She didn't know what was going to happen next.

Standing on the edge of the bridge, she looked down the hundred foot drop down to the murky waters below.

If I jump, then what?

She listened.

There should have been people here, looking for her.

People who love her.

People like her boyfriend, guilt ridden and desperate.

People like her friends, worried sick.

People like her family.

Instead, she just stood, all alone, listening and hoping for the sounds of her name being called, of hurried footsteps, or someone at least pulling her off the railing of the dangerous bridge.

But, she knew, in her heart, no one would come.

She looked around, searching for anyone who would try to stop her, in the slightest way.

Someone she knew, someone she didn't.

Some random weirdo to run from.

Anyone.

The bridge was silent and lonely, except for the invisible water rushing far underneath her.

There was only her, the dark sky of midnight, the rain and a flickering streetlight behind her.

Again, she wished someone would find her, stop her, but to no avail.

She wished she were home, with her mother hugging her and telling her it was alright.

She wished she was with her friends, smiling and laughing, moaning about her boyfriend.

Hell, she wished she was with him, wrapped safely in his arms.

This was her fantasy, her dream life.

None of it was real.

Her mother hated her, she had no real friends, her 'boyfriend' just wanted her for her body, and was extremely violent.

She shivered.

It was a damn cold night, here, unprotected from the wind.

Still, she did not move, contemplating the life she had, listening for the sound of footsteps.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?'

She jumped so hard that she lost her balance on the round railing, where she nearly did fall to her doom, when hands seized her from behind, pulling her back off the edge.

She immediately began to struggle, twisting and kicking, letting out a loud scream.

'Let me go!'

Her assailant dropped her and she scrambled away, ready to run, her heart still not beating just yet.

Whoever they were, she didn't know, and her heart sank just below her knees.

They turned away, and had a hoodie pulled over their head to protect against the biting wind.

'Why did you stop me?'

They -he- glanced back at her with a disdainful look.

'From what, sitting there all night? If you were going to jump, you would have done it already.'

She glared back, standing up slowly.

'Who says I was going to jump?'

'You weren't, that's my point.'

She swore at him, telling him go away.

'Not very nice, are you.'

'You assume way too much.'

She turned to get back onto the railing, but he seized the top of her arm.

'No, you don't.'

She looked at him for a long moment.

'What else am I supposed to do?'

He pretended to think for an instant.

'I don't know, go home to mommy and get her to make hot chocolate?'

She laughed bleakly. 'Like that would ever happen.'

Her mother had thrown her out the house days ago, with nowhere to go.

He really did pause that time, and gave her a funny look.

'So then if I kick you out of this place, where would you go?'

She didn't even pause.

'Back here.'

Shaking slightly, she turned her face back to the railing with such a feeling that she knew she would throw herself off.

'You're really that desperate to kill yourself?'

She did not reply, and it was a time before he realised the silence was the answer.

Something struck her as a random side note, the rest just wanted to jump.

It had been months, if not years, that someone had taken any notice of her.

She was quivering now, tears collecting.

He hit the heel of his palm against his forehead and closed his eyes.

She tried to break free, but no luck.

He sighed.

And let her go.

She wrenched herself away, and backed over to the railing again, considering just leaping over it, but settled for clambering over the edge.

'Don't let me stop you then.'

She froze and shut her eyes, making to lean forward, tears leaking now, but her feet seemed planted on the concrete.

She did not know how long she stood there, but it was enough for a small cascade of tears to slide down her cheeks, hidden successfully by the freezing rain.

The person behind her gave a snort of impatience, and pulled her back over the balcony by the shoulders.

'Stop doing that!' She exclaimed.

And, to his slight horror, she exploded into tears, covering her face with her hands.

He let her go slowly, giving her some space.

She was still turned away from him, and she seemed like her very soul was crying, broken and battered, and something like guilt or pity filled his heart.

Quietly, he waited for her to cry herself out.

She cried and cried and cried, then cried some more, then cried again, letting out the years of bottled up sadness into this stranger's random act of, not quite kindness, but something close.

And she continued to cry until the first light of the day hit the eastern sky.

Slowly, she calmed back into little hiccoughs, wiping the remaining tears on her sleeve.

'I-I'm s-sorry.'

He did not answer immediately, and it made her worried.

'S'ok.'

She turned to face him, her eyes red and puffy, and soaked to the bone in the light rain.

He took one look at her and pulled off his jumper, and handed it to her.

'What's this for?'

He gave her a disbelieving look.

'To throw off the bridge.' He said sarcastically. 'Stupid, put it on. You'll get sick.'

Though slightly damp on the outside, it was beautifully warm on the inside, and smelt wonderful, she noticed as she pulled it on.

'Could you tell me something?' She asked.

He nodded.

'Why did you stop me?'

He paused, trying to find a way to phrase it.

'You're not the first person to try something like that. Hell, you weren't even the first one last night. But none of the others sat out there as long as you did, before they either jumped or went home.'

She noticed he did not answer her question, directly.

'So I waited. Wondering what you would do. You seemed content on just sitting there, even though it was below freezing and you were drenched.'

He paused, as if waiting for a response.

'After a while I saw you weren't going to jump, so I decided to help you get down.'

'Help me?' She exclaimed weakly. 'You frightened the life out of me!'

He shrugged, but then his eyes brightened into a curious look.

'What's your name?'

'Why do you want to know?'

'Payback for saving your life. So what is it?'

'Kagome.'

He smiled slightly, and replied almost brightly; 'Hi Kagome, I'm InuYasha. Your new will to live.'

a/n

hi guys! Missed you all heaps.

This is a little something I've been working on for ages, and there will be more to come, I guarentee it.

Later, we figure out what the hell Kagome was doing there, and why InuYasha's so ooc.

Oh well, love you all, and review please!