Broken Flower

Kagome stared out the window of the Miami hotel at the rainy day. She heard her ‘mother’ mention an errand as she left slamming the door. Kagome shivered as she felt Carl approach her. She spun around and lifted her right arm with the intention of smacking him however he caught her just as she touched his right cheek. He squeezed her wrist painfully and she choked back a bitter laugh surprised she could still feel pain at this point. He shoved her back forcefully causing a pained cry to escape her lips as her already broken ribs impacted the leather sofa.

“Stupid Bitch. We will continue this later,” he muttered darkly as he looked up and down her form shrewdly. The look of desire in his eyes made Kagome want to hurl. She pushed past him needing to get out on her own if only for a little while. She caught his hollered warning as the door closed behind her: “We leave at 7:00 pm for Iris’ friends be here. Or else.”

Kagome ran ignoring the pain until she reached the lobby. Her muscles screamed in protest and burned in warning that told her to slow down. Her powers were going to be busy this week she just knew it. She laughed bitterly snarking off to his parting threat: ‘Or else I mean really come on can’t he be any more original I mean I have heard that from 1000’s of demons just this week. ‘She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts not wanting to analyze any of her current problems. She wondered along keeping track of her path knowing she could not afford to really piss them off as her powers were still working to heal her injuries from Inuyasha and her previous clashes with her ‘parents’. ‘That and I really want to see Patti and her husband I mean it has been forever since I saw her and I have yet to meet Francis Tripp and I am curious,’ her mind whispered. She sighed and continued admiring the little shops that she passed a small smile on her face. ‘Wow this place is so lively, so unlike what I am used to,’ she thought as she observed all the people enjoying themselves. Her heart lurched painfully as she caught a couple whispering softly to each other with secret smiles on their faces. She looked away not wanting to travel down memory lane yet as it was all too fresh. She made it a few more blocks when she realized her purse was still back at the hotel.

“Oh fuck,”she groaned softly. She immediately slapped a hand over her mouth and took a quick look around. She removed her hand an embarrassed flush making its way to her face even though no one appeared to have noticed her outburst. ‘Oh well I am not going back for it now besides I can just as easily enjoy myself without it as I am away from them,’ she thought. A smile formed on her face and she stretched her tired muscles screaming at her to rest. She spotted a beautiful fountain and decided to rest for a few minutes. She felt oddly at ease and it was then her thoughts began to turn inward despite her desire for her memories to leave her alone. ‘Touga’s death is my entire fault. I never should have dragged him into my mess’ she condemned herself. The fact that he had wanted to be mixed up with her not comforting her in the least as she drifted back in thoughts. She could still remember his gentle touch and how he had held her unfortunately it began to be overshadowed by Inuyasha’s anger and his murder of Touga not even caring that it was his own father. A whimper escaped her followed by tears as her mind would not keep the images from her. She pulled her knees up to her chin absently as she choked on her sobs. She tried to stop cursing her weakness. She heard footsteps and tried to compose herself but it was useless her shattered heart would not let her freeze her grief any more. She noted through bleary eyes that it was a woman who stood in front of her. A hand rested gently on her shoulder. She noted a badge and gun and cursed herself she did not need to involve police. However, the soft voice penetrated the remainder of the ice and she broke down anew at the whispered question, “what’s wrong miss?”Natalia held the sobbing woman seeing her self in the past in her. He could feel the flinch as her arms settled around her aggravating bruises. She recognized instantly she was an abuse victim and hoped she could offer this young woman a feeling of security.

Kagome finally felt her sobs settled down to a hiccupping breathing pattern.

“I am so sorry for breaking down on you like that,” Kagome apologized blushing red.

“It is no problem. Believe me I understand I have been an abuse victim myself so anytime you want to talk. I will be around to listen, Miss…” she trailed off not knowing her name.

“Kagome Higurashi, but my friends call me Kags. I don’t usually tell people my problems but in confidence I have two separate problems. I have an abusive ex and abusive parents hounding me and it just seems like I can’t catch a break from either. Though maybe now that I have met you that might change Miss…”Kagome trailed off blushing deeper at not knowing her name after sobbing on her.

“Natalia Boa Vista, but my friends call me Nat,” she replied with a smile. Kagome found herself smiling back despite everything. She began telling Nat about how her ex had murdered the new man in her life surprised the woman had not been disgusted when she learned that it was his father. She had put her head down in shame when admitting about the rapes at her step-father’s hand. Natalia tilted her chin up and told her she had nothing to be ashamed of. She helped Kagome to her feet as kagome admitted it had happened recently to which Natalia invited her to the crime lab. Kagome’s spirits lifted for the first time this week as it became possible she might just have a couple less enemies to worry about, that and she had made a new friend.