Author's Note: I don't own Inuyasha or the characters

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"Kagome..." The hanyou whispered into the still air. It had been two weeks since Kagome had left. Two weeks since she had seen Kikyo and him together. Two weeks since he had ever seen Kagome in such pain... Inuyasha shook his head to clear if, snorting impatiently. "Feh, if she wants to run off because of a misunderstanding, let her. She just better not go blaming me about it!" Just then, Shippo, the small fox-demon smacked him over the head with his small palm.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, giving a fierce glare at the child. "You insensitive lout! How come you didn't go after Kagome? How come you didn't bring her back! How come - Oww!" Cutting off his sentence, Shippo rubbed his head where the hanyou had just given a hard smack. The kitsune's eyes filled with tears as he yelled, "You don't have to be so mean, In-u-yasha!"

Inuyasha glared after him as Shippo made his speedy departure, growling low in his throat. He then flopped back down onto the roof, folding his arms under his head, an old habit. "Maybe.. Maybe I was wrong.. Kagome.. You've always returned before.. Why not now?"

But he remembered.. Remembered the look on Kagome's face when she caught him holding Kikyo in his arms. Remembered the tears that gathered in her eyes and slid slowly down her face.. He remembered too clearly...

The hanyou sighed, recalling that day in the woods. It seemed like an eternity ago.. An eternity since Kagome left him to return to her own time through the well. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and him had been walking through the woods after a heavy battle when Inuyasha picked up the scent. He sniffed the air for a moment, an excited glint reaching his eye. "Inuyasha.. What is it?" Kagome asked, sightly alarmed. Instead of answering her, Inuyasha leapt off in the direction of the scent... Her scent.

Kagome had stared off after him, a slight frown on her face. Sango placed a hand on her shoulder, whispering, "Come on, Kagome. Let's get back to the village. He'll find his own way, I'm sure." Kagome nodded and followed her companions back to the hut.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had raced towards the scent of Kikyo, unheeding of the pain he was leaving. He needed to see Kikyo, to talk to her.. to make sure she was okay. That was it. As he reached the end of the scent-trail, he looked around, finally spotting the priestess under a tree. The tree of ages.. Inuyasha reached her in one leap and looked her over from head to toe, checking for any injuries. Kikyo raised a brow at him and smirked slightly, "Is something amiss, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha blinked and took a step back, shaking his head, "No.. I just.."

"You just what? Thought that I may be hurt and you could come rescue me? Did you wish to save me, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked relentlessly, giving a bitter laugh. Inuyasha shook his head rapidly, exclaiming, "Kikyo, I promised to protect you and I failed! You'll never know how sorry I am, how sorry that I could not have been there.. How guilty I feel that I let you die! If I could go back and change things you can bet your ass I would!" As he took her by the arm and pulled her into his embrace, he whispered, "I also promised never to let anything else bad happen to you and I damn well intend to keep that promise!"

Kikyo raised her dark eyes to meet golden ones, whispering in the cool night air, "Do you still truly care for me, after all of this time? Is it me who your heart aches for, even when you are in Kagome's presence? Is it me who you long to hold, to touch, even though my body is cold with death? Would you like to feel my lips upon yours, Inuyasha, to kiss me as I long to kiss you?." Inuyasha's eyes softened as he pulled her deeper into his embrace, cradling her cold body. She brought her mouth up to gently press against his, as he returned the kiss. The hanyou's sensitive ears picked up a soft gasp, as he jerked his head free from Kikyo's kiss, to see Kagome standing frozen, tears gathering in her eyes. Just then, she turned from his gaze and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Gah! Kagome! Ka-go-me!" He exclaimed, pulling himself free from Kikyo's embrace as he raced after the girl. "Sit! Sit sit sit!" He heard, just as the enchanted beads pulled tightly around his neck, pulling him down hard to the ground. He lay sprawed in the ground for a few moments. "Kagome.." He lifted himself up from the ground, deciding that now wasn't the best time to go after her. He turned in the direction of Kikyo to see that she, too, had gone. "Women..." He said in disgust, and bounded towards the village where their companions hopefully waited.