This was written as a response to the "What was once lost" challenge on Dokuga. All characters are humans, but have the same appearance as in the anime, just without their markings
The Truth She Couldn't Share by ~Wick3d Ang3l~
"Kagome, where are you going?" her friend Eri whispered as the girl stood from her crouched position.
"I heard someone scream, I want to go check it out," the girl replied. Kagome Higurashi was always the brave one out of the quartet of friends, but she was usually the smart one as well. Today her friends decided she was not being very smart.
Yuka grabbed her arm and held her back. "I really don't think this is a good idea."
"What if someone is hurt?"
"We'll just call the police..." her friend Ayumi pleaded.
Kagome shook her head. "They'll take too long. I'll be right back."
The three girls looked at each other, fear evident in their features, not just for their friend, but for themselves as well.
Kagome gave them a reassuring glance then disappeared further into the building. A gunshot echoed through the building.
"Hey! Get back here!" she called. There was a scuffle of footsteps and another gunshot. She looked down and saw the blood, but didn't feel any pain. Her eyes were wide in shock as she looked up at the man holding the gun. She could feel her consciousness slipping away. The sound of sirens assaulted her ears then there was silence.
---
Kagome shot up in a cold sweat, her hand going directly to the scar on her abdomen. It had been two years since that night, but it felt like it had just happened.
"Are you okay?" came a concerned voice from beside her. A calming hand was placed on her shoulder and she relaxed into welcoming arms.
"I'm better now," she sighed.
"I'm serious Cayligh. You've been having this nightmare every night."
(I don't usually do this, but to stave off confusion, Kagome is now under witness protection, Cayligh [Kay-lee] is her 'new' name.)
She turned and looked into his deep golden hues. How she longed to hear him speak her name just once. "I'm fine Sesshoumaru, I promise."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She closed her eyes. "It's not important as long as you're here with me."
He leaned his chin on her head and took in her heavenly scent. He shook the feeling that she was trying to hide something and fell back asleep with her in his arms.
---
"Honey, can you get that?" Kagome called from the kitchen as the phone rang.
"Hello?" Sesshoumaru answered.
"Is there a Ms. Cayligh Genshi there?" a man asked from the other end of the line.
"Just a minute." He sat the phone down. "Cay, you have a phone call."
She sighed. "Who is it?"
"I don't know he just asked for you."
"Okay..." she replied and jogged into the living room. "This is Cayligh Genshi, how can I help you?" she said picking up the phone.
"Ms. Genshi, this is Mr. Renji from the dry-cleaners. I just wanted to let you know that your clothes are done and we will be delivering them shortly."
She was speechless. That was the code they had given her two years ago. The one that meant it was time to come out of hiding and return to her normal life. Her heart dropped, what if she decided she wanted to keep the life she had now?
"Ms. Genshi are you there?"
"Yes."
"What is the best time for us to make our delivery?"
"I, um, I want to take this call in the other room," she said looking at Sesshoumaru, who just nodded. 'Thank you,' she mouthed back, taking the phone into the bedroom and closing the door. "Detective Renji, it's safe."
"Last week they caught the man who shot you. We need you to come in for an official testimony."
"I'm supposed to be dead... How does that work?"
"Well, we have officers who are specifically trained to help you regain a normal life."
Kagome took a deep breath. "I like the life I have now."
"Ms. Higurashi, the life you live now is a lie, something we came up with to keep your true identity a secret."
"What about the friends I've made? Relationships I've formed? Is all of that a lie?"
"No, but our counselors will help you with that as well."
"So what am I supposed to tell the man I've been living with? 'Oh hey honey, dinner was great and by the way Cayligh isn't even my real name...'"
"If these people care about you they will understand. I have an officer coming to pick you up this evening."
She nodded numbly then realized she hadn't answered. "Okay... Can I at least have dinner with him and tell him a little bit about all of this?"
"You're safe from harm now Ms. Higurashi. You can tell him whatever you want."
---
Sesshoumaru eyed Kagome suspisiously as she put another serving dish on the table.
"What? Can't a girl just make a nice, big, romantic dinner for her hard-working man?" she asked as she ran a hand through his silver locks.
"Not when everything stems from a mysterious phone call that you've been avoiding talking about all day," he replied pulling her down into his lap. "Now will you please tell me what's going on?"
His eyes seemed to be searching her soul for answers and she looked away. "I don't know where to start..."
"How about you start by telling me what that phone call was today?"
She nodded and stood, pacing the room as she spoke. "It was from Detective Renji, he's a homicide detective." She wanted to break under his penetrating gaze, but she knew she had to tell him. "I witnessed a murder two years ago and the man shot me. I should have been dead, but they saved me. The man who did it got away so they put me in the witness protection program. The way they talked I would be in it for the rest of my life, but now..."
He stood and turned away from her. "Is Cayligh even..."
He didn't have to finish for her to know what he was asking. "No, my real name is Kagome Higurashi." Her heart screamed, why wouldn't he look at her? She reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sesshoumaru, I..."
He pulled away from her. "I'm going out for a while," he said, his voice cold and emotionless.
She tried to hide the hurt in her voice, but failed. "There is an officer coming to pick me up soon. Please stay with me until he gets here."
"I'm sorry, but I can't."
She couldn't choke down a sob when the door slammed behind him. Why couldn't he just understand? It wasn't as if she wanted to keep things from him, but she didn't have a choice. Detective Renji had told her that if anyone found out her true identity she would have to move again.
She thought back to when it all happened.
--Flashback--
"Miss Higurashi, this is Detective Renji," the nurse said as a tall, thin man in a business suit walked in the door. "He wants to speak with you, are you okay to talk to him?"
Kagome nodded and the nurse left the room. "Did they find him?"
The detective took a seat beside her bed. "No, but we have officers scouring the city."
"What does that mean for me?"
"That's what I'm here for." He stood and looked out the window. "This is a big city and there is no guarantee we can even find him. No information has been released on your condition as per my orders, not even to your family. I wanted to talk to you first. We're moving you to Osaka with a new identity."
"What will you tell my family and friends?"
He sighed. "That's the hard part. The only way this will work is if everyone thinks you're dead. We were going to allow your family to be moved with you, but the captain decided against it."
"So what am I supposed to do, move to Osaka by myself, with no family and friends, and live alone. I'm sixteen!"
"We've already created your new identity, it states that both of your parents were killed in an accident and you were put in the care of an aunt. Kaede will be awaiting your arrival."
"And I'm just supposed to leave everything behind and start all over. My mother has been through enough. I can't do this to her!"
"You have to Kagome. You have no choice. If you don't do this he will find you and kill you, probably your family and friends too."
She looked out the window. "How long until I can come back?"
"As long as it takes to find him. It can take days and it could be years."
"And what happens if you never find him?"
"Then you'll stay hidden forever."
---
Kagome stood outside the large house and looked up. A cab had dropped her off out front over half an hour before, but she didn't think she was ready to go in.
"Oy, wench, you just gonna stand out here all day?" she heard a voice call from behind her.
She turned and glared at a boy who was about her age. "What's it to you?"
"You'll have to forgive Inuyasha, his worthless mother never taught him any manners," a man said from behind the boy.
Kagome was in awe. The man's shimmering silver hair hung below his waist and his eyes were a rich golden blend. She was so entranced that she hadn't even noticed the two were now fighting.
She watched as the older of the two easily dodged the younger one's reckless attacks.
"Hold still bastard!" the one called Inuyasha yelled.
The older one just smiled slyly as he continued to easily sidestep the attacks. "Why ever would I do that little brother?"
Inuyasha cursed under his breath as he lunged at his older brother once again. Kagome didn't even realize what was happening until someone grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way as Inuyasha rushed past. Her heart pounded as she leaned against the strong chest to regain her composure.
Finally she stood and blushed as she turned to the person who had saved her. "Um... Thank you," she stuttered.
A noise from the house caused all three to turn and look. "Are you boys causing trouble for my niece already?" an older woman called from the doorway.
"Hey, old hag, do ya got any good food to eat?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up onto the porch.
"Ay, Inuyasha. Why don't you all come in and have lunch?"
Kagome had been timid and shy. She followed the brothers into the house and Kaede led her to her room to put her bags down then showed her to the dining room. When they all sat down she shifted uncomfortably under the eyes of the boys.
"So, what's your name?" Inuyasha asked as he slurped his ramen.
"Ka-Cayligh," she replied.
"What the hell kind of name is Ca-Cayligh?"
"Half-wit," she heard the other brother whisper under his breath.
"What are your names?" she queried quietly.
"I'm Inuyasha and that pompous ass over there is my half-brother Sesshoumaru," he answered gulping down more ramen.
It wasn't until then that she noticed Sesshoumaru's gaze had never left her. "It's nice to meet both of you."
--End Flashback--
Kagome wondered around the apartment aimlessly. From that day on she and Sesshoumaru had spent a lot of time together and as time went by she realized she didn't miss her life as much as she thought she would. One day she woke up and noticed that, while she still wished she could see her mother, she didn't miss her old life at all. She was happy with Sesshoumaru and he seemed happy to be with her. It wasn't until the first time they made love that she noticed how badly she wanted to share her secret with him. Hearing him call her Cayligh in the heat of the moment killed her a little each time, but it was something she had learned to deal with. She had talked to Detective Renji about telling him the truth, but she was denied. He told her if anyone found out she would be relocated and never allowed to have contact with anyone she met in Osaka again. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but it was a risk she wasn't willing to take. He had to understand that she was only trying to stay with him.
The sound of the doorknob turning drew her out of her thoughts. She walked into the living room to see him standing there, sweat on his brow. "Did you enjoy your run?" she asked quietly. Anytime they had a disagreement he would go for a run to clear his head. It used to drive her crazy, but it was one of those things that she adjusted to over time.
His eyes were hard and cold when he looked at her.
"I guess not."
"How can you expect me to be okay with this?" he asked angrily. "The whole time we've been together you've been lying to me."
"It's not like I never wanted to tell you! I just..."
"You just what? You didn't trust me?"
"No... Detective Renji told me that if anyone found out who I really was they were going to move me away and never let me have any contact with anyone I met here in Osaka." She lowered her voice and looked into his eyes. "I just didn't want to lose you. I love you."
"So what, you were just going to marry me, have kids with me, grow old with me and never tell me the truth?"
"I planned to tell you eventually..."
"When?"
She lowered her head and let her tears fall. "I don't know."
"You don't know," he said in exasperation. "I just don't understand how you can tell me you love me, or expect me to love you, when I don't even know who you are."
She glared at him. "I'm still the same person, there are just some details of my life that I couldn't share. Sesshoumaru, no matter what name I go by my heart still belongs to you."
A knock on the door caused them both to turn. Sesshoumaru looked at her. "It's for you."
She answered the door and came face to face with a uniformed officer. "Ms. Genshi," he started, but a scoff from Sesshoumaru cut him off.
"Don't you mean Ms. Higurashi," he said with a sneer.
Kagome glared at him. "Dammit I give up! I'm sorry, but I can't handle this anymore. I needed your help to do this, but if you're just going to act like this then... then nevermind. I love you, but this is hard enough already, I don't need you adding to it. I hope that someday you can forgive me, but for now... Goodbye Sesshoumaru."
His cold expression never changed as she walked out the door. Once the door was closed he threw things and yelled at the silence. He wanted so badly to run after her, tell her he was an idiot, and that he was sorry, but he knew his pride would never allow him to apologize.
Suddenly the door swung open and there she stood. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her eyes were red and puffy. "I don't care if I never see my family again. After two years I can't imagine my life without you. I've accepted the loss of my friends and family, but I won't lose anyone else. I love you Sesshoumaru and if that means staying hidden from the world forever then so be it..."
"I..." he took a deep breath. Screw pride. "I'm sorry. I love you no matter what. I can accept that you kept such a secret from me as long as you can forgive me for being so disagreeable."
A smile crossed her face through the tears and before he knew it she was in his arms. "Can you forgive me as well?"
He looked down into her deep blue eyes. "Of course I can, and I think I'd like to know more about my future family."
---
A/N: Okay all done! Leave me a review and let me know what you think!