Cast-off Of the Half-Breed

By Trinabear

Summary: Kagome doesn't know why Lord Sesshomaru is so hostile towards her whenever they chance to meet. Even though they became somewhat allies in order to defeat Naraku, somehow during the three years she was stuck in her time while the well was sealed, their precarious relationship distingrated. Now she almost fears for her life. She knows it is only a matter of time so she must leave Edo under some believable pretense, so that Sesshomaru will not come after her. And everyone is well aware of just how much dogs love a good chase. You better run Kagome. Run Kagome. Run.

Kagome had planned on keeping out of his way whenever he came to the village to check on Rin. Now she knew she couldn't stay in Edo. At least for several months. She knew that she had insulted him when she found him, injured and unconscious, on the forest floor, and lent him aid. Looking back, Kagome could not fathom how she did it, considering Sesshomaru was so heavy, but she somehow half rolled, half slid him onto a carrier constructed from tree branches and a couple of blankets she had in her leather satchel. Then she proceeded to drag him to a nearby cave to tend to his wounds. She saw signs of a vicious battle, but did not see any enemy remains around in the area. However, the violence upon the land itself was impossible to miss. Trees were broken in half, branches lying scattered helplessly on the forest floor, or rent completely from the earth and cast aside like a gardener would pluck weeds from the garden. It looked like a giant claw had rent up the earth itself, the way it was gouged into deep furrows. She could only guess as to what became of any bodies of the enemy. Sesshomaru either melted the bodies with his poison or, in his Inu form, defeated and ate the enemy. 'Yuck!' She thought. 'At least I will not have to worry about youkai being attracted to the smell of blood and gore. Well, except for the blood from where Sesshomaru was. I will just cover it up with dirt as best as I can and hope that any demons in the area won't be able to smell it.'

After bringing Sesshomaru into the shallow cave, she dismantled the carrier so she could cover him with the blankets and use the tree branches to start a fire. Kagome could only pray that he would remain unconscious while she cleaned and dressed his wounds. She knew Sesshomaru barely tolerated the humans in Edo for Rin's sake, but she knew he probably would not hesitate to kill her for touching him and infecting him with her filthy human hands if he so decided to.

Even though they became somewhat allies in order to defeat Naraku, somehow during the three years she was stuck in her time while the well was sealed, their precarious relationship disintegrated. She knew better than to cross any invisible lines with him. However, she just could not leave him like that. Her conscious would not let her.

Since Inuyasha mated the pretty bat hanyou, Shiori that the Inutachi gang met on their quest for shards and moved away, Kagome didn't really have anyone to champion her if Sesshomaru truly wanted to hurt her. That wasn't saying that Kagome couldn't protect herself. She didn't slouch during those three years at home. Oh no. She received training on her miko abilities, as well as learning the art of swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, and how to fight with various weapons. She also studied the art of medicinal healing with various roots and herbs. She studied like there was no tomorrow because Kagome just knew she wanted to live in the past. She had faith that the well would unseal itself. She just needed to be ready when the time came. Of course, what was three years to a demon with centuries of experience? Sesshomaru could break her like a twig.

So, after cleaning and dressing his wounds, Kagome stocked the cave with firewood, hunted for a small boar and prepared the meat for Sesshomaru. (He would most likely be hungry upon awakening.) She placed the prepared meat on the boar skin near his makeshift pallet, along with some fresh water in a clay pitcher that she found in the cave. Then she waited until Sesshomaru's demon abilities had mostly healed his wounds and she knew that he was out of danger before leaving the cave. Kagome pulled out several sutras from her satchel, charged them with her reiki and placed them just inside the cave entrance. The sutras would ensure that while Sesshomaru could leave the cave, nothing that bore him ill will would be able to enter it. Looking around one last time, Kagome made sure to purify her scent from anything she touched inside the cave, including the clay pot holding the water, Sesshomaru himself and anything else she might have inadvertently touched. Heck, the firewood as well. Then she got the hell out of there and practically half-ran, half-jogged to Edo. She kept her scent and aura hidden the moment she set foot from the cave so she would not lead an angry Daiyoukai on a rampage to the village all the while praying that he wouldn't be able to trace her reiki signature on the sutras.

Even though it was only a few miles to Edo and she was in great physical condition, in her half-panicked state Kagome was surely winded by the time she made it to Kaede's hut. After bursting into the hut looking like the hounds of hell were after her and giving Kaede quite a fright, Kagome explained to the elderly miko what happened. They both decided that it would be best if Kagome went home thru the well for a few months until things died down. Kaede promised to look in on Kagome's hut for her and to let Shippo know where she went when he came back from Kitsune School and to let Koga know that she went home for the Summer to help her Mother, but that she had some gifts for his family. If Sesshomaru came around Kaede would just tell him that Kagome had to go home for 'personal reasons' that she couldn't disclose. Kagome knew he would see right thru that flimsy excuse but it could not be helped. She also knew that Rin would not understand why she was leaving so she asked Kaede not to tell her the truth. Rin seemed to believe that Sesshomaru was testing her abilities or some such thing. However, Kagome knew better. For some strange reason, while Sesshomaru seemed to be rather civil to Kaede, Sango and Miroku, his dislike for Kagome was painfully obvious.

During holidays, special events, or just because, Kagome would give out little presents to everyone. It was not much. Crayons, blankets, drawing pads, etc. Even small candies or other such treats. No one minded. It was just something Kagome did ever since she started to regularly travel back and forth thru the well since she was fifteen. She would take a coin or two, or some other such object that she thought she could sell, and take it back to her time from the Feudal Era. It wasn't too hard to sell such small trinkets. After all, the family shrine had several storage sheds full of anything and everything. It was easy to say that it was uncovered during one of Jiichan's cleaning escapades. Therefore, no one became suspicious and asked questions. At first, she did it because, while ramen was really cheap at fifteen cents a cup, Inuyasha could eat his weight in them at every meal. In addition, gauze, ointment and other first-aid products were somewhat expensive after awhile. Especially with the way the Tachi ran thru it. So every so often Kagome would take something and sell it in her time. She never told the gang how much anything cost though. They just would not understand. I mean in a day and age when a family subsisted on a couple of copper coins for a year, to be told the cost of a box of band-aids was greater that what a family would live on for twenty years was mindboggling! That's what five hundred years of inflation did for an economy. Miroku understood about the money situation. He was the gang's unofficial treasurer. It was Miroku himself even, who originally gave the idea to Kagome to sell trinkets from the past in the present. One day, after stopping to rest after a fruitless day of searching for jewel shards, Miroku placed a small bracelet into Kagome's hands and quietly asked her to sell it in her time. "But Miroku, that village elder gifted you with that bracelet after saving his grand-daughter from that demon last week! I thought you were going to give it to Sango?"

"Kagome, Sango and I discussed it and decided that we would much rather have some of those sleeping futons that you carry around instead. A pretty bracelet, while nice, isn't too practical at night on the cold hard ground. And with Winter on its' way, I feel that it is best to be prepared, just in case Inuyasha decides that we should continue hunting for shards instead of being in Edo in a nice warm hut." They both chuckled. "Yeah, you're right Miroku. Inuyasha isn't one for letting the grass grow under his feet." Kagome remarked. "I'll see what I can do. Perhaps I will even get Shippo one as well. Especially since he is getting bigger and has taken to kicking me in the stomach in the middle of the night sometimes while dreaming."

Unfortunately, it was almost a regular occurrence to have to banish some evil spirit, or what have you from someone's home, in exchange for a meal and a place to sleep. Or else sleep out in the woods on the cold ground. Hungry. Let's face it. Hunting for Naraku was not very profitable back then.

The second reason, Kagome was ashamed to admit, was the fact that her so-called "supply runs" was stretching her families small budget just a bit too much. She didn't realize how much until, early one morning, upon coming back home for a much need bath and to stock up on ramen, she didn't encounter her Mother in the kitchen fixing breakfast but Jiichan himself.

"Morning Jiichan. Umm, where's Momma? She isn't sick is she?" Kagome started to go up the stairs to check on her when Jiichan stopped her. "No Kagome she went to work already." Stunned, Kagome slowly turned around and stared at her grandfather. "What do you mean she went to work?" She slowly asked.

"I mean that Mother of yours got a part-time job at the local grocery store. What I don't understand is why. We have enough income from the shrine, unless she is wanting some fancy new gadget for the kitchen or some such and now I have to fend for myself in the kitchen blah blah blah" he rambled on and on. Kagome tuned him out as she sat down at the table and thought to herself, 'Momma got a job to help make ends meet? Why? I know the shrine doesn't make that much money but we have never had to struggle before. It can't be because of my supply runs. Can it? Surely the Tachi gang doesn't cost us that much money.' Kagome thought about what she needed on her list and started to think about how much everything cost. 'Oh no! This is all my fault! I am the reason Momma took that job! My supply runs are costing us a fortune! Why didn't she say anything?' You know why Kagome, that same small voice whispered to her, your Momma would tell you that a fifteen-year old shouldn't have to worry about the household budget. 'And a fifteen-year old shouldn't be wondering around Feudal Japan fighting demons either, but I am.' She angrily thought. Kagome felt in her pocket for the bracelet Miroku gave her. 'Well I won't be a burden on this family anymore. Miroku, you have given me the best idea in the world! I would hug you right now if you were here! Well, perhaps not. You would take advantage of that. From now on, I will do what I can to help support this family too! Now to have a little heart to heart talk with Momma!" And that's what Kagome did.

After many hugs, tears and tissues, Kagome and her Mom came to an agreement. Kagome would bring back something to sell every time she came back for a "supply run" and, if there was any money left over, Momma would use it however she saw fit. Momma would quit her job with the grocery store and stay home for Souta's sake. "After eating some of Jiichan's cooking, I think that his friends are getting a little tired of him showing up at their homes during meal times." Momma chuckled.

Now of course, when Kagome came back that summer after three long years, she had plenty of gifts for her "Feudal Era Family", as she liked to think of them fondly. A messenger was dispatched to Inuyasha, per his orders as soon as she came back, so he came and brought his little family for a special reunion. Kagome cooed over his one-year old twins, appropriately named Yuichi, (brave first son) and Yuji, (brave second son) with their violet eyes, silver hair and furry little ears. Kagome just could not resist touching the velvety softness of those ears while the twins giggled. Inuyasha and Shiori were so proud. As for Koga, after the destruction of Naraku, upon uniting the wolf demon tribes, mated Ayame. He sent special greetings by way of Ginta and Hakkaku. Ayame was close to giving birth and he couldn't leave. Nevertheless, he would be sure to visit next summer and bring Ayame and their little cubs with him then. Moreover, later that same Fall that Kagome came back, after Inuyasha and his brood left, Lord Sesshomaru showed up with Rin to stay in the village that winter. Kagome tried to gift the young girl with a small cloth doll and a change of kimono dresses she had sewn herself. Kagome had to wait a couple of weeks after Rin came back because Sesshomaru's gift wasn't ready and she wanted to present them at the same time. She presented Rin's gift first. She had Sesshomaru's gift still in her bag in Kaede's hut. To say that Sesshomaru didn't like Kagome giving Rin a gift was an understatement. Sesshomaru became almost violent, snatching the toy and melting it with his poison, right in front of everyone.

"How dare you try to purchase this one's wards affections in this hateful manner!" he snarled at the little miko. "No, I wasn't! I give out small gifts to everyone all of the time! I even gave Shippo and the other village children toys when I returned! I didn't mean to-"

"Why did you wait to present my ward with this trash? Are you trying to say that this Sesshomaru cannot provide adequately for his own ward?!" His eyes turned pink around the edges. "N-no no!" Kagome stuttered. "That's not what I-"

"Silence Miko! From now on if Rin requires anything this Sesshomau will provide it. Not some filthy cast-off of the half-breed." Everyone gasped! "Hey!" Kagome shouted. "Where do you get off saying that to me you jerk?"

Quick as a flash Sesshomaru's claws found their way around Kagome's throat as he lifted her five-foot frame up into the air until she was level with his own citrine orbs at his six and one half foot height.

"Watch what you say to this Sesshomau Miko, you do not have the half breed to hide behind anymore." He snarled venomously, allowing the tips of his claws to slightly dig into the soft skin of her throat. Tiny pinpricks of blood appeared as small dots on her skin. Kagome winced from the stinging sensation his claws caused. She could only hold onto his wrist with both hands, struggling to breathe, legs dangling helplessly almost two feet from the ground.

Seeing the miko's face starting to turn different shades of red, Sesshomaru carelessly dropped her to the ground before casually strolling off, leaving her coughing and sputtering on the ground.

Everyone was stunned. Even Rin was silent. She knew better than to even mourn the loss of something she barely even got to see, much less hold in her hands.

A few days later Jaken appeared and, looking almost apologetically at Kagome, presented Rin with gifts from Lord Sesshomaru himself. There were several exquisitely crafted boxes of various sizes of sweet smelling cedar wood. Each was hand carved and painted with various scenes of court life, featuring elegant ladies of the court with Rin's name written in delicate kanji on the lid of each box. The latches were constructed of pure silver and sparkled brightly in the firelight. As Rin opened box after box, she revealed the loviest china dolls that Kagome had ever seen. The faces were painted in the fashion of court ladies of that day and age, complete with white faces, red bow lips and thinly arched eyebrows. Each doll was different, with its own wardrobe complete with sleeping and bathing yukata, bathing supplies, geta sandals with tabi socks, silken kimono with matching obi, hair ornaments, miniature brushes, combs, etc. Every little girls dream doll fantasy come to life.

The boxes, Kagome noticed, when placed together in a certain order, showed a complete story of a day in the life at court. She also noted that the exquisite kimono the dolls had were featured on various ladies painted on the boxes that the kimono resided in. As she studied the details more closely, Kagome saw that the faces on the boxes were exactly like the dolls'. Only a true master could have carved and painted the little works of art. Only a youkai could have done it in the few days it took Sesshomaru to return to his palace and for Jaken to return. Whoever did this not only worked both night and day, but had to work in conjunction with whoever made up the dolls' faces and clothes. Kagome could only wonder at the cost of such gifts. The dolls each had beautiful long black hair, going down to their tiny china feet when unbound. "Look Kagome!" Rin cried. "Their hair is black with a little wave to it just like yours is! And their eyes are blue too!" Sure enough, when Kagome looked closely, at the dolls, she saw that their eyes were blue indeed.

'Huh.' Thought Kagome. 'I wonder what kind of message the great Lord Sesshomaru is sending me with that. It definitely can't be that I am as pretty as one of those court ladies. That's a laugh. Of course I doubt Lord Sesshomaru has a sense of humor. I know he is trying to tell me something. I just don't know what. Oh well. I don't care. He is probably just trying to mock me or something. Who knows?' Nevertheless, a small voice whispered inside of her, you do care Kagome. Even if just a little bit. It still hurts.

Kagome saw that the dolls sported real hair. 'Well, duh Kagome. Of course they would. Synthetic hair hasn't been invented yet. Not that Sesshomaru would have fake hair on those dolls!' She idly wondered what demoness the hair came from.'Surely Sesshomaru wouldn't allow disgusting human hair to grace those dolls' heads!' She angrily thought.

While Kagome had these thoughts, and more, racing around inside her head, she just nodded and smiled at Rin while Sango, Miroku, their three children and Kaede looked on. She couldn't say a word. No really, she couldn't. Sesshomaru had damaged her throat so badly that Kaede forbad her speaking for at least a week to be sure that there wasn't any lasting damage to her voice box. The bruises took longer to heal. Kagome wore scarves to cover her throat to keep people from staring. Lucky for it was starting to turn chilly so she used that as an excuse for the scarves. She definately would not go home until she was fully healed. 'If Momma saw this she would forbid me from ever returning here!'

Kagome realized, that, as generous as little Rin was with sharing her toys, none of the village children would touch those dolls, much less play with them, for fear of incurring the Lords' wrath. And Rin wouldn't want to take them outside for fear of getting the dolls dirty or causing them damage anyway. It would be a good toy for the winter while one was cooped up inside but as soon as it became warm outside, the dolls would be left, forgotten inside the wooden boxes. Rin was naturally an exuberant child with lots of energy and was used to the outdoors and traveling. She wasn't like a regular nobleman's daughter of this age, dressed up like a china doll on display herself all of the time and not allowed outdoors unless it was for show. Rin needed toys that she wouldn't be afraid of damaging. Hence the small cloth doll and cotton kimonos. It could be easily mended and washed. Kagome had sewn the two kimonos for the doll herself. She can still feel the prick of the needle every time she missed a stitch. Oh well, it taught her how to sew properly. She knew she would need all the experience she could get.

After the doll incident, Kagome tried to stay out of Sesshomaru's way as much as possible, without it looking like she was avoiding him. No use in letting him start thinking of her prey now.

That first Winter was easy, as he didn't visit the village but only once. He had Jaken deliver clothing and other such items for Rin while riding Ah-Un during the Winter. But Kagome knew that come next Spring he would be here several times a month like he has during the past three years while she was gone. Then he would take Rin traveling during the Summer months before returning her to Edo in the fall.

Kagome had all winter long to look at those dolls while Rin played with them for hours on end. And, while Rin practically bagged Kagome to play dolls with her, Kagome would gently refuse. She knew that Sesshomaru would be able to smell her scent on the toys. She shuttered to think of what he would say or do then.

To say that Kagome was hurt was an understatement. While she was happy for Rin, Kagome herself wanted to cry. After having Inuyasha call her names like, wench, shard detector and not good enough, all the while chasing off any possible male company (whether she wanted it or not,) for her, he would run off to the undead miko. But, she realized that she only had a schoolgirl crush for the hanyou and that Inuyasha was just too immature, too much like a spoiled little brother just having to get his way all of the time. Only with the strength of several grown men to back up his spoiled ways. But, eventually he did grow up. Some. Thank goodness for Shiori. She really helped him along. Now she has to deal with his older brother. Correction. Half brother. Ugh! She knew the Inu Lord held no feelings of goodwill towards her, but to think that she would try to bribe a child for their affection! That's even worse that Inuyasha accusing her of flirting with Koga and leading him on! As if!

Sesshomaru's accusations made her question herself every time she thought about going home that Winter to her time to restock on supplies and, while shopping, start to pick up something that she thought her friends would like, whether it was a new scented soap for Sango, a toy for Shippo, ointment for Kaede's joints or paper for Miroku. She kept a small supply of wooden toys and small candies in Kaede's hut to be given to the village children for being good after coming to the old miko for treatment. Like the time little Janrui broke his arm and was bedridden for over a month. His mom still thanks Kagome for the small wooden dog and top. It helped him to while away the time in bed when he wasn't sleeping off the healing tea Kaede kept brewing for him to drink to help with the healing and the pain.

Even Jaken was amazed at how his Lord seemed to go out of his way to insult the miko and how she seemed to avoid him. He looked discretely at the dark brown leather bag that Kagome gave him to help him carry various odds and ends around, hanging off of Ah-Uns saddle underneath some other bags. It was stamped with the crescent moon on the top flap while his name was burned into the leather underneath. He hoped that his Lord wouldn't notice it and make him give it back to Kagome or worse, destroy it like he did with the cloth doll. Ah-Un was also graced with the miko's generosity, for inside the leather bag was another bag made of a strange, but quite sturdy material, that when opened held some kind of sweet smelling type of grain-like substance. The miko explained to him that it was a kind of treat food for Ah-Un for when Jaken thought that the dragon steed was being good. Just to be careful and not let the dragon gorge himself. She didn't want him to make himself sick. Ah-Un not only seemed to enjoy the sweet feed, but also understood that he had to behave himself for Jaken in order to receive the "treat". Even Lord Sesshomaru commented on how much better Ah-Un was behaving for Jaken. He wanted to cry tears of joy! Lord Sesshomaru gave him, Jaken, his most loyal vassal a compliment and didn't stomp on him! Jaken really needed to get more of that sweet feed from the Lady Miko.

Now Kagome and Jaken didn't see eye to eye on a great many things. Their first introduction to each other all those years ago was not the way to start any kind of a um, loving relationship. But Kagome did start to respect the Kappa. Especially after witnessing firsthand him fiercely protecting Rin against a tiger demon early that Spring before she found Sesshomaru in the woods. Poor Jaken was gravely injured and had slept for days after that attack. Rin didn't even suffer a scratch. That is when Kagome gave him the leather bag filled with the feed. She told him it was in honor of protecting Lord Sesshomaru's ward. Of course, Lord Sesshomaru wasn't around at the time Jaken received this auspicious gift. Moreover, Jaken knew better than to tell him about it. Even a year after he received that gift, Jaken kept it hidden underneath the other saddlebags stashed on Ah-Un. Just in case. Of course Kagome was going to gift Jaken with the leather bag before the tiger demon episode anyway. But with the way Sesshomaru acted about the doll, she just didn't know if the little Kappa would accept it or not. She thought that he wouldn't take it on the basis that it came from a filthy human, but realized that he would probably be even more afraid if Sesshomaru found out about it. Still, Kagome made sure to give Jaken the bag when no one was around to see. Not even Rin. She didn't want anyone to accidently say anything about it in front of Lord Sesshomaru. Jaken took the present. However reluctantly. She hoped he wouldn't get into trouble for it.