A Woman Scorned

Chapter 17-

Sesshoumaru all but roared in rage. He had sent his children to his father's house, refusing to let them see him in this state…so weak. It was horrible. He could not find Kagome anywhere. The GPS had been disabled in her car, she hadn't used any credit cards nor had she been seen anywhere at all for the past two weeks. He sighed, and let his head fall into his hands. His phone buzzed in his pants pocket and he sluggishly reached for it.

"Hello?" he answered gruffly.

"Takahashi, where is my daughter?" Dean Higurashi calmly inquired.

Sesshoumaru shot up in his seat.

"She has not been to work, no one can contact her, Toga said he hasn't seen you or Kagome in weeks. I assume you haven't seen your children either. So I ask you again. Where is my daughter?"

Sesshoumaru had a lot of rage pent up inside of him and he knew he was more than a little scary when some of that rage was let out, but Dean was a different kind of scary. He was that old mafia man kind of scary and Sesshoumaru knew it was foolish to get on his wrong side. So he told him the truth. Well, some of it anyways.

"Dean, listen. We had a fight, it was pretty bad. She left and I haven't seen her since. I can't find her, Dean. I don't know where she is, how she's doing. I don't even fucking know if she's alive," Sesshoumaru sobbed genuinely.

There was a long, tense silence on the line.

"Son, two weeks. Two fucking weeks! And you didn't think to pick up the bloody phone?!" Dean's screams exploded from the phone speaker.

"That is my daughter! I trusted you to take care of her and you fucking lose her?! Is she a bloody pet? You better hope I don't find her before you do. And you better hope she's okay. One hair displaced on her head and I'll eat your fucking eyeballs for lunch."

Beep.

The conversation had ended and Sesshoumaru was fucked.

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Naraku smiled softly at Kagome. Her bruised face was still mostly a violent shade of purple, but she managed to smile back at him, even though he could tell it hurt for her to do so. Her face looked terrible, and he struggled to see the happy, beautiful, carefree Kagome he had fallen in love with. But all was not lost. Her ribs were healing just fine and most importantly, her baby was safe.

Baby.

"How do you feel?" he asked gingerly, immediately regretting it.

"Like I was hit by a bus," she attempted to joke.

Naraku didn't laugh. He clenched his hands over the spoon he held and fed her another mouthful of apple and cinnamon oatmeal, her favourite.

"Naru, please don't do anything stupid," she pleaded with him, trying to catch his eye.

He remained silent, mixing her porridge, cooling it in the process.

"Naraku."

He looked up at her, swollen, tear filled eyes and felt his composure begin to break.

He hastily averted his eyes, not wanting her to see him cry.

"Naraku, I'm fine. I'm alive. Please, don't do anything stupid," she pleaded again.

"You're fine? Broken ribs and bruises is fine?" he sneered at her, angry that she would deny him revenge.

"Look at what he did to you, Kagome. No. I will not…. I cannot let him get away with this. I'm sorry."

It was Kagome's turn to remain silent. She looked down at her stomach, obviously think about the child she was about to bring into this world; into this hideous, violent, broken life.

"I can't do this anymore, Naraku."

Naraku paused his heavy, angry breaths. He sat in silence for a few minute, hoping she would elaborate, but no explanation came.

"Kagome…?"

"I can't live this life anymore. Everyone I love, everyone I know they all hurt me in the end. What's the point of it all? I thought I had the perfect ending- married my college sweetheart, beautiful children, and more money than I could ever need- but I was wrong. Life is so much more than trying to be the perfect mother, or the perfect wife or even a good friend. I just can't do this anymore."

She was calm. She didn't cry; he knew she'd done enough of that. She just stared blankly ahead, not looking at anything, yet still looking at everything.

He got up a little while after and left the room, but he doubted she noticed. He shut the door behind him and went to the kitchen to pour himself a drink.

"Naraku what have you gotten yourself into?" he sighed, picking up his phone and dialling the one person he knew would be able to help him.

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Kagome had not moved since Naraku had left her. She couldn't move. She had no reason to move. She just sat there, reminding herself to breathe. Her mind cruelly judged her.

This is your big revenge? This is how you repay Sesshoumaru for humiliating and violating you? By running and hiding?

Oh how the mighty had fallen. She was so certain that she would have Sesshoumaru grovelling at her feet. She was so certain she would see the end of his reign. She was so certain she would make him feel every bit of pain he had caused her. And yet, here she was- a pathetic joke of a hospital patient unable to even feed herself.

She was an embarrassment.

She heard Naraku's gentle knock on the door and called for him to enter.

Her mouth would have dropped open if her swollen face would have allowed it.

Despite her loss for words, she managed to let out a whisper, "Sango?"

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Sango shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot as Kagome stared at her.

"Kagome, I-" she began, but she saw the anger in Kagome's eyes and decided to choose her next words more carefully.

"Naraku called me," she stuttered.

Kagome's face remained expressionless as she turned her head away from Sango, too proud to be seen in such a state.

"I don't expect you to talk to me. It's okay if you don't. I know what I deserve. But you don't deserve this. Kagome, you were- no you are my best friend. I screwed up. I know it's an understatement but I screwed up. I don't want you to go through this alone. I don't care if you kick me, slap me, bite me, or just ignore me, but I can't leave you alone, not like this."

Kagome continued to look away from Sango. The silence hung heavily in the room.

"Why did you come?" Kagome asked.

"What?"

"Why did you come here?" she repeated.

Sango was confused.

"Why wouldn't I come?"

"After all those things I said to you….after I called you all those names….after I screamed at you…humiliated you. Why would you come?"

Sango smiled forlornly. She sat in the seat Naraku had left next to Kagome's bed.

"Do you remember when I lent you the bracelet my father had left me? You lost it and I was so mad at you. I don't think I've ever been angrier in my life. I felt so betrayed. I thought you of all people would cherish the one thing I had left to remind of my father. I told you to leave me alone and to forget we were ever friends," Sango chuckled at this.

"I called you everything I could possibly think of, and if I remember correctly, you didn't go down without a fight either. I hadn't spoken to you in almost a month- I guess now that feels like nothing huh?- when I found out Kohaku's chemo wasn't doing much for him anymore. I was devastated but I had too much pride to call you and apologise. When I got the call to come to the hospital, there you were. I don't know how, but there you were, waiting for me. You didn't say anything; you just held my hand and stayed with me. You stayed with me in that room and held my hand as I watched my little brother die. You stayed with me when I could not talk to anyone. You were there for me when I need you most."

She reached out with her right hand and wiped a tear from Kagome's cheek and her left hand grasped Kagome's.

"That's why I'm here, Kagome. I'm just here to hold your hand."

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Emotionally draining week…but then again I guess they say grief is often the best inspiration. I hope you enjoy this one….thanks for all the love and encouragement in the reviews guys. I LUV YO FACES- SoMeWhErE iN tHe MiDdLe...