Summary:

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

A/N: Mmk, so for all of my regular people, I am not changing the first six chapters (well, I might make it a little more sophisticated, but that's about it. I might add some more detail as well, but I am NOT changing the story line). I am merely making some corrections because I went through it last night, and holy cow! There were a lot of mistakes! Then again, I did start writing this three years ago in grade 10/11, and now I'm going into second year university. I thought it would be wise for me to do some touch ups :P Enjoy

Chapter 1

Kagome held Shippo as she watched in horror as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged blows with one another. Sesshomaru had sought out Inuyasha to fight him once again for the Tetsusaiga, their father's sword that could kill one hundred youkai in one stroke. The battle had only just begun, but Inuyasha was badly wounded whereas Sesshomaru was unscathed.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha yelled as he swung the Tetsusaiga at his brother.

Sesshomaru's face remained impassive as he stated coldly, "Dragon Strike."

Inuyasha was hit with the full force of the blow and was thrown into the air, Tetsusaiga flying out of his hands. It landed a few feet away from his motionless body, and Kagome screamed Inuyasha's name but nothing happened.

"You will refrain from using such a tone in this Sesshomaru's presence." Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and looked back at Inuyasha. "It would seem that it is not time for this Sesshomaru to obtain the Tetsusaiga... pity."

He turned gracefully and began to walk away from the clearing, withholding the grace and elegance of his Taiyoukai heritage as his hair swung behind him. Kagome glared at his back but said nothing.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered.

Shippo raced from Kagome's side to Inuyasha in a flash of red as Kagome slowly stood and walked to her fallen comrade. Her pace was exaggeratedly slow until she finally knelt down beside Inuyasha and brushed a few strands of hair away from his face. She was startled when she felt a pulse coming from Inuyasha's body.

"Hahaoya…" Shippo said worriedly as he tugged on Kagome's sweater.

Kagome started to stand up but was thrown back down by the sheer force of Inuyasha's youki.

Shippo called out to her, but her eyes remained on Inuyasha, widening as Inuyasha's youkai blood began to take control of his body. Kagome quickly scrambled to her feet as Shippo grabbed her hand; they backed away just as the markings of a youkai began to appear on Inuyasha's face.

Sesshomaru stopped as he too felt the increase of Inuyasha's youki. He looked over his shoulder at the hanyou's pulsing body, his eyes showing slight amusement.

Inuyasha's fangs and claws grew, and his eyes turned blood red, the eyes of a murderous hunter. A purple stripe appeared on each cheek, and his youki changed in mere seconds, changing from the feel of ally to enemy. He got to his feet, silently looking around for his adversary. His eyes roamed the clearing until they rested onto two chocolate brown ones staring back at him. He grinned malevolently and barred his fangs.

Kagome's eyes filled with fear, and her body began to tremble as his intense gaze bore into her soul. He slowly walked towards her, but she took a step back, instantly regretting it as Inuyasha followed with two steps of his own. He was only a few paces away from his prey, and he intended to get it.

"Inuyasha! Snap out of it!" Shippo cried, attempting to get Inuyasha's attention.

Inuyasha growled but said nothing.

Kagome gulped, holding Shippo close to her as he clung to her waist, and prayed that by some miracle, she and her son would be saved.

Kami… Why did I remove that rosary? How could I have been so foolish?

It had been four years since Kagome had begun her journey with Inuyasha. After the long awaited demise of the wicked hanyou, Naraku, Kagome had made a selfless wish on the Shikon no Tama. Her wish was that everyone could have a second chance. This resulted in the recreation of Kikyo and her soul. Inuyasha had been ecstatic and had praised Kagome. But, that had not lasted for very long.

Sango, Miroku, and Kirara had gone back to the Demon Slayer Village in an attempt to recreate Sango's old home. They had found Kohaku – alive and without the painful memories of killing his family. Sango had come to terms with what had happened the day her brother had killed all of the Demon Slayers and with the feelings she had harboured for Miroku. Miroku had also experienced some changes in the form of his hand being returned to normal and no longer barring the Wind Tunnel. Soon after their return to Sango's village, Miroku had proposed to an elated Sango. As newlyweds, they were already expecting their first child in a few months.

Shippo was adopted by Kagome; he had found his family once again. In that time, he had grown up a lot. He was just reaching his teenage years in human years, but he was over a hundred in youkai years. Kagome now had difficulties with carrying him on their many journeys, but that did not mean that she would not on some occasions.

Kagome now traveled the Sengoku Jidai with Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Shippo. Kikyo had changed a lot as well; she referred to Kagome as her sister and apprentice, and she was always looking out for Kagome.

Inuyasha was the same as ever. He was always making rude comments to Kagome, even after she had restored Kikyo to her former self. He and Kikyo had finally mated, and, like Sango, Kikyo was expecting a pup in the near future. At that time, Kagome had thought it wise to remove the subjugation beads.

Kagome was jealous of her friends' happiness, but she could not help but feel content that they were all comfortable after so many years of unhappiness. Kagome had also changed a lot from the teenage girl everyone met four previous years into the sophisticated, young woman that everyone knew at present. She hadn't said her official goodbyes to her family in the present, but she had decided it would be better to stay in the Sengoku Jidai so that she could be there for Shippo and help others who needed it. To everyone's surprise, the well had not been closed once the Shikon no Tama had been restored to Kagome's body, which Kagome was grateful. She hadn't been back to her own era for a long while, but she did not mind; Shippo was her first priority, and her family understood that. Instead of wearing her usual school uniform, she had traded in for the normal attire for that era. On business occasions, she wore the traditional miko garment; however, recreationally, she wore a black and silver kimono that her mother had bought her on her last visit to her era.

And here she was now.

"Inuyasha… what's wrong with you?" Kagome shouted. She reached a hand out to the hanyou in a last attempt to feel their connection, but she could no longer feel it. A void filled his heart, pushing any thoughts of Kagome out of his mind.

Inuyasha growled and crouched down to the ground.

"Inu…" She did not have time to finish as he lunged at her. She closed her eyes and hugged Shippo to herself, awaiting the anticipated attack.

Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, Sesshomaru had picked up Kagome and Shippo and carried them out of harms way. He placed the two trembling figures on the ground, and Kagome collapsed to the ground in a fit of hysterical sobs.

"Hahaoya," Shippo said as he knelt beside his mother and held her to him as she wept in fear.

Sesshomaru watched the exchange with impassive eyes and returned his attention to his growling brother.

Inuyasha snarled at him as Sesshomaru protected his prey. He picked up the Tetsusaiga, and it flared to life in its true form.

Kagome's eyes widened as Inuyasha did not change back into his hanyou form once he and his sword were reunited. "The Tetsusaiga…"

"You are truly despicable. After everything the miko has done for you, you repay her with bloodshed," Sesshomaru replied coldly to Inuyasha's advances. He turned to look over his shoulder at said miko as she and her son hid behind him.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Look out!" Kagome cried.

No sooner had the words escaped her lips, Inuyasha's claws had ripped through Sesshomaru's right arm. Sesshomaru's left arm had been restored once Kagome had made the wish. However, Inuyasha went for Sesshomaru's dominant arm to attack, rendering his right arm almost useless. Sesshomaru didn't even flinch as an unhealthy amount of blood flowed freely from his arm.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Sesshomaru did not answer Kagome's concern but turned his head back to his brother who had leapt away and wielded his sword in front of him. Sesshomaru had barely enough time to push Kagome and Shippo out of the way of the Wind Scar before he was consumed by the full effect of the blow.

Kagome fell to the ground, manoeuvring Shippo so that she landed on her back and he landed on her. As she hit the ground, she struck the back of her head against a rock, and for a moment, everything went black. She sat up, quickly blinked the darkness away, and watched as Sesshomaru was thrown into a tree from the unexpected attack. She heard the ear shattering crack as the momentum of Sesshomaru broke the tree from its roots.

Inuyasha smirked in satisfaction. Once he returned his attention to Kagome, he licked his lips and grinned maniacally.

Kagome was about to call out to Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha quickly cut her off with a feral snarl that sounded like 'Shut the fuck up, bitch!'

Inuyasha slowly advanced on her with claws that dripped from the residue of Sesshomaru's blood and the screech of Tetsusaiga being dragged along the ground behind him. He growled again, but Kagome couldn't understand what he was saying. She knew it was something that she wouldn't want to hear though.

Kagome's eyes began to mist with tears, but what came out of Inuyasha's mouth sent a chill straight down her spine.

"You will never be part of the Sengoku Jidai."

Kagome felt like she had been slapped in the face as she wrapped her arms around herself. She did not love Inuyasha like that anymore, but she did love him as an older brother. The words that fell from his mouth cut her like a million knives pinning her to a wall. She cowered in fear and shivers racked her body as Shippo climbed onto Kagome's lap and rubbed his nose against her neck.

"If you hurt my hahaoya, I swear on my chichioya's grave that I will hunt you down and kill you," Shippo said, barring his fangs.

Inuyasha chuckled and grabbed the kit by the throat, tossing him away from Kagome. He watched her as she made an effort to run to her unconscious son, but he quickly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air, watching her as she struggled for breath. He grinned at her and nipped at her face as she thrashed about.

Kagome's eyes began to tear up, but not from the overwhelming emotions inside of her. She kicked her legs out at Inuyasha as he began to crush her windpipe. She scratched at his hand and begged with pleading eyes, but the pressure did not let up. Just when everything was about to go black, the pressure on her neck eased and she was dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Sesshomaru stood behind Inuyasha with his clawed hand stabbed through Inuyasha's back and could clearly be seen on the other side. He slowly began to release his poison into Inuyasha's wound, and Kagome could see that it was already having its acidic effect on Inuyasha's flesh as it was slowly being eaten away.

"Half-breed, you do not deserve to live… and you will die at my hands!" Sesshomaru snarled as he pulled his hand free of Inuyasha's flesh and unsheathed Tokijin.

Kagome crawled over to the unconscious form of her son and watched as the two brothers attacked each other mercilessly.

"Hiretsukan!" Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga in a wide arc at Sesshomaru's head, but Sesshomaru easily blocked it but was not so lucky the next time.

Sesshomaru could have easily beaten Inuyasha, but he had been wounded earlier that day and was still recovering from the injury. Inuyasha laid one final blow by plunging the Tetsusaiga into Sesshomaru's already healing wound, and twisting it like a key in a lock. Inuyasha released his hold on the Tetsusaiga as it protruded through Sesshomaru's chest and smiled as Sesshomaru was brought to his knees. He turned back to Kagome as Sesshomaru knelt there in pain. Kagome scrambled to Shippo and held him against her chest as Inuyasha advanced, but he was shot in the back with a purifying arrow before he could reach her.

Inuyasha looked back over his shoulder as the fury evaporated from his eyes and he returned to his normal state. What he did not expect to see was Kikyo as she lowered her bow.

"K-Kikyo… I-I thought…?"

"Inuyasha, I could never love someone who would try to kill their best friend. I have come to love Kagome like my sister, and I will not watch her die by your hands," a very pregnant Kikyo stated coldly. "She gave us a second chance, Inuyasha! And, you threw it back in her face!"

She nodded to Sesshomaru who had moved Tokijin into his uninjured, left arm and threw it at Inuyasha; it plunged through his heart. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he fell to the ground motionless, never to move again.

Sesshomaru watched the priestess walk back into the forest and then turned back to the miko. She lay unconscious by Shippo, her body not able to handle the day's events. Her body was curled protectively around him as if to ward off any opposing enemies. He could smell the scent of blood that was slowly starting to congeal on the back of her head, and the kitsune was suffering from a concussion.

Sesshomaru looked down at the Tetsusaiga and at all of the blood that flowed from his midsection. He grabbed the hilt of the sword and wrenched it free of his flesh. His face remained impassive as he looked at the sword oddly. It had not shocked him like the previous times he had tried to wield it; the Tetsusaiga must have realized that its master had perished.

From the exertion of removing the Tetsusaiga from his body and throwing it away from him, more blood flowed out of the wound. And in that small moment, his eyes widened in pain as he fell face first into the pool of blood that slowly surrounded him. He was lost to unconsciousness.

A/N: Once again, it has been rewritten. Well, not rewritten, just updated to a more sophisticated writing style (one that makes more sense since I left out a lot of stuff I had originally planned on putting in. Apparently my head was saying one thing and my hands were typing another :P). Hope you enjoyed it. Plan on getting the rest of the newly updated chapters up tonight. And I'll be writing the 7th chapter tomorrow. Peace! :D

PLEASE REVIEW! I'd love to know how you thought of it!