All was silent. Kagome lay, awake and shaking, on her small bed roll. Tears slowly make their way down her cheeks as the pain in her stomach grew just as much at the ache in her neck.

Inuyasha had refused to help her. Oh no, he was off with Kikyo to claim her as his one and only.

So, she'd been condemned to her bed roll and prayed for briefly by Miroku (before he and Sango had to leave as well) and left to die in painful, slow torment.

Shippo had been forced to follow Miroku and Sango, only for his own protection and health… But he'd CRIED.

Out of the entire group, he was the only one to shed tears at all. It was as though no one really cared…

He's cried and cried and grabbed her ripped shirt and told her he loved his mommy, only to get himself scolded by Sango who was on the verge of tears herself.

Kagome sobbed when the small fire beside her dwindled and flickered away. Bye bye, heat…

She was going to die(that was obvious), but when the others left, they'd assured her no hope and made it so she would die slowly, painfully, and cold.

And, oh, how she was cold!

The poison in her system was almost completely circulated now, only a few more minutes before the unbearable poison took it's toll and all pain would cease to exist.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby, but it didn't phase the girl any. She was going to die this day no matter by fang or poison. Even if a demon killed her, no one was around to care. At least not anymore…

The girl smirked as the demon came closer,

And closer

And closer

And closer, until she felt muscular arms wrap themselves around her… and held her close. She knew who it was…

"Sorry… It took me too long to get here, didn't it?" the demon's usually stoic face was pale with streams of tears slowly falling.

"It's alright… At first I thought you were going to be a demon come to kill me… Obviously you're not, though, and I'll be more than happy to die here in your arms."

The demon pulled her on-top of him as he lay down beside her and cradled her to his chest like a mother does to her child. A slight smile came to his lips as a new stream of tears began to flow.

"No, Kagome. You're not going to die here and now. I demand that you let me take you… Please…"

"there is no use, I will die before we reach the fortress. If you wish not to see my final moments, leave now, for I've not long left in this world."

"That isn't what I meant. Let me take you… You shall be my mate. I will love you 'til the end, for a demon can love only once this way."

Kagome groaned, there were barely seconds left now. If he claimed her as his mate, some of his powers would surely flow to her. Her life would be extended more than ten fold… Her life would be spared.

Weakly, she nodded her head in agreement.

She gasped as his fangs entered her neck's joint just as the last of her energy left her body. They sank deep into her dieing flesh.

There was only a single moment when her vision went blank like the sun had gone out. After that, everything seemed to be brighter and with such full detail.

She smiled up at her fiancé in complete happiness because he's saved her life. There was seemingly no way to repay him in full for his gallant deed, so instead she pulled his lips into her's.

The demon moaned when she pulled away.

"It's not nice to tease, you know."

She giggled. "that won't be too much of a problem, now, will it? I mean, you've certainly gotten what you came for."

He smirked. " and you would know that, HOW?"

"A women's intuition is never wrong."

"So what exactly did I come here for then?"

She smiled devilishly. "A mother for Rin."