A/N: Here's another kinda' depressing one. *scratches back of head* =^^= Wow I must have been in a pretty bleak mood when I wrote these. Anyway, don't worry I have plenty of happy, sappy, lovey-dovey type stuff coming soon! I just want to get all of my earlier stories out first! So without further ado, enjoy! ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does. I also don't own the song "Stay' by Sugarland.

Kagome grumbled a bit at the lack of InuYasha's helping her out as her head appeared above the lip of the well for the second time that day. She blinked, slightly surprised to see Sango sitting on a rock not too far away, instead of an angry InuYasha, as she'd expected.

He'd been furious when she'd told him she was going back real quick, but then again, when was he ever okay with her going back home? She had promptly 'sat' him and hopped back down the well. Shaking off thoughts of the likely sulking hanyou, Kagome smiled brightly at her best friend.

"Oh, hey Sango! is InuYasha still angry? Ah, I'll make it up to him later with some ramen. Anyway, sorry i was gone so long, but mom made my favorite for lunch and I had to have some!"

Sango bit her lip at the mention of the hanyou's name, but Kagome was speaking, so she'd missed the tell-tale sign that something was wrong.

"Look, I even brought some for everyone!" she smiled, waving the container of food in the air before setting it down. Heaving her ginormous yellow backpack up, she tossed it over too, grinning at the fact that due to all her climbing and fighting demons, she was growing stronger. Climbing the rest of the way out, she brushed herself off and then froze as she saw Sango's expression.

Kagome knew the older girl well enough to know that something was wrong. Her smile seemed forced and she could see the worry shining in her hazel eyes. She stood up slowly and said softly,

"Hey Kagome." Kagome's features twisted into a slight scowl.

"Sango, what's wrong? Is InuYasha okay? No demons attacked while I-"

"No, Kagome, it's nothing like that. Everyone's fine, it's just..." She looked away. She hated seeing the hurt in her friend's warm chocolate eyes every time he left.

"Then what is it?"

The demon slayer took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes, "Kikyo..."

And that was all it took. One word, one name, and she felt her heart break just a little more. 'Kikyo...'

The container in her hand slipped through numb fingers; she felt like joining it on the ground. Every time Kikyo showed up, InuYasha left without so much as a backward glance, and it tore Kagome apart each time. Sango looked at her sadly and then bent to retrieve the container of food, breaking Kagome out of her daze.

"Sorry," Kagome murmured. "Come on, we should go get the others and head 're burning daylight!" she said with false cheer. Truthfully, all she wanted to do at the moment was curl up into a ball and cry, but she knew that wasn't the best thing to do. She needed to stay strong.

Both women walked in silence, Sango glancing at her from the corner of her eyes, and Kagome clutching the strap of her yellow pack in a white-knuckled fist. Sango couldn't take it anymore,

"Kagome...Are you okay? You know I'm here if you want to talk."

The miko plastered a fake smile on her face. She appreciated Sango's concern, but she really didn't want to talk about it so soon; the pain was just too much.

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be?" she said, though all she wanted was to scream and cry.

Sango looked away, she'd let it go for now. "All right." she said softly, and they lapsed into silence again, Kagome trying desperately to keep her tears at bay, and a furious Sango thinking about how much she wanted to wring the scrawny neck of a certain hanyou.

When they got to the village, the silence continued, they could all see how upset Kagome was.

"Come on guys, I think we should head out. We still have a couple hours of sunlight left, let's not waste it. He...he can catch up." Kagome said the last part quietly. Everyone agreed and she was grateful. She couldn't sit still, she needed to move, to do something other than think. They said their goodbyes to Kaede and left.

It was nearly nightfall and InuYasha still hadn't come back yet. Kagome found a small clearing and they stopped for the night. She laid Shippo down for bed and told the others,

"I'm gonna go soak for a while."

It was a good thing they'd spent time in that area before, so they knew it pretty well, and the best thing of all was the hotspring nearby. Her friends gave her worried looks.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Sango asked.

"Or me?" Miroku piped up. Sango glared and slapped him. He rubbed his abused cheek. "My dear Sango, I was just being a good friend." Well, it was halfway true. She rolled her eyes.

"Sure you were. Pervert!" she huffed angrily. Kagome gave a half-hearted smile and shook her head at Miroku's antics.

"No thanks. I kinda just want to be alone right now."

"All right," Sango acquiesced. "Just call if you need anything."

"Okay." She picked up her things and silently walked into the dark forest.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Miroku asked, still rubbing his cheek.

"I really don't know. And that scares me. Kagome's always been so strong but...this is the worst I've ever seen her. She just seems so...so..."

"Defeated."

Sango nodded sadly and they both stared after their friend. Neither of them knew how much more she would be able to take.

Kagome soaked in the warm water and finally let her tears fall; they slipped silently down her porcelain skin. Just then, a song popped into her head. She'd only heard it a few times, but surprisingly she knew all the words, and she found that it summed up her feelings very well. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing; music had always had a calming effect on her. Her beautiful voice lifted, soft and sweet, and carried on the wind.

"I've been sittin' here starin' at the clock on the wall, and I've been layin' here prayin', prayin' she won't call, it's just another call from home and you'll get it and be gone and I'll be cryin'..."

How many times had she hoped? How many times had she prayed that Kikyo, InuYasha's first love, wouldn't come around. She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn't help it. InuYasha would spot her soul-collectors and he'd be gone. The last thing she'd see of him would be a flash of red from his fire rat and she'd feel her heart break.

"...And I'll be beggin' you baby, beg you not to leave, but I'll be left here waitin' with my heart on my sleeve, oh, for the next time we'll be here, seems like a million years and I think I'm dyin', what do I have to do to make you see, she can't love you like me..."

Kagome loved him so much, but why couldn't he see it? Why could he never understand that Kikyo wanted to kill him(by dragging him to hell with her) so she could have him all to herself? All Kagome had ever wanted was for him to be happy and for him to love her the way she loved him.

"...Why don't you stay..."

InuYasha's ears perked up. 'What's that? It's so...beautiful.' he thought and broke away from Kikyo. She didn't seem to mind, her cold lips trailing down to his throat instead.

"...I'm down on my knees, I'm so tired of bein' lonely, don't I give you what you need, when she calls you to go, there is one thing you should know, we don't have to live this way..."

'Damn!' InuYasha's gaze traveled up to the dark sky overhead. 'How long's it been?' he wondered.

"InuYasha..." Kikyo murmured.

"...Baby, why don't you stay..."

"K-Kagome...?" he whispered in disbelief. He'd never heard anything so beautiful, except maybe, Kagome's laugh.

"What did you say?" Kikyo asked, still trailing kisses down his throat. He jerked away from her, horrified at himself. She looked at him in shock.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." he whispered and then turned and ran.

"...You keep tellin' me, baby, there will come a time, when you will leave her arms and forever be in mine, but I don't think that's the truth, and I don't like being used, and I'm tired of waiting..."

Kagome remembered all the previous times he'd gone to Kikyo and it tore her heart in two all over again. She hated it, but she couldn't stop him from going, and she didn't know how much her heart could take being broken before the damage was irrepairable. She just wished he'd make up his mind and stay with her.

"...It's too much pain to have to bear, to love a man you have to share, why don't you stay, I'm down on my knees, I'm so tired of bein' lonely, don't I give you what you need, when she calls you to go, there is one thing you should know..."

How many times had she begged him with her eyes not to follow after Kikyo's soul-collectors? How many times had she cried herself to sleep knowing that she'd never be good enough-never even compare-to Kikyo? How many times had InuYasha slunk back into camp after being in her arms? Too many. And always, Kagome was there, waiting for him to come back.

"...We don't have to live this way, baby, why don't you stay..."

Salty tears fell into the warm water as she wrapped her arms around herself. 'Please...just stay...Inuyasha...'

The inu-hanyou found the camp with ease. Sango and Miroku looked up at his arrival, anger clearly evident in their gazes, especially Sango's. The slayer looked like she would happily strangle him in that moment. They could all hear her singing and could feel the pain and truth her words portrayed. He winced internally, knowing he was the cause.

"Where's Kagome?" It was a stupid question, he knew, but he needed to break the tense silence.

"Bathing." Sango snapped.

"I was just-" he began, but Sango cut him off.

"Oh, you don't have to explain, we know exactly what you were doing and who you were doing it with!" she hissed angrily at him.

He barely resisted the urge to cringe at her biting tone. ' "Two" angry females...I'm in deep shit!' he thought and crossed his arms over his chest, feigning nonchalance. On the inside, he was a terrified pup.

"What do want me to do Sango? Just forget about Kik-"

"Yes you BAKA!" she shouted. Part of her realized that that wasn't exactly fair to him, but at the same time, she refused to let him get away with stringing Kagome along. "Do you have any idea how much pain you're putting Kagome through? Listen! You just might find out! And then when Kouga comes sniffing around her-an unclaimed female-you go and get all jealous and bitchy!"

"Shut up!" he glared, growling at the mention of that scrawny wolf's name.

"Why? Does the truth hurt, InuYasha?" she taunted. "Well good!"

"Just when's she comin' back?"

"Whenever the hell she feels like it!" Sango snapped.

InuYasha looked to Miroku for help, but the monk had his eyes closed while he meditated. Clearly, he wasn't going to intercede on his behalf. He suddenly felt very guilty. Grumbling a half-hearted, "Keh." he jumped into a tree and settled onto a wide branch to wait. He closed his eyes and listened to Kagome's sweet voice and his heart constricted at the pain he felt from her words. He'd had no idea he'd caused so much pain. 'I'm so sorry Kagome. Please forgive me.'

"..I can't take it any longer, but my will is getting stronger, and I think I know just what I have to do, I can't waste another minute, after all that I've put in it, I've given you my best, why does she get the best of you, so the next time you find you wanna' leave her bed, for mine..."

Kagome sang her heart out, letting everything she'd felt during those times to flow out of her just as the words flowed off her tongue. She felt the knot inside her chest beginning to loosen as each word passed he lips, and she felt a strange sort of peace and anticipation begin to fill her as she came to the last verse in the song. Her voice grew louder, but no less beautiful.

"...Why don't you stay, I'm up off my knees, I'm so tired of bein' lonely, you can't give me what I need, when she begs you not to go, there is one thing you should know...I don't have to live this way, baby, why don't you...stay, whooaaaa...ooooooh."

As the last words left her lips, that feeling of peace and strength and warmth grew and spread through her entire body. Kagome wiped her tear-stained cheeks and smiled. She was done crying and not feeling good enough; she knew she deserved better than that. Her resolve set, she got out and dried off and put on her pajamas. Feeling infinitely better, she made her way back to camp.

By the time she made it back, everyone was already in their beds, but she knew they weren't asleep yet, well, except for Shippo who could be heard snoring softly from Kagome's sleeping bag. She ignored Inuyasha as she set about putting her things away, but she was acutely aware of his golden eyes on her.

"How was your bath?" Sango asked. Kagome smiled.

"Great! I even got all pruny." she said wiggling her fingers. Sango chuckled and then laid down.

"Good night Kagome."

"G'night Sango."

She took her time getting ready for bed, knowing that she wanted to talk to InuYasha. She knew he wanted to talk to her as well, but wouldn't say a word until everyone else was asleep. Finally when everyone's breathing was even, InuYasha jumped down from the tree and landed in front of her. His eyes were filled with sadness and regret, and she truly believed he was sorry, but he couldn't take back any of it.

"Kagome I...I'm sorry that I hurt you."

She gave him a serene smile. "I know, InuYasha. I'm sorry too." There was something in her voice, in the way she was smiling and looking at him that made him feel slightly panicked.

"Kagome..."

"I can't take it anymore. I loved you and you pushed me aside time and again, for someone else. I can't go through that pain anymore. I won't let you put me through it anymore."

She gave him one last tiny smile before crawling into her sleeping bag. He gaped at her, trying to process what exactly she was saying. She turned her back to him.

"Good night...InuYasha." she whispered softly and then closed her eyes.

As sleep gently enfolded her in its embrace, she heard his voice one more time, "Good night...Kagome...", she happily gave herself up to it, her heart feeling lighter than it had been in a long time.

A/N: Well there it is. I hoped you liked it, and if you didn't...well...then that's that I guess. Either way, I'd still be happy to get a review! ^^ Any way, fics like this are what happen when I'm feeling like crap and in an I-hate-everyone-and-everything kind of mood. Just a way for me to vent. ;) Trust me, they're not all like this. I hate when a story doesn't have a happy ending! (I'm a romantic at heart even though I don't really like mushy stuff. Yeah, hard to believe huh?)