Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and co…

A/N: Wow! I didn't think this story would get so many reviews on just the first chapter! I'm happy! Happy authoress = Faster updates!!

Anyway, back to this depressing story!

*--*--*

Chapter 2: My Christmas

Kagome sighed as she rubbed her cheek. "Damn…he sure can throw a hit." She muttered as she scribbled something in her notebook. She held it up to the light and sighed at the design. It looked sad, just like how she felt. The second scribble looked more…fearful. The lines were jagged and darting upward in a scared fashion.

She dropped the book unceremoniously as the door was thrown open.

She slid away from it on her chair until she was basically hugging the window.

"Ane-ue!" Souta cried as he ran to her.

Kagome stared down her sobbing brother. "What happened Souta?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Mama…she hasn't…come home!"

Kagome crawled over to him. "You're being a crybaby. Come on. We'll call the police if she doesn't come in an hour or two."

"But what about…him." Souta's voice dripped with venom as he emphasized 'him'. The hatred just seemed to be unable to hide.

"Don't be stupid Souta. He's too loaded to even remember how to count to three." She said in a confident tone. Underneath she was shaking in her skin. "Don't be…stupid, ahou."

"You're just taking your anger out on me!" Souta said angrily.

"Ahou! I'll protect you, Souta. I will." She said strongly and hugged him tighter. The window rattled slightly as the wind blasted madly outside.

Maybe they aren't coming back…because…it's so windy outside? Naw, she thought, through hell and heaven Ji-chan wouldn't back down, even if he had frostbite all over his feet.

She smiled at that thought and stared at the door. "Souta…did you close the door?"

Souta looked up and sniffed. "No, ane-ue." He said.

Kagome swallowed. Uh-oh…Ane-ue wasn't paying attention, she thought fearfully.

The room went dim, as if- in that 'you-know-your-house-is-haunted-when…' guides- a ghost was around.

I towering shadow stood in front of them.

"Ane-ue…" Souta whimpered.

"Shh." Kagome stood, pushing Souta into her chair and turning it around.

"Wh…what do you want n-now?" she asked slightly courageously. She swallowed and her breath caught in her throat as a large, beefy hand latched onto her neck, lifting her off the ground.

She closed her eye slightly as she scratched at his thick wrist.

"Passin' stories 'bout me, eh? I'm too loaded to count ta tree? Well here's where you're wrong!" he lifted his fist and hit her in the gut making her cough up blood on his hand.

"One!" he kneed her in the side.

"Two!" he threw her two the ground, making her land on her jaw, cracking it slightly.

"Tree!" he yelled.

He picked her up once more. "You got dat missy?" he brought her face to his.

Kagome got a surge of bravery and spit out her knocked out molar, hitting him in the eye.

Her threw her to the ground once again, this time she was caught clumsily by Souta who had dove just in time before she knocked her teeth into her head.

"L…leave Kagome alone!" he yelled.

Father (that's what I'm gonna call him, kay?) his watery, drunken eyes toward the young boy.

He lifted his fist where Kagome instinctively bit down upon.

"You're reflexes are still amazing, Kag-chan." He sent a K.O-ing knee to her stomach making her fall to the ground, her eyes closed tightly in pain.

"I'll be goin' to the bar, you take care, kay?" he opened the door where it pulled off it's hinges and tossed it to the side. He then tumbled down the stairs and out the frint door.

"I thought he was reformed?" Souta muttered. He turned to his sister. "Ane-ue! Talk to me, Kagome!" he shook her shoulder lightly, her mouth ran with blood and her chin bled in a straight cut. The bandaid on her cheek had been ripped off revealing the open wound of his slap from earlier.

He wept lightly over his sister's body and hugged her tightly.

*--*--*

Souta walked outside, bundled up to his nose in scarves. He clenched the small bottle in his gloved hand as he pushed his way through the thick snow toward the well house.

"A-ane-ue. I'll get t-through to Inu-no-niichan n-no matter what. I'll even d-dig there if I have to." He said with a bright determined look donning his young face.

He pulled open the door. The snow that covered in melted instantly. He stepped into the room and rubbed his hands together, the bottle that held the Shikon no kakerra jingled lightly as he padded down the stairs and over to the dark well.

He peered in. It was dark and looked very deep. He swallowed silently and grabbed onto the latter that ran up the side.

Lowering him self into the dark well of the shrine his feet hit the ground.

"Nee-chan, give me strength to get through this well." He preyed as if Kagome were a goddess.

He pulled the bottle open and looked at the shards. They tumbled into the palm of his hand and shimmered in the non-existant light. He closed his eyes tightly and thrust the pieces of the jewel into the dirt floor of the well. They slid in like butter as did his body as a blue light surrounded him.

*--*--*

*I got to protect Souta, got to protect Souta, got to protect Souta…*

Kagome's mind was on autopilot as her thought consisted of only things her mind used to consist of when she was 13 years old: Protecting Souta from the man they once called 'father'.

She winced in pain as hse sat up, the wet cloth that had been covering her forehead fell to her lap.

"You mustn't move, Kagome." Said a soft voice.

She opened her eye to lie eyes upon her mother.

Kagome's mother smiled sadly as she looked downward.

Kagome pressed her hand to her stomach where he had kneed and kicked her. There was a white bandage wrapped all the way around her chest.

"Kagome…I'm sorry….I was tricked. They said they needed me for his pleaded extra trial so me and Ji-chan went down there. We didn't know 'he' set it up." Her voice emphasized the he.

"Mama…" Kagome winced once again. It hurt to move her jaw. There was another bandage under her chin where she had hit the ground. How long have I been out?

Her mother seemed to read her mind. "You've been out for a day, Kagome." Her mother said softly.

"A…day?" Kagome said in a muffled voice. She didn't move her jaw. She looked around rapidly. "Where's Souta?!" she completely forgot her pain as she looked around.

Kagome's mother looked down as tears welled up in her eyes. "We…we don't know where…Oh, Kagome! We-."

"He's in the well." Ji-chan said from the doorway. He held up the bottle Kagome used to carry the jewel shards in.

Kagome jumped up and stumbled over to them.

"He…he didn't…" she mumbled as she looked at the uncorked bottle. Souta…please be okay.

She grabbed the last shard out of the bottle and dashed out of the room, not even bothering to cover up her top as she ran (don't worry, it's like a sarashi-chest wrapping- around her-ahem-breasts) toward the well house and tumbled down the stairs.

"Kagome!" her mother tossed her a heavy jacket and scarf as the girl was about ot jump in.

"Thank you." Kagome blew her mother a kiss and jumped into the well, quickly transporting. She clutched the shard in her hand tightly and stared ahead.

"Souta, don't worry, I'm coming." She said determinedly.

*--*--*

Souta looked around, his breath coming out in puffs. "Where am I?" he murmered as he looked around, slightly frightened.

He tripped and fell facefirst in the snow. "Ane-ue!" he whimpered.

*--*--*

"What's that, Kirara?" Sango pointed down at a small figure in the snow.

Kirara swooped down so she was standing next to the small body.

"A…ane-ue…" it whimpered.

"Ane-ue?" Sango picked the boy up and stared down at him. It wasn't anyone she knew. "Kirara." The neko-youkai rubbed against Sango as she lifted the two up.

Sango studied the boys face. He was shivering. He opened one eye to stare up at the youkai taijiya.

"Ane-ue?"

Sango shook her head with a smile. "Who may you be?"

He squinted again. "Uh…Higurashi Souta."

Sango gasped and almost dropped the boy. "K…Kagome's…brother? Kagome's younger brother?" she gaped at him.

He nodded slowly. "How do you know my sister?"

*--*--*

Kagome trudged through the snow as she looked around frantically.

This is just like that Christmas, she thought calmly as she remembered.

*--*Flashback*--*

"This is MY Christmas! Get in the way and I'll-!"

Kagome's mother, much younger, slapped their father on the arm. "Be quiet, Kyusu." She growled.

He glared at her and flopped back onto his seat.

The younger kids shook in fear as they sat across from them. A young Souta clenched Kagome's hand tightly as Kagome sat with her own hand clenched in the hem of her skirt.

My Christmas. He always said that. It meant that he could do whatever the hell he wanted tot he family. Which meant either getting almost thrown out a window, hit to death, or almost raped. Now that wasn't the best holiday.

Kagome glared at the older man. He knew it was only an empty stare though. She couldn't do anything.

He smirked at her defenselessness and grabbed his wives wrist as he threw her away from the children.

"Stop! Stay away from them!" she cried as she tried to push herself off the ground. Her arm snapped and she fell down whimpering.

He advanced on the two children.

Young Kagome stood and got in a fighting position, her fist poised, ready to hit with a painless punch.

He smirked yet again as he grabbed for Souta.

She punched him in the cheek and proceeded in scratching his hand before he could touch her brother.

*--*End Flashback*--*

Kagome shivered at the thought.

"Why? Why did we have to have such a horrid father?" she asked herself quietly.

She finally arrived at the village nad happily welcomed the sight of Sango conviently dismounting Kirara in front of Kaede's hut.

She ran toward her friend, the pian from her wounds surging through her body. Her determination to reach her friends was so powerful.

She reached the hut and pulled the door aside.

Kagome stared down at the small body Sango was lying on a futon.

"Souta…"

*--*--*--*

Was that a cliffhanger? I think it was!!

I'm so happy! I got a hell of a lot of reviews!! I love em!

To answer someone's question, no Kagome's father isn't a youkai. I think I explained in this chapter that he sobers up quicker in the winter, thus poising him in a more dangerous attack mode.

Anyway, I can't wait for more reviews!!

Next chapter:

Chapter 3: Her Wounds