"From deepest despair to new found hope"

by Hentai Jane

CHAPTER 6

White illumination beamed from the four 60 watt bulbs that dominated the center of the kitchen chandelier. A sudden flicker from one of the bulbs brought Inuyasha'a attention away from the hungry girl sitting across from him. Groceries were scarce in his home, but Inuyasha always kept snacks around for those intolerable cases of the midnight munchies.

Rin was eating an oatmeal bar, accompanied by a giant bowl of ice cream with two bananas smothered in chocolate sauce, and a tall glass of root beer. It amazed him how one small girl could pack away so much food in a single setting. 'I don't think it'll take long for Rin to gain weight.' he thought as she inhaled the food.

The young girl eagerly dug into the bowl of ice cream with a table spoon. Inuyasha watched with glee in his eyes as she shoveled down one spoonful after another. The sides of her mouth were smudged with the off white color of vanilla ice cream and dots of chocolate "Geez Rin, slow down. The bowl ain't gonna run away ya know." His sarcastic tone ignited the indignant spark that had been buried while under the care of Naraku.

"Why should I?"she replied smartly, "You said I could eat as much as I want, and I plan on doing that." With that said, Rin dug in hungrily, swallowing a few more mouth fulls.

"Do what ya want, but don't blame me when you get 'brain freeze'!" Inuyasha barked back at her playfully.

She glanced at him but didn't stop her assault on the sweet treat. Three bites later, she paused for a moment to lick a stubborn piece of banana that was stuck to the underside of her spoon. "Puh-leeze!" Rin rolled her eyes at him, "Like I'd ever have to worry about that! I used to eat a lot of ice cream when I lived with my other owners and nothing like that EVER happened to..."

Inuyahsa watched her closely as her mouth stopped in mid sentence. A look of complete and utter shock crossed Rin's cute face as her hands came up to massage her temples. "What have you done to me Inuyasha?" Her tone was accusing as she glared at her new owner, "You jinxed me!!"

Inuyasha allowed a smug grin to tilt his mouth upward, displaying one shinny white fang to his guest. "Maybe next time you'll listen when someone older and wiser tries to tell you something little girl!" 'That'll piss her off!' Inuyasha thought happily as he watched Rin's face twist with anger and pain. He felt as though he knew this girl his entire life, yet they had only been acquainted for a few hours.

"Little girl!!??" she shouted, "I am not a little girl, I am 15 years old! And when I meet someone 'wise' I'll be sure to listen to their advice!" Rin paused, painfully realizing the torture she brought on her self. "Ouuccchhh... my head hurts!"

The hanyou shook his head as Rin rested her forehead against the table top. 'Oh yeah, she's perfect for him!' Inuyasha mentally patted himself on the back for discovering this 'match made in heaven'.

Before he could make any more witty remarks to provoke Rin, Kaeda entered the room, giving Inuyasha a serious look. He knew they needed to talk, alone.

"So are you finally full?" he asked Rin.

"I never want to see another bowl of ice cream as long as I live." Rin grumbled. Throbbing jolts of pain radiated through her skull, making her miss the doctor's entrance.

"What is the matter Rin?"

Rin looked up at Kaeda, "I am suffering from a major case of brain freeze!"

Kaeda rubbed her and over Rin's shoulder while giving her a sympathetic smile, "Drink some warm water, that will take away your headache."

Being the gentleman that Inuyasha fancied himself as, gave Rin a warm glace of water and two acetaminophen. "Take these and call me in the morning." he said, knowing Rin couldn't pass up an opportunity to snap back.

*Grrr* she growled at him, "Why didn't you tell me to drink warm water sooner, huh smart guy?"

Inuyasha gave her a bored look as he yawned and stretched, "I thought you only took advice from people you considered wise?"

"You insensitive jerk!" Rin covered her mouth with both hands, looking mortified at her outburst. She prayed that he had a good sense of humor and would let her go unpunished for her lack of good judgement.

She was relieved when he nearly doubled over laughing. Kaeda smiled, knowing that Inuyasha loved being around people he could spar with in both a mental and physical sense.

Kaeda observed the hanyou as he continued to chuckle at Rin's pale face, "Rin, let me give you the same advice I gave to Kagome: Don't be afraid of Inuyasha. He has a big mouth, but his bark is much worse than his bite." The doctor winked at her, knowing full well what his next reaction would be.

"HEY!" Inuyasha straightened up instantly, locking accusing eyes on the old doctor, "That's no fair! Now I have two women teaming up on me!"

"Dr. Kaeda, when you said his 'bark' do you mean that he is a dog demon?" Rin asked in an inquisitive voice.

"He is technically half dog demon and half human." Kaeda knowledgeably answered.

"Feh! What the hell did you think I was?" Inuyasha snorted as his amber eyes narrowed at Rin.

"Well, I thought with the pointy ears and claws, that you were a cat."

"WHAT?!!" his loud voice boomed though the house, causing a near by vase to shake, "You can't be serious! You really think I look like some litter scratchin', hair ball hackin', ass lickin' CAT??!!"

'Should I be afraid?' Rin thought for a split second of observing his angry red face, 'Nah! I'm gonna have fun with this!' She tried her best to suppress the amused grin that treated to show itself before she answered the enraged INU hanyou. She placed her right foot behind her left as she tapped her chin, appearing to be thinking something over, "Dogs lick their butts too!" And with that last remark she spun around running, leaving a shocked hanyou and doctor to stare at the spot she occupied only a second ago. Her frantic giggling echoed from the left hallway, leading to the bathroom she had used earlier.

"That little wench!" Inuyasha was about to go after her when a firm hand grabbed his sensitive ear. "Ouch!"

"Hold on a minute Inuyasha." Kaeda looked at him with suspicious eyes, "Before you go after young Rin with mock anger, explain to this old woman why you are so playful with her?"

Inuyasha straightened his back once she released his ear. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.

"You really have to ask me that? I babysat you, changed your diapers, gave you your vaccinations.."

Inuyasha held his hands in front of him, "Alright, alright, I get your point!" he glanced at the hallway Rin ducked in. Seeing that they were alone, he continued, "I bought Rin for Sesshomaru! I knew from the way she spoke to us at the slave dealer's that, if she felt safe, she would be outspoken and fun! Mr. Stiff Ass needs someone to turn his perfect world upside down."

"Do you really think that is wise? What if he hates her?" Kaeda was very concerned with this hair brained idea of Inuyasha's. She knew Sesshomaru as well as anyone possibly could. He was an odd man who kept his feelings to himself. As a baby, he was very quiet and never cried, not even when he got his first shots. He always seemed so distant and detached from his surroundings. This worried Kaeda for the longest time, but as he grew, she noticed that his IQ level was higher than the average child. He loved his father, step mother and Inuyasha all though these affections were not shown through hugs and kisses like most children. Instead, Sesshomaru gave them a high level of respect and strode to be the best at everything, which made Inuyasha jealous of his older sibling. They were exact opposites. Inuyasha was impulsive and hot headed, while Sesshomaru considered the consequences of his actions and meaning behind his rarely spoken words.

"I'm 100% positive that he'll fall in love with her." Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest, showing Kaeda his familiar cocky attitude.

"And why is that?" she sounded so full of doubt as she eyed his arrogant stance.

"Because she's not like the other women Sesshomaru hangs around! All he ever meets are these stuffy up tight wenches who don't know how to joke around or have fun! They're too afraid of messing up their hair or wrinkling their designer clothes." Inuyasha stuck out his tongue pretending he had a bad taste in his mouth. "You should have seen the last so called woman he brought home for dinner. She had on so much makeup that it would've taken a chisel remove it!" Inuyasha laughed at the memory. "Tammy Fae Baker looked natural compared to that wench!"

Kaeda got a vivid mental picture of who Inuyasha was talking about, but she couldn't laugh with him, she needed to be serious. "Still, I think it would be better if Sesshomaru chose his own lady friends."

Rin poked her head around the corner, "Hey doggie, aren't you going to come get me?" she teased, flexing her legs as she prepared to run.

"Feh! I'll let you slide this time girlie, but only because I'm in a good mood." Inuyasha hooked his arm around Rin's shoulders, taking her in the direction of an empty guest room. "Be right back." he called to Kaeda.

"This is your room." he said to Rin.

"It's kind of small." she said haughtily, watching Inuyasha out of the corner of her eyes.

"Ingrate." he mumbled. "Go to bed, I need to talk to Kaeda." Rin turned down the floral print comforter and slipped between the sheets.

"Ahh...this feels so good!" she exclaimed. She noticed that Inuyasha was about to leave the room when she called out to him.

One of his white ears twitched as he turned to acknowledge her, "What now?" he snapped.

Rin recognized the mischievous edge to his voice. "Good night Inuyasha." she gave him a sweet smile, full of innocence and laughter as she closed her eyes.

Guilt pulled at his soul. 'Rin is a great girl. How do I tell her that she won't be living with me?' "Good night." He replied before closing her door.

Kaeda sat at the kitchen table, absently picking at a loose string on her black bag. She laid out a stack of sample medications and a metal tube of what appeared to be ointment.

Inuyasha sat down, eyeing her with great concern as she started to speak. "She has an upper respiratory infection and her tonsils are swollen. These antibiotics should clear up that problem, along with the injury on her cheek. Give her a tablet tonight, then one in the morning and one before bed for the next ten days." She slid the packets of medication over to him, which he placed in a plastic container to avoid losing any. "You'll also need this ointment to dry up her lip and cheek wound. Change the bandage on her cheek a least twice a day or more often if she gets it dirty or wet. Do you need bandages?"

"No. I have a first aid kit in my closet with plenty of bandages."

"Good." Kaeda rubbed her aged hands together before speaking again. "Inuyasha, I have no doubts that I can heal her physical wounds, but I cannot erase her emotional scars. As you have seen, she is frightened of everyone, even me, an old woman." She laid one of her hands over his clawed hand, "Are you sure you want to take on a responsibility such as this? Kagome reminds me of an abused child that has been locked away. People like that are hard to treat and even harder to live with."

His golden eyes darkened with sadness, "Can she be helped Kaeda?"

"I don't know." was her soft response. "Do you know anything about her past?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "Not really. All I know for sure is that bastard Naraku beat her constantly. Rin mentioned something about him asking her questions and then hitting her if she didn't give him the answers he wanted, but besides that, she is a stranger to me."

"Sometimes, with intense psychotherapy, these victims can over come their past traumas, but some never get past what was done to them. In other words, the terrified girl you see now could be the same girl you see in 5 years, no matter what treatment she receives."

"Can't you give her medication? Wouldn't that help ease her emotional pain?" Inuyasha asked, reaching for any small thread of hope.

"There are medications for many illnesses, but what good will it do her? She, like all abuse victims, must face the past and let the pain out before they can walk down the road to recovery." Kaeda had to look away from his disheartened expression. "Perhaps it would be best if you put her in a hospital and let the doctors sort out her problems."

"I can't do that Kaeda. When I found her, she was laying in a dog cage, dressed in wet filthy clothing and shivering. I promised Kagome that I would take care of her, protect her, and I will keep my promise. She is special to me, I can't just kick her out because she carries a ton of emotional baggage. No, she'll stay here with me and we'll fight her fears together."

"You are a good hanyou Inuyasha." her eyes sparkled with approval of his heart felt words. The old doctor knew that when Inuyasha put his mind to it, he could accomplish the impossible. "My prayers are with you and Kagome. I'll say a few extra prayers for Rin and Sesshomaru. I have a feeling they'll need it." Kaeda winked at Inuyasha. "In the mean time, I want to see both girls in my office before the end of the week. They need blood work so I can check their cell counts and look for things like anemia. You also need to buy them some one a day vitamins and feed them as often as possible, but don't give them a bunch of junk food like Rin was eating! I don't want to see Kagome in ten years dying from clogged arteries because you didn't teach her proper nutrition."

"Yes ma'am!" Inuyasha saluted.

"Smart ass." Kaeda mumbled under her breath.

Inuyasha's grinned, his ears twitched, catching the barely audible words.

Kaeda pulled her sweater over her shoulders and bid Inuyasha farewell. When he was sure that the doctor was in her car and safely cruising down the street, he shut the door and locked the top deadbolt.

Inuyasha filled a small cup with water, grabbed one of the foil sealed packets and headed for Kagome's room. He peeked inside, seeing her curled up in a fetal position, sleeping soundly with the blankets pulled over her chin. 'This should go over like a heard of cattle.' Inuyasha thought as he approached the her bed.

Trying to be as quiet as possible so he wouldn't scare her, Inuyasha sat the cup and meds on the night stand. "Kagome." he whispered. She did not respond. "Kagome." his voice was a little louder this time, but she continued to sleep.

A clawed hand nudged her through the thick comforter that was tightly wrapped around her body.

"Hmm...." Kagome shifted, brining her partially closed, sleep fogged eyes open with a sudden start, "KYYAAAAA!!" she screamed as her small hand shot out like a flash of light, connecting with Inuyasha's cheek. She would've nailed him square in the nose if he hadn't turned so quickly. Kagome was startled to see bight amber eyes staring into her own blue orbs when she awoke. Her slap was more of a defense mechanism brought on by years of abuse, than a method of punishment for anyone who woke her up.

Inuyasha sat on the floor, sprawled out with one arm behind his back to brace his upper body and his other hand rubbing his battered face. To say her slap surprised him was an understatement. He sat for moment just looking at her with a stunned expression, "What the hell did you hit me for?" he demanded.

Kagome's face went as pale as death as she crawled backward across the bed. Her eyes never left him as she watched his every move. He stood up, sporting the deep red hand print on his left cheek, "Feh! And here Kaeda's worried about you not recovering." he grumbled as he fixed his eyes on her. "You've got more backbone than I thought."

Waves of fear drifted from her as Inuyasha sniffed the air, "Look Kagome, I'm not mad, so please don't worry about slapping me." He backed up, blocking the door way when he saw her glancing at it. She was going to bolt out of the room any minute, but Inuyasha was determined not to let her.

"Kaeda wanted me to give you some medicine." he motioned to the night stand, "That's why I woke you up."

Kagome gave the package a quick look before backing away from him and edging herself around the bed, so it was between them, "Is that all you wanted?" she asked him.

"Yeah...are you hungry? Rin had a snack and..."

"Get out."

Inuyasha blinked at her harsh words. "Excuse me?" 'I must have heard her wrong.' he thought as he looked at her stoic face.

"I said, get out." she repeated, her words colder this time than before.

Inuyasha drew in a deep breath as he watched her sharp blue eyes burn a hole though his body. Her hate and fear of him was obvious in the hard look she was giving him. "I'll go then, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me." He left the room with his ears drooping, leaving her to do whatever she wanted.

'That was close.' Kagome stretched across her bed as she stared at the ceiling. Naraku would have killed her if she spoke to him in such a way. This man, Inuyasha, didn't seem like the violent type who enjoyed beating women. To nights encounter was a test of her theory, which he passed with flying colors. The slap was unintentional, but her words were meant to provoke his anger. 'What does it matter?' Kagome questioned herself. 'He could treat me like a princess, yet in the end I'll still leave.' A plan formed in her mind as she laid in the quiet darkness. Gradually she would sneak food in her room or maybe hide it outside in some place where animals couldn't get to it. She'd observe the land surrounding his home until she found a safe place to hide. Eventually she would move on and find a place far away from him to live. As soon as she was well enough to escape her dog eared owner, Kagome would make a break for it. She smiled at the thought of freedom with all the privileges free people had. She wanted to get a job and make her own money. For once, Kagome wanted to eat what she liked and sleep or watch TV when she had free time. No longer would any master tell her what to do.

Inuyasha stripped off his shirt, discarding it in one of the over filled hampers. 'I wish she acted like Rin. At least then I'd be able to have a conversation with her.' He reached in his top drawer to get a loose fitting T-shirt and shorts. From the first moment he laid eyes o her, Kagome dominated his every thought.

The white brilliance of the full moon beamed through his window, drawing him to pull back the white sheers and open the window to gaze at it's beauty. "Mother," Inuyasha spoke out loud to the starry night sky, "I know you're watching over me. I won't forget what you taught me as a pup. I may not have listened to you like I should have, but I'll make you proud of me. I'll show you the good man I have grown to be." his words were carried on the night breeze, "I think I love her, mother."

A chorus of crickets sang in the distant fields, bringing back memories of happier days when he was pup and his mother still lived.

Exhausted from the tangle of emotions that wrapped around his heart, Inuyasha flopped down on his bed, letting one leg hang over the side. "I will heal her, and set her heart free."

With that final vow, the hanyou drifted off to sleep.