaking wet.

"I should be asking you the same question," Hojou said, a look of pure fury on his face, "Kisama! Kagome is mine; she'd never go for a worthless motherfucker like you." He spat at Inuyasha's feet. Inuyasha growled as the started to circle each other and all Kagome could do was watch helplessly from the doorway leading into my house.

Hojou made the first move and lunged towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha barely had time to move out of the way as Hojou tried to take him down again. Inuyasha spun around and kicked Hojou in the side causing him to go down coughing. Blood was now dripping from Hojou's mouth. He spat the red substance out of his mouth and glared the silver-haired boy. Kagome could tell that Hojou was on the losing end because of the way he struggled to get to his feet.

'This has to end,' she thought to herself, 'I can't stand to see people beat themselves up like this.' She ran out into the rain and positioned herself in between the two. Neither of them looked at her.

"Onegai you guys, enough is enough!" Kagome pleaded to both of them, "You guys are going to rip each other apart if you don't stop this now."

"Kagome, get out of the way." Inuyasha said without breaking eye contact with Hojou, "This guy is going to pay for all the pain he caused you." Kagome saw the determination in his amber orbs and she knew that he wasn't going to back down. Still, she tried to get him to stop fighting.

"Inuyasha you don't have to fight anymore. I can handle this myself. You-" Kagome stopped talking when she saw Inuyasha's look of rage turn to a look of horror.

"Kagome, look out!!!" he yelled. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Kagome turned around to see Hojou only a few feet away from her with an evil smirk on his face. She just stood there, knowing she wouldn't be able move in time. Hojou jumped into the air and spun his leg around to kick her in the head. Her eyes closed and she screamed.

But the impact never came.

Kagome felt two hands on her body as Inuyasha shoved her out of the way. She stumbled to the ground, her hands and knees scraping against the gravel. Her soggy raven hair flew around her face as she watched Hojou's foot make contact with Inuyasha's chest. He went sailing into the bushes head first.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome lay on the ground hoping to see him get up from behind the bushes and smirk as if it was nothing. It didn't happen. She struggled to her feet only to get knocked down again. Hojou stood above her and she looked up in fear. His face was red with fury and rage as he stared down at her. She edged backwards but he grabbed her hair and hauled Kagome to her feet. He grabbed her wrist with his other hand and his grip tightened. She cringed in pain.

"Itai, you're hurting me Hojou. Onegai let me go," she pleaded, her tears mixing with the rain. Hojou took no notice and pulled her towards him. Before Kagome knew what was happening, his mouth crushed hers in a bruising kiss. She thrashed about in order to get away but he had a firm grip on her head.

He put more pressure into the kiss and bit at her lower lip trying to gain access to her mouth but she refused to yield. Kagome could now taste her own blood from Hojou's attempts at deepening the kiss and her tears flowed faster. She guessed he finally realised that she wasn't about to open her mouth to he tried something else. He grabbed the top of her shirt and pulled hard. Kagome heard the buttons of her blouse fly off as she strived to release herself from his iron grip. She felt the rain against her skin as Hojou attempted to remove her shirt.

He finally let go of her wrist only to rip her shirt off her shoulders. Kagome watched as steam poured off her skin. The rain was cold and she struggled to pull her shirt out of his hand, but Hojou's grip was steadfast. Her shoulders were now bare and Hojou's hand started to massage Kagome's breast through her bra. She squirmed and tried to get away; his hands were like poison, hurting her everywhere he touched.

"What's the matter, Higurashi?" Hojou sneered, "You've put out for every other guy, now it's my turn." Kagome whimpered as his hand travelled down her body. This was not the way it was supposed to be. Kagome was scared, but not surprised. She knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later. It was just...when Inuyasha had held her in his arms a spark of hope had formed in her heart. Hope that all the pain she had gone through was over. Kagome gave up fighting as Hojou started undoing her pant buckle. There was just no point anymore.

"Get...the fuck...away...from her." Kagome jumped at the sudden noise and froze. Hojou turned his head towards the bushes and his eyes widened in shock. Inuyasha stood at full height and his eyes seemed to flash red. The rain hit against his silver hair, giving him a god-like appearance.

Hojou let his prey go and Kagome fell to the ground. Hojou took a few steps back as Inuyasha ran at him. Inuyasha hit him so hard that he soared across the gravel path and hit the Goshinboku. The braches of the large tree swayed slightly and a few leaves floated down to the ground. Kagome heard Hojou cry out when he made contact with the five hundred year old tree and he didn't get up. Then she looked up at Inuyasha.

The golden-eyed boy was blushing and it took Kagome a moment to realise she was giving him a very nice view of her body. She wrapped her arms around her chest in order to shield herself from his gaze. Her eyes were clamped together tightly and she tried not to cry. Suddenly she felt something touch her skin. Her eyes fluttered open to see Inuyasha covering her with his jacket. The warmth was incredible and it wasn't until then that Kagome noticed she had been shivering. Inuyasha's scent assaulted her senses and she felt her own face going red.

'It smells like him.' Kagome thought to herself, pulling his jacket tighter around her wet body. Inuyasha helped the drenched girl to her feet and gave her a small hug.

"Arigatou," she said. He blushed again and turned to where Hojou was lying on the ground. He walked up to the moaning boy with Kagome on his heels and stepped over the small fence encircling the Goshinboku. Hojou was barely conscious, but he was awake enough to feel Inuyasha yank him up by his collar and shove him against the tree.

"If you ever, ever come near Kagome again," Inuyasha ground out, "I will kill you." Hojou stared back at Inuyasha with fear in his eyes and nodded slightly. Then, Inuyasha let him go and he crumpled to the ground. Kagome just stood there and watched Hojou slowly get to his feet and limp away. They watched him disappear down the shrine steps and out of their lives, hopefully for good.

She turned to Inuyasha and was about to thank him again when he slumped against her. Kagome suddenly realised how much the fight and the rain had taken out of him so she slid her arm around his waist and lead him inside. She held him tightly and careful helped him up to her bedroom. After Kagome had comfortably placed him on her bed, she went to the hall closet and got them both some towels.

When Kagome got back to her room, Inuyasha was leaning against the backboard of her bed. His long silver hair was dampening her sheets but Kagome didn't care. She was just glad he was alright. He turned to her as she entered and accepted the towel she handed to him.

"Daijobouka?" he asked, drying his long silver hair, "I didn't push you down too hard did I?" Kagome looked at him and laughed.

"You're the one who got kicked into the bushes." She said, "Arigatou Inuyasha, for protecting me and standing up to Hojou. Gomen for not telling you sooner, demo...I was too afraid." She clasped his hand in hers and smiled. Inuyasha's eyes glowed and stared into her own.

'Sugoi, anyone could get lost in those golden pools.'

"I would do anything to make you smile like you are now Kag," he said, smiling, "In fact, I think that's the first time I've heard you laugh in months. You need to do it more often." Kagome blushed and lowered her eyes. When she looked back up, Inuyasha had closed his eyes and his breathing had evened out.

'He's asleep. Well who could blame him? He's been through a lot today; and all because of me.' the raven-haired girl thought to herself. Kagome squeezed his hand and then stood up. She wrapped her blanket around him and went to her closet to find some dry clothes to change into. She paused at the door and whispered "Arigatou, Inuyasha." before leaving the room.

END FLASHBACK

Sango shivered again. Kagome had briefly told her about what had happened the day that Hojou had gotten his ass kicked by Inuyasha; and they were all glad he did. Kagome slowly become her cheerful self again and everything seemed to return to normal. That is, until Kikyou came to live with the Higurashi's. Sango scanned the cafeteria again but there was no sign of Kagome or Inuyasha, which was weird because lunch was almost over. She turned to Miroku with a frown.

"Where do you think Kagome and Inuyasha are?" Sango asked, "You don't think they're in any sort of trouble, do you?"

"My dear Sango," Miroku gushed, "You worry too much. Don't you like being here with me?" He made a puppy face and she laughed.

'You have no idea.' Sango thought to herself, "It's not you that I worry about Miroku, it's your hands." He had a habit of letting his hands wander to the wrong places which usually ended up with her slapping him. She'd never admit it out loud, but Sango secretly liked all the attention Miroku gave her.

"I can't help it! My hands are attracted to beautiful things," she blushed and looked down. Sango hated it when he did that because she had no defence for it. At least when he touched her, she could hit him back.

"Arigatou Miroku demo-" Sango was cut off by the sound of sirens outside. The cafeteria had suddenly gone very quiet and it felt as if time had stopped. She jumped out of her seat so fast that her chair fell to the floor with a crash. Something was very wrong and she had a gut feeling it had to do with the two people who were supposed to be sitting at their table.

Miroku rose as well and gave Sango a concerned look. She nodded and they raced out of the cafeteria and headed towards the front of the school. They ran down the hall and flung the main doors open to see an ambulance with its sirens blaring in the parking lot. Kagome was standing beside a stretcher with a far away look on her face.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled, as they ran over to her, "Kagome, what's going on?" Kagome didn't answer, only motioned to the stretcher and Sango gasped. There lay a very badly beaten Inuyasha, pale as the snow on the ground.

"What happened?" Miroku asked, stunned at the sight before him.

"I found him behind the school." Kagome answered, her voice was strained, "He's been stabbed and hasn't woken up yet." She was just standing there, shivering. Inuyasha's hand was clasped in hers and Sango could tell that she was really worried. She took off her jacket and placed it around Kagome shoulders.

The paramedics were preparing to put him in the back of the ambulance when Sango finally realised a crowd had gathered around them. Everyone was whispering, obviously creating their own interpretation of what happened. Inuyasha was placed firmly into the ambulance and one of the paramedics turned to Kagome.

"Do you want to ride in here?" he asked sympathetically. But before Kagome could answer, someone pushed passed all of us.

"Oh my poor Inuyasha! What happened? Please let me rise with him!" Kikyou pleaded before getting into the ambulance. Sango wanted to smack her; how dare she? Kagome just stood there in shock as the doors to the ambulance closed and it started to pull out of the parking lot. Sango could tell that Kagome was going to kill Kikyou the next time she saw her.

"Bitch." Kagome muttered under her breath, "That bitch!!! I'm going to tear her fucking lungs out!" Everyone seemed to take a step back as Kagome cursed her cousin.

"Kagome..." Sango tried to calm her down.

"Don't Sango, it won't help." She turned away from her friend and was about to head back to the school when a sleek black Mercedes pulled up in front of them. Sango stared in disbelief as Miroku opened the passenger door.

"Come on you two!" Miroku said from inside the car, "The hospital isn't that far away and I'm not about to leave my friend at a time like this." Kagome's eyes became shiny and she got into the back of the car. Sango got into the passenger seat and shut the door as Miroku took off after the ambulance.

"Arigatou Miroku." Kagome said.

"No problem Kagome." Miroku shifted gears and sped up. Sango looked back at the girl in the back seat and frowned. Kagome was sitting with her hands in her lap, staring out the window. She had so many emotions written on her face it was hard to keep track.

'I wonder what really happened,' the coffee-haired woman thought to herself. Sango wasn't about to ask Kagome, she had enough on her mind, but she knew Inuyasha wasn't one to get beat up that easily.

It took them a little longer to get to the hospital than they would have liked because of all the traffic. Miroku quickly parked the car and the three of them all rushed to the emergency room looking for Inuyasha. The secretary said he was in the process of being moved from the ER to a regular room on the third floor. They got in the elevator and Kagome pushed the button that would take them to Inuyasha's room.

The doors opened and they bolted from the elevator down the hall. They turned the corner to find a doctor coming out of Inuyasha's room. They all skidded to a halt in front of him.

"Is he alright doctor?" Kagome asked, worry written all over her face.

"You friends of his?" The doctor looked at them sceptically. They all nodded their heads, "Well I've got good news and bad news." Sango heard Kagome inhale quickly; she reached over and squeezed her friend's hand. Kagome looked over at Sango and gave her a small smile.

"Well?" Miroku prompted the doctor, "What's the good news?"

"The good news is that Inuyasha hasn't suffered any major injuries. He needed stitches in his side but nothing too serious." Sango let out the breath she didn't even realized she'd been holding. Inuyasha was going to be alright; wait a minute...did he say good and bad news?

"What's the bad news?" Sango asked. She hoped it was going to be something along the lines of he was going to have to stay at the hospital for a few days or something. The doctor turned his head towards the closed door and sighed. Kagome, Miroku and Sango stood there waiting for him to answer the question they were all dreading. Finally he turned back to face them with a grim look on his face.

"He's in a coma."

#-#-#

Moshi moshi   - hello (telephone)

Daijobou        - it's / I'm okay

Itai             &nb sp; - ouch

#ducks from rotten tomatoes# HAH missed me! #SPLAT# Ew... #wipes tomato juice off her face# guess u didn't like dat huh? O wel, it's my story and I can end in it a big cliff hanger if a want to #sticks out her tongue# Lol, sry I took so long but school's being a bitch and I've had a lot to do. I hope u guys like dis chapter, let's hear it for all the Hojo haters!!! If ne of u actually DO like him den 2 bad cuz I do NOT so he gets 2 b beat up by Inuyasha. Mwahahahahahaha!!! Dis is where da real story starts and I hope u guys will keep reading and giving me feedback! It helps inspire me! And remember, more reviews = faster updates!

--Sereia