Ever growing family and falling in love with.... by Shadowstarprinces Pridestar

Not like Kagome at all

Not like Kagome at all

A/N -I Do Not Own Inuyasha

Kagome sighed, settling into her seat on the back of Ah-Un. Her younger brother Souta leaned against her back, holding on to her. She looked down at the smaller arms wrapped around her waist, and sighed again, her mind drifting over her current situation.

Sesshomaru had joined the group a few months ago. To everyone's surprise, he and Inuyasha had joined forces without even a hint of a fight. Watching the two brothers, it was as if they'd never fought before. Instead, they'd become co-alpha's of the small group, sharing responsibilities. It was surprising, given how much they'd originally hated each other.

But then, Sesshomaru himself was acting differently. She'd heard from Rin that the inu wasn't much of a talker, but he'd sought her out several times, making conversation, asking questions. He'd even answered her questions about his life. It was strange, but she didn't mind. After all, she learned as much about him as he did about her.

Inuyasha had been equally odd. He hadn't gone to see Kikyo, though she'd appeared more than once. And she hadn't gotten into a single fight with him in months, not since Sesshomaru's arrival. He'd even agreed that she could go home whenever she liked, with out a whisper of complaint.

Kagome smiled. She loved Inuyasha, and had for a while. She was beginning to think she loved Sesshomaru as well, though she wasn't going to tell either of them. After all, it wasn't like she could be with either of them. But, whatever was going on between the two inu, she liked the changes. And they provided a welcome distraction from thinking of the events of two weeks before.

Kagome sighed, her smile disappearing as her thoughts cycled back to the events of two weeks before. Back to that. Souta's head, leaning against her back was a solid, ever-present reminder.

She knew the others were worried about her, ever since she'd returned two weeks ago. And she supposed it looked strange to them, the way she'd come, carrying a year's supplies and the younger brother she'd never brought before. And Souta was the only one who understood yet what she'd done afterward, and why.

She felt Souta's head against her back. She looked down at him with a grim smile. About two weeks ago, she had come back with Souta not without explaining why. She had brought enough supplies with her to last about a year if they were split into the right amount. Then, she did had done something that surprised them all, except Souta.

She sealed the well and then destroyed it, forever binding her and Souta to the Feudal Era. She won't wouldn't answer to anyone’s questions and no matter how much Inuyasha yelled or Sesshomaru demanded the answer, she wouldn't budge.

Keade finally told them leave her alone and that Kagome tell them when she was ready. Everyone nodded, but Kagome just wasn't the same. She wasn't the Kagome they knew anymore. So every once in a while, one of them tried to get her to talk about it, but nothing worked. They could all see anger and sadness rolling off in waves of both her and Souta. Finally Souta decided to talk.

“Sis, it's too quiet around here. I think it's time to... you know. I want stop for a while.” He said making Kagome look at him.

Kagome nodded. “Yeah I agree. Not even the wind wants to speak. Hey Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, can we take a break?” She looked at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru for first time in two weeks.

Both of them agreed, hoping she would speak to all of them, not just her brother. Ever since she had come back with her brother from the destroyed well neither of them had wanted be touched unless was it was just either of the two by the other.

Inuyasha felt deep in his gut that they were hiding more than a story. The feeling he got was that something bad had happened on the other side of the well.

They stopped near a lake. Shippo and Rin took off into the water with Jaken while everyone else stayed on the grass. Souta gave Kagome some weird containers before taking off his shirt to reveal bruises and a deep cuts. Inuyasha just sat down where he stood, so did everyone else. Once more Kagome spoke.

“When I went home last I found myself alone. Mom and Grandpa were at store and Souta was in woods. I was upstairs changing into my new clothes when Souta came running in. he was beaten black and blue and bleeding. I saw who did this to him. Our uncle Sainto had come to kill us. Mom and Grandpa were already 'gone' before they got back from the store. I had cleaned up Souta before telling him to pack everything that we would need in the Feudal Era while I held our uncle off.

“Souta asked me, 'What about Inuyasha, can he help and get rid of him?' I just shook my head. 'By the time Inuyasha gets through the well we'll be dead. Besides this is personal. No one hurts my little brother. Ever. Its a big sibling rule. So he followed the orders I gave him and by time he was done, I had pushed Sainto down the steps and moved him out into the street were he got run over by a truck. I just turned away, closed the shrine's doors, and sealed them shut. Souta helped me clean up my wounds before we crossed over. I made sure the scent of blood was gone. Keade helped with the rest of the cleaning. That's what happened.” she said as she re-bandaged Souta's wounds.

Sango broke down crying while clinging to Miroku. Inuyasha tried not show pain or the sadness he felt. Sesshomaru was just in shock. Kagome had been through so much and shed not a single tear to show it. That was not something Kagome did. She shared her emotions, everyone knew that.

“Why haven't you cried or eleased any emotion, miko? It is very unlike you. I will not tolerate it any longer.” Sesshomaru said, sitting next to her.

“Oh I would if it wasn't a rule that was made a long time ago when my father was alive. We could only cry and let out our pain when someone close to us died or when it rains. That way no one could tell the difference between the sorrow of death and the rain water on our face.” She said, smiling for first time.

Souta looked at her. “Didn't dad have like five brothers and got raised by his dad since his mom got murdered and that's why he made that rule?” he asked, remembering what mama had told him

“Yep, we will continue this tradition. It looks like it will rain tonight. If it does we may shed our tears over mom and grandpa. after it rains we can no longer do it.” She paused before looking for at Inuyasha. “Inuyasha would you like join us? You were part of the family as well.” She saw him nod before smiling.

She looked over at Sango,who was trying to cope. She smiled sweetly at them before talking to Sango. “Sango could change my bandages later for me. Keade says they should be finished healing by now.” she paused before looked at looking at Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. “No, I'm not going tell you how bad it was so don't even start it. Since I stayed on Ah-Un and I didn't do anything to strain myself it didn't hurt me too much.” She pointed out, causing them all to laugh except for Sesshomaru, who gave small ghostly smile.

Even though Sesshomaru wasn't comfortable with the idea of Inuyasha comforting her, he did understand why Inuyasha had to be the person to do it. Inuyasha was closer to her family than he was. even though had wanted to change that, it was now too late. He would help her with anything her younger brother or she might need from him.

Kagome sat there for while. She felt bad that she had left out Sesshomaru and Miroku. For longest time it was always Inuyasha helping whenever he came through the well but now Souta could rely on Sesshomaru and Miroku to train him and help him grown into an honorable man. She looked over at Miroku. Maybe not so much Miroku. She dismissed Souta with a single touch to his shoulder.

“Can I tell you all something?” She asked watching them all nod.

“Before I met you, Inuyasha, Souta never really had any outside male who was not family for him to count on. But once you started coming around he had someone to look up to besides me. It felt weird at first because he never did that before, but I got used to it once I saw you were actually trying to help him with his problems. I relaxed knowing he had someone else to count on. But now that he's here, he needs to learn more. Sesshomaru, would you mind helping him with anything? You too Miroku, but you teach my little innocent brother anything perverted and you won't have to worry about your wind tunnel or bearing children because I will permanently get rid of both of those parts of you.” She says, a fire burning in her eyes.

Miroku gulped before nodding. “I promise Lady Kagome that I will not teach anything... bad to your little brother.”

Kagome nodded with satisfaction before turning back to Sesshomaru.

“This Sesshomaru will be honored to teach your brother anything he needs to know.” He said smoothly.

Kagome smiled before resuming watching the kids play in water, save Souta who had come back to sit in front of her. He laid his head down on her lap, letting her play with his hair.

Kagome knew what was wrong. Souta was having trouble holding it in. She told him he didn't have to. His head was buried in her lap and she felt his hot tears through her skirt. She just rubbed his back until he fell asleep from the mental exhaustion of crying. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha decided to stay there for the night. There was a cave not far from the lake. then the rain arrived.. It started as a drizzle, but slowly turned into a storm. The three of them remained sitting in the rain, until all of the pain and anger from the deaths and woes was released.

They had finally got their Kagome back and now all they had to do was wait for the rain to stop.

Then their tears would stop falling, and their grief would be cured.

The rain washed away the past and brought forth the future.